epirit yearned with II profound R.nd vehement desire for t,he hour to oomo when these heavenly forces should he prepared and be freer! to do their sacred and blesH<sd work. 2. A human longing'to pas.9 through the trial thatawaite<I him. "Biit "-there was not only an interval of time to elapse, there was a periotl of s<>lemn stru.,.·,le to be "One through, before thR.t fire would be kindled. '!'here W31< a baptism o°t' sorrow and ,,f conflict for himself to undergo, antl bow was he "straitened" in spirit until that was accomplished I Hore was the feeling of a son of man, bnt it was the feeling of the noblest of ~he children of _men: He did not desire that it should be postponed; he longed for 1t to come that 1t might be passe<l through, that the battle m: ~ht be fou"'ht that the anguish might be borne. Truly this is none other than a huly human apiri~ with whom wo have to do; one like unto ourselves, in the depth of whose na, ure were these very hopes and fears, thr!Se same longings and yearnings which, in the face of a dread future, stir our own souls with strongest agitations. Huw solemn, bow "rea, how fearful, must that future have been wl,ich so profouudly and pow<Jrfu.lly atiected his calm and reverent spirit I II. IN VIEW OF OUB OWN SPinlTUAL STRUGGLES. We cannot do anything of very great account unless we know something of that spiritual strenuousness of which our Lord knew so much. 1. We should show this in our concern for the condition of the world. How much are we affected by the savagery, by the barbarism, by the idolatry, by the vice, by the godlessness, by the selfishness, which prevail on the right hand and on the left? How eagerly and earnestly do we desire that the enlightenment and the purification of Christian truth should be carried into the midst of it? Does our desire rise to a holy, Christ-like ardour? Does it manifost itself in becoming generosity, in appropriate service and sacrifice? 2. We may show this in our anxiety to pass through the trial-hour that awaits us. Whether it be the hour of approaching service, or sorrow, or persecution, or death, we may, like our Master, be straitened until it be come an,l ~one. Let us see that, like him, we (1) await it in calm tmstfulness of spirit; an,l (i) prepare for it by faithful witness and close communion with God in the hours th~t lead up to it.-C.
Ver. 51.-lndividual responsi"bi1ity. "Why even of yourselves judge ye not what ie right?" Those to whom our Lord was speaking were men of intelligence, education, religious privilege. They exercised their mental facnlties with great keenness on some subjects (vers. 54, 55): why could they not recognize the supreme fact of their time, viz. that the Messiah was before them (ver. 56)? why did they not employ their powers to discern between the false and the true, between the evil and the good ? L THAT WE MAY NOT DEVOLVE OUB ACCOUNTABILITY FOB HOLDmG THE Tl!.UTH on any one or any body of men. It has not been merely "the right of private judgment" which has bocn in question, which some have·.striven so bard to withhold, and which others have suffered so much to obtain or to preserve. It has been the sacred duty of determining for ourselves what is the mind and the will of God, the solemn obligation to put into use the talents he has committed to our care. We are to discharge this duty under all circumstances and whoever may propose to relieve us of it. "\Ve may not delegate it: 1. To the State. The State may prescribe lslamism in one region, Confucianism in another, CR.tholicism in a third; but we are not at liberty to make our religious creed depend on the latitude and longitude where we reside. 2. 'l'o the <Jhurch; or Jesus Christ himself would have been criminal, for he entirely disregarded the decision of the "council," and the Christian Church has, in its collective capacity, spoken differently in different times and places. 3. To society; that is frequently at fault. 4. To the parent. For a time this is necessary, right, becoming, praiseworthy; but the time comes when the son must no longer shield himself behind his filial obedience, be must think and must decide for himself. If we are possessed of ordinary human powers and privileges we must "of ourselves judge what is right." It is a solemn burden, a sacred duty, which our Crea.tor has laid on each human spirit he has called into being. II. THAT GOD HAS GIFTED us WITH A SPmrruAL NATURE for this very purpose. He has endowed us with reason, or with that faculty which intuitively perceives the great and deep truths which are prasented to it; with conscience, the faculty which cornmen,ls and condemns, filling with inward joy or inward pain; with fudgmrmt, the faculty tliat w~ 2~ TTTE GOSrEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. [on. xn. 1-50.
compares Rnd conclu<les, l\nd llrrives Rt _ju~t deci8ione All to the thing that should be d~ne, the WI\\' that shoul_d be_ t_aken. lt 1s, rndeed, only too truo the.t e. long course of sin ,nil we.rp sn<l degrade this spmtue.1 nature of ours; but where there is 88 muoh enlighten• ment e.s the Jews of our Lord's time hR<l, and e.s we ourselves poeseSB1 we ought to be able by its mMns "to judire wh1tt is right." 11). 'l'HAT THE HEALTHFUL ACTIONL OF OUR SPIBITU.lL NATURB 18 ONE LAROl!I PADT OF OUR PROBATION. If" the light thl\t is in us be darkness," if our conscience is mis• directing UB, it is because we have been wrong, it is bece.use we have not been true to oul'l!elves. Sin bas wMkened or even distorted our faculty of spiritual discernment, But if we are true to ourselves, if we (1) honestly seek to know whl\t the will of God b concerning ourselves and others; (2) faithfully endeavour to do what we believe to be his will; (3) earnestly ask for Divine guidance in our pursuit of wisdom ·-we shall be '' led into the truth." We may not see everything in the light in whi~h other true- hMrt.ed people see it, but we shall recognize those great leading truths which bring us into right relation to God, which constrain us to take a right attitude toward our brtthren, which light _ur. our earthly path and conduct us to our home. 1. We may not refuse our refipons1b1hty under any plea, not ev.in that of humility. It would be pleasant to say, "We will leave to others who can do it better the work of deciding what is true, which message i8 from Go<l, which path leads heavenwards." But we may not say this without declining the sacred duty our heavenly Father devolves on each one of his children. 2. Accepting our post as truth-seekers, we must do our work con- scientiously, thoroughly, without prejudice. 3. We may be sure that Chti8t will grant us all the Divine aid we need if we honestly endeavour and devoutly pray.-C.