ne that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.' (John viii. 12.) And again, I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.' (xii. 46.) The gospel which Jesus came into the world to preach is accordingly called light. (See Isaiah ix. 2; and Matt. iv. 16;) and 'the light of the glorious gospel of Christ,' (2 Cor. iv. 4.) Paul was sent to turn the Gentiles from darkness to light,' (Acts xxvi. 18; and the Christians are called 'the children of light, and the children of the day.' (1 Thess. v. 5.)

The apostles were in one sense, 'the light of the world; Not originally, like the sun, as Christ is, (John i. 8, 9,) but by participation, as the moon and the stars, (Rev. i. 20; Phil. ii. 15.)* They were the repositories of truth; and as truth was moral light, and they reflected it upon men, they were 'the light of the world.' Adam Clarke says, 'Light of the world was a title applied to the most eminent Rabbins. Christ transfers the title from these, and gives it to his own disciples, who, by the doctrines that he taught them, were to be the means of diffusing the light of life throughout the universe.'

Light invariably invites the attention of those who are in darkness. Jesus therefore, directed his followers, as the eyes of the world would be turned to them, that they must be careful to maintain good works, so that men by their conduct might be led to glorify their Father in heavWith this view Jesus tells them that 'a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.'

en.

It is supposed that he drew his figure from the city of Bethulia, which was situated upon a mountain, in plain sight of the spot where he delivered these instructions. With this view Maundrell says, 'A few points towards the north (of Tabor) appears that which they call the mount of beatitudes, a small rising, from which our blessed Saviour delivered his Sermon in the 5th, 6th and 7th .chapters of Matt. Not far from this little hill is the city Saphet, supposed to be the ancient Bethulia. It stands

* Assembly's Annotations.

upon a very eminent and conspicuous mountain, and is seen far and near. May we not suppose that Christ alludes to this city, in these words of his, 'A city set on a hill cannot be hid.' The disciples being the light of the world, could no more escape the observation of men, than a city set on a hill could be hid. They were taught to expect, therefore, that the eyes of the world would be. continually upon them, and were exhorted to let their good works be seen by all, that all might glorify their Father in heaven. It was a duty equally binding upon them, that they should have no disposition to shrink from public observation, nor to hide the light of which God had made them the repositories, as is seen by the succeeding comparison. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.' Those who make themselves acquainted with the truth, and hesitate to profess it before men, are chargeable with the same folly with the man who should light a candle, and then hide it under a bushel. The very object of lighting a candle is to give light-the object of hiding it would be to conceal that light; and it is therefore preposterously absurd that those who light a candle should put it under a bushel. Truth is moral light. Those who ignite the torch of the mind with its holy flame, should not endeavor to hide the light thereof; but let it shine before men, that others may see it and glorify God. Jesus would not that any should be ashamed of him. 'Whosoever shall be

ashamed of me, and of my words, of him shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father, with the holy angels.' The apostle exhorts his Hebrew brethren to hold fast the profession of their faith without wavering.' Truth is not a thing of which man may be ashamed; and hence the exhortation is highly proper, 'Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.' At the death of Christ, when the centurion. saw what was done, he glorified God ;' i. e. by professing that Jesus was a righteous person. So, by manifesting

our faith before mankind, we shall bring them to believe in Christ, and thus will they glorify our Father in heaven, as the centurion did.

Mr. Benson, in his life of Christ, remarks very justly upon this parable, That when Jesus had compared his disciples to the sun, the other two passages, (viz. the comparison of the city and of the candle) were intended to admonish them of their duty, and to put them in mind of the great honor conferred upon them. Their duty was to hold up to public view the light of truth and righteousness, and to make it as conspicuous as they were able. They were not to expect to pass through the world unobserved and unregarded; neither were they to affect, or endeavor it, as they might be under a temptation to do, from the persecutions which they might meet with, and of which our Lord had just before warned them, (Matt. v. 10— 12.) It is the business of light to discover other things, (Eph. v. 13,) and it cannot but be itself visible. It is not possible that men should discern other things by the light of the sun, and yet take no notice of the sun itself. Hence, then, our Lord inculcates it upon his disciples, that they must reckon upon being much observed; and upon that account must be the more careful not to conceal their light; but let it shine forth more brightly before men; that is, in the sight of all that behold them, ver. 16, which is thus expressed, (Phil. ii. 15, 16,) they were to be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom they were to shine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life.' It is evident from the application, (Matt. v. 16,) that this is what our Saviour designed to inculcate upon his followers. Now this he enforces from the intention of God; as if he had said, God would not have appointed you to be the light of the world, if he had designed that you should be hid and concealed from the view of the world. And to illustrate and confirm this, are those two passages brought in by him; whereby he teaches them to use the same method in judging of the design of God, that they commonly do in

judging of the designs of men, namely, to judge by the nature of the works. Our Saviour's meaning is well expressed in the following paraphrase, given by Mr. Pierce : 'It is manifest that when men build a city upon a hill, they have no intention that it should not be seen. If an obscure habitation were designed, it should be some den, or cave of the earth, or a small cottage in a valley, or wood; and not a well-built city on the top of a hill. And again, when men light a candle, they do not do it, to put it under a bushel, or any vessel, that should enclose and shut up the light of it, which would render their action insignificant and impertinent; but they set it where it may be most commodiously viewed, and best diffuse its light, and so be most useful in the house. Thus you ac count for men's designs by their actions: do the like in accounting for God's designs. And, therefore, expeci not to be hid, since God has appointed you to be the light of the world. As, therefore, men light a candle, to give light to those who are in the house, so God has made you the light of the world, that you may shine in and give light to it. This, then, you are to endeavor to do, and accordingly, Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.'*

*Life of Christ, ed. of 1764, pp. 394, 395.

PARABLE OF THE OFFENDING HAND, &c.

Matt. v. 29, 30. xviii. 8, 9.

Mark ix. 43-48.

'And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.'—Mark ix. 43—48.

As this parable has been often misapplied, and, as it has been generally used in defence of the doctrine of endless torment, and moreover, as it is now thought to be one of the principal supports of that sentiment, we propose to examine it at some length.

1. We shall show what is intended by cutting off a hand, or a foot, or plucking out an eye.

2. What is intended by entering into 'life,' (ver. 43) or 'the kingdom of God,' (ver. 47.)

3. The true sense of the word 'hell,' and of the phrase 'hell fire.'

4. Consider the words, Where their worm dieth not. and the fire is not quenched.' (Vers. 44, 46, 48.)

5. Illustrate the proposition, that it was better to part with the offending member, than to be cast into hell fire.'

1. What is intended by cutting off a hand, or a foot, or plucking out an eye. The evident sense of the figure is, let nothing prevent you from embracing my gospel, and entering into life. By observing Matt. v. 28, it will be perceived that Jesus had been speaking of a sin, into which men were led by the instrumentality of the eye. He then immediately adds, "If thy right eye offend thee,