HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vere. 2, 3.-Hidden things. Our Lord's affirmation implies that there is a great deal which has been long beneath the surface, and we naturally ask-Does God hide, And the answer is-Yes, truly," thou art a God that hiJest thyself." He hides his own glory, that we may not be dazzled thereby; he hides the bliss of the beatified, that we may not be discontented thereby. Like as a father hides from his children many things which they will better learn a. little later on, or had better make out for them- selves, so God hides many things from us for the very same reasons. But he has so hidden treasures of truth and wisdom from us, that we have every possible inducement to search for them, and foll capacity to find them. I. THE PROVISION MADE FOB OUR TEMPORAL WELFARE. Did he not hide the coal, the copper, the iron, the lead, the silver, the gold, that we might discover, might raise, might refine, might shape them to our use? And the corn which he gives us to eat, the raiment to wear, the music to enjoy,-these a.re only to be had by searching, by inquiry, by study, by endeavour. The powers of steam, of electricity, were long hidden from the knowledge of mankind, but they, with the other secrets of the world, are being known. II. Hrs BA VINO AND SANCTIFYING TBUTB. Paul speaks much of "the mystery bidden from the generations," i.e. God'ij great purpose to redeem, not a nation frorn political bondage, but the whole human race from spiritual servitude and degradation; his purpose to accomplish this by coming to the world in the Person of his Son Jesus Christ. This was hidden in Old Testament promises, and in the Law given by Moses; it was there, undiscovered by any but II few discerning souls; and it was "not revealed unto the sons of men" until, enlightened by the Spirit of God, the apostles made known the riches of his grace. There are still some things in connection with Christian doctrine which may be said to be hidden, but which sooner or later will be revealed and known. III. HmrAN CHARACTER AND BUMAN LIFE. There a.re derths of secrecy in these human hearts of ours. Evil thoughts may hide there unknown to any hut to those that entertain them ; nay, may lurk and work within the soul unsuspected even by that soul itself. For men are both better and worse than they know themselves to be. ,vhat purity and gentleness and setr-sacriticing love may steal silently through life, and may pass and be forgotten I what deeds of truest heroism may be wrought which no pen records and no tongue recites! Yet the wrong shall be expo~ed, a~d the ri~ht be understood and honoured; human character shall be read in the li_ght ol truth; the guilty shall be humbhd and the upright be exaltecl "in that day." 1. Om: d"ty. It is that of: (1) Exposure. 'l'ear the mask from the hypocrite; let the covering be krn off the false man, the charlntan, the betrayer of the soul, with a firm and fearless han,i; ruake him stand out before his fellows stripped of his pretences; make it true th:it "there is nothing covered," etc. (2) Disclosurn. Live to teach, to enlighLn, to eulurgo. 346 TIIE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. [oa. xn.1-69,
Let the ~ecret of health, of wiadom, of usefulness, be I 11.1blished on every ho.nd. Tell e.ll you can re1tch-the children in the school, the sick by the bedside the loitererH by the wayside, the congregation in the cottage, or the hall, or the chur~h-the secret of pure and lasting joy, of real and true success. 2. Our danger. Since God will co.use the hidden things to be known, since he will "bring to light the hidden thingB of darkness, and make manifest the counsels of all hearts," since he "will judge the secrets of men," well may the guilty shudder, well may we all o.sk-Who shall o.hide that solemn hour? But there is an alternative. "The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from all sin." True penitence and genuine faith will secure for us such a covering that nothing shall be revealed. There is a Divine forgiveness which swallows up and hides for ever the wrong that we have done. 3. Our hope. "And then "-at that day-" shall every man have praise of God;" i.e. every man who is, in the true sense praiseworthy; every man to whom Christ will be free to say, "I wo.s hungry, and y~ gave me meat; for inasmuch," etc. He who does good " to be seen of men" has his reward now; hie recompense is exhausted here. But he who works for Christ and for men in the spirit of his Master has not his reward now; he has only a foretaste of it. The best of it has yet to come. And it will come; for there is nothing hidden that shall not be revealed. Blessed is the quiet, humble life of unpretending goodness, which is like the silent spring that makes the meadows green; from such lives as these come deeds of loveliness and usefulness to be made mention of by the lips of the Lord himself, when the things that are covered now shell be revealed, and the things which man overlooks God will own and honour.-C.