LECTURE XLII.

JESUS DECLARES WHO ARE TRULY BLESSED.REPROVES THE UNBELIEF OF THE PEOPLE, AND WARNS THEM AGAINST MISTAKEN OR FALSE PRINCIPLES.

LUKE Xi. 27-36.

27. And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked.

28. But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

Though the remark made by the woman here was very natural, our Lord could not allow it to pass without introducing a great truth. There is always a disposition in men to expect the favour of God on account of their nation, or their parentage, or on some other ground than that of personal character. We are here assured that the divine blessing depends on one thing only,-the state of the heart before God. It was nothing to be the son of Abraham, unless the son of Abraham were also the follower of Abraham. It would not even profit to be the mother of Jesus, according to the flesh, unless that mother were endowed with the further qualifications of faith and holiness. Those alone are truly blessed who hear the word of God, and keep it.

(Matt. xii. 38-42.)

29. And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet.

30. For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.

31. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them; for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

32. The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.

33. No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.

34. The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.

35. Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.

36. If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.

It was a natural and a laudable question, when asked in a proper spirit, "Master, what sign showest thou, seeing that thou doest these things?" What evidence dost thou give that God is with thee? Jesus does not condemn the Pharisees for seeking a sign, but for being obstinately blind to the signs which they were daily beholding, because they were an evil generation. would not send his Son into the world without

God

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giving the world sufficient proof that he had thus visited men, and called them to repentance. This would be acting like a man who should light a candle, and then hide it in a secret place, or under a bushel. Whereas Christ was come as a light into the world, that whoever believed in him should not abide in darkness. Why then was the light not perceived? why were the signs not acknowledged? It is with the mind as with the eye,-both must be in a sound and healthy state, or the light may be poured upon them in vain. The light of the body is the eye; but the whole body may be full of darkness, though surrounded by the brightest sunshine, if the eye which should enlighten it is diseased: and so, if the eye of the mind is evil, the light which is in it will be darkness. The heart will not be guided and directed, but misled and deceived to its own ruin.

The occasion of this discourse will plainly show what our Lord condemned as the eye that is not single. He had restored a man who had an unclean spirit, and was dumb; "But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub, the prince of the devils." Here then was the evil eye, so perverted as to call darkness light, and light darkness; to ascribe the work of God to Satan, the good deed to the enemy of goodness. Therefore shall no sign be given to this evil generation, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. They shall be allowed to proceed in their wicked blindness till they "crucify the Prince of life:" till the resurrection of his body from the grave fulfils the type of Jonas, who, after a like interment, became a sign unto the Ninevites. And

the Ninevites, though not "a chosen nation, a peculiar people," perceived that the sign was from heaven, and obeyed it. (Jonah iii. 5.) The people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast; and the king arose from his throne, and laid his robe from him, and published throughout Nineveh, "Let all cry mightily unto God; yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?" Should not this condemn the hardened inhabitants of Jerusalem, the unrepenting men of Judah?

And so, the queen of the south, the queen of Sheba, (1 Kings x.) "when she heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions, and communed with him of all that was in her heart. And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, there was no more spirit in her; and she said to the king, "It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom: blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighteth in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel!" Here then was an example for the Jews: a greater than Solomon was amongst them: gracious words proceeded out of his mouth, and he taught them as one having authority; but they came to him, not to inquire, but to cavil, and with hearts hardened against conviction. Therefore should the queen of the south, and the men of Nineveh, rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them.

We must attend to the reason why they fell into

this condemnation: the light which was in them was darkness, and they "loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." They opposed our Lord because they fancied themselves righteous; they thought they had eternal life, and they would not come unto HIM that they might have life; might repent, and be converted, and he might heal them.

Hence the warning, Take heed that the light which is in thee be not darkness. Take heed that the principle on which you act be not a false principle; the dependence on which you trust a vain dependence, which has no foundation.

ness.

Doubtless the most destructive errors often arise from a principle within, which makes the light darkThe light in St. Paul was darkness at the time when he "thought verily within himself that he ought to do many things against the name of Jesus of Nazareth." The light in the Jews was darkness, when "being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, they did not submit themselves to the righteousness of God." The apostle bore them witness that "they had a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge."

"2

And the case is still the same. We often find those who, instead of searching the Scriptures for rules of action, make rules for themselves; or, if they do search the Scriptures, search them rather to support their own notions, than really to become acquainted with the divine will.

Many, for example, boldly maintain that it signi

1 Acts xxvi. 9:

2 Rom. x. 2, 3.