mon, and carefully profited by it; whereas they, while they had Jesus preaching in the midst of them, were rejecting his instructions. The contrast furnished matter for their condemnation, especially when the superiority of Jesus to Solomon was taken into view. Though generally sparing in stating his own just claims, it was necessary that he should, on some occasions, speak out, as he did now. To omit every other consideration, he was greater than Solomon in respect of wisdom, for he knew all things. His wisdom was underived; he was the wisdom of God-wisdom itself. When we consider, on the one hand, that Solomon was an exceedingly rich and powerful monarch, and so wise, that there were none like him, either before or after him; and on the other, that Christ, notwithstanding all his humiliation, was greater than Solomon," is not this a plain proof that Christ was more than man? that he was "God over all, blessed for ever?" In him were "hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge;" and "he spake as never man spake." How inexcusable, then, were the Jews, in refusing to listen to him!

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But this was also spoken for our admonition. Will not the queen of Sheba rise up in the judgment, and condemn those among us, who, amid all the facilities they enjoy, neglect the wisdom from above? The things which the Saviour spoke, the refusing to listen to which rendered the Jews so inexcusable, are written in Scripture, that the reading and preaching of them may make us wise unto salvation. There is, therefore, no outward difficulty in the way of coming to the knowledge of them. How does the conduct of the queen of Sheba, who came from so great a distance, and took so much pains to learn the wisdom of Solomon, condemn those among us who peruse not the Word of God, which contains a perfect revelation of the way of life, and which they probably have lying neglected in their own houses; or who absent themselves without cause from the house of God, which is near to them, and in which the way of life is proclaimed; or who, when present in his house, give no heed to the things which they hear, and from prejudice, or carelessness, continue in ignorance, in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity! Consider this, you who are neglecting the wisdom of God which is brought to

* A greater, Av, something greater than Solomon, and a greater than Jonas. Classic authors frequently use the neuter gender in this way, when speaking of persons; and this is reckoned an elegance.

Nil oriturum alias, nil ortum tale fatentes.- Horace.

your very door, nay, which is now sounding in your ears. You have not, like the queen of the south, to undergo the fatigue, expense, and danger, of a long journey, in order to get within the means of grace, but they abound where your lot is cast. The blessings of salvation are brought near, and freely offered to you. "The righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." A greater than Solomon is here still, even the Lord Jesus Christ-a greater in himself, a greater in the substance of his teaching, and a greater in the certainty and power with which he instructs. He can do much more than Solomon, for he can give you real saving wisdom-he can open your understanding. If, then, you are conscious that you lack wisdom, ask of God, who giveth liberally to all who ask, and who upbraideth not; and it shall be given you. It will not, indeed, be wise for you to spend your time, when you apply to him, in putting such "hard questions" as do not concern your salvation: but, however difficult any subjects may be that relate distinctly to your safety, holiness, and comfort, if you propose them to him by reading his Word, waiting on his ordinances, improving the knowledge you already have, and praying to him for more full instruction, he will cause you to understand them all, in as far as is necessary. "Then shall ye know, if ye follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning, and he shall come unto you as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth."

Let those of you who have derived any sanctified wisdom from Christ, seek more and more of it. "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom." Contrive to bring your difficulties to him, and he will solve them for you. See, in Solomon, a beautiful, though certainly an inadequate, emblem of the glory of your Redeemer; and be gratified to think how the typical history of David's immediate son has been fulfilled, is fulfilling, and will be completely fulfilled, in him who is also the Son of David, but who is at the same time David's Lord. Accustom your

selves to look through the type to the antitype, when you sing, as in the 72d Psalm, "Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son."—“The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts."- "And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba." Fulfilled, in part, in the gifts presented by the wise men of the East, and in the partial success of the gospel, these predictions wait for their complete fulfilment in the establishment of his universal kingdom. Be it yours now to admire, and praise, and obey him. You are to be congratulated who spiritually partake of "the meat of his table," and take delight in the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers." Happy are ye his people, and happy are ye his servants, who stand continually before him, and hear his wisdom. Blessed are ye that dwell in his house, for ye will be still praising him. Bring presents to this King. Pour them out, and spare not. Give him all you can, give him your hearts, give him all you have, and all you are. You will be gainers by this; for he will give you, of his royal bounty, all you desire, and much more. He will do

for you exceedingly abundantly above all that you ask or think. From listening to his wisdom, and enjoying his fellowship in his house below, return with cheerfulness and increased devotedness to serve him in your own place in society; and look forward to the time when you shall be admitted to dwell with him at his court above, and find, more than ever, that the report of his glory was a true report, nay, that the half had not been told you.

Verse 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 who come in may see the light." We had very nearly the same words, in the 16th verse of the 9th chapter of this Gospel; and, in both places, the literal sense is too plain to require any illustration. The words, however, appear to be introduced with a different view on this occasion; for, whereas they were plainly spoken formerly in explanation of the conduct Christ expected of his followers, they seem here spoken to declare the conduct he was to pursue himself. If we are to refer them to what goes before, as seems proper, the exact bond of connexion may be this: Though the Pharisees had displayed the greatest perversity in their unbelief, impenitence, and rejection of the wisdom which he taught, he was by no means, on that account, to

desist from his work, but was to persevere in prosecuting his ministry in the same way; for he was like a candle or lamp, which, once lighted, was not to be hid, but to be kept in a conspicuous place, and thus, as he had formerly exhorted his disciples, he himself was to take every opportunity of making known and recommending the truth. He is often represented as the Light of the world. "John was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light; that was the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world." "I am the light of the world," said Christ, "he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." Accordingly, our Lord went on to preach and to work miracles, though not according to the dictation of the Pharisees, yet in the way that seemed best to himself; and thus, the light of his ministry diffused itself distinctly throughout Judea. In obedience to his command, also, his apostles proceeded, after his death, to diffuse the light still more extensively. He has ordered that the gospel shall be preached to every creature under heaven: and he will be at last, in the most complete and most extensive sense of the words, "a light to enlighten the Gentiles, and the glory of his people Israel."

But to come to ourselves-this light has reached to us. We, a people who sat in darkness, have seen the great light; and to us who sat in the region and shadow of death, light is sprung up. The light is not put into a secret place, nor under a bushel; but it is held up to the view of us all. The call is given in public, and aloud. "Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets; she crieth in the chief place of concourse." Is it not a great privilege to have this public warning, and this clear light? Let us consider what we are, and whither we are going. Jesus is, as it were, still saying to us, "Yet a little while is the light with you; walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you, for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have the light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light."

The three concluding verses run thus: "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. Take heed, therefore, that the light which is in thee be not darkness. 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." In connexion with what our Lord had said just before, he here goes on to say, that it is necessary for men to have sight, as well as light. Be an object ever so interesting, and the light ever so bright, all will be to no purpose, if the faculty of vision be wanting, or essentially defective. Now, these verses, in which Christ pursues this idea, are to be taken both literally and metaphorically.

Literally, or at least in relation to bodily sight, "the light of the body is the eye." The light is generally used, either for that which gives light-the luminous body, such as the sun, or a lamp; or, for that which, emanating from the luminous body, enables us to see objects: in this clause, however, it is put for the organ of vision. Or, if we invert the order of the words, "The eye is the light," or lamp "of the body."

"When thine eye is single”—the word rendered single, strictly speaking, denotes that which is one in respect of number, or simple and uncompounded in respect of substance. As applied to the eye-sight, it signifies that it is clear, free from organic defects and vicious humours; in other words, that it is so perfect in structure and action, as to see objects, not dimly, nor confusedly, nor doubly, nor in a different size, or place, or colour from reality, but distinctly, and, in every respect, exactly as they are. In such a state, the eye-sight is said, in a single word, to be good. When thine eye is thus single, "thy whole body also is full of light"-thou art completely enlightened in the literal sense, and able to go about, and to conduct all bodily and outward affairs, with safety and correctness. "Every object within the reach of the eye is then as distinctly seen as if there were an eye in every part. So the eye is to every part of the body what the lamp is to every part of the house,"* or room, when its bright shining gives light.

But, on the other hand, when the " eye is evil," that is, when the eye-sight is the reverse of single, or clear, or good; if the eye-sight be distempered, or, as we usually say, bad; in proportion to its deficiency will a man be involved in obscurity, and exposed to form erroneous ideas of external objects. No other part can supply the defect of the eye. And, if the eye-sight be totally and permanently gone, or altogether interrupted for a time, a man is left in utter darkness, the same as if there were no light shining around him at all, the same at mid-day as at midnight. It concerns a

* Dr A. Clarke.