“If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. Therefore, if the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” Matt. 6:22, 23.
1. “Simplicity and purity,” says a devout man, “are the two wings that lift the soul up to heaven: Simplicity, which is in the intention; and purity, which is in the affections.” The former of these, that great and good man, Bishop Taylor, recommends with much earnestness, in the beginning of his excellent book, “Rules of Holy Living and Dying.” He sets out with insisting upon this, as the very first point in true religion, and warns us, that, without this, all our endeavours after it will be vain and ineffectual. The same truth, that strong and elegant writer, Mr. Law, earnestly presses in his “Serious Call to a Devout Life” — a treatise which will hardly be excelled, if it be equalled, in the English tongue, either for beauty of expression, or for justness and depth of thought. And who can censure any follower of Christ, for laying ever so great stress on this point, that considers the manner wherein our Master recommends it, in the words above recited
2. Let us attentively consider this whole passage, as it may be literally translated. “The eye is the lamp of the body:” And what the eye is to the body, the intention is to the soul. We may observe, with what exact propriety our Lord places simplicity of intention between worldly desires and worldly cares; either of which directly tend to destroy it. It follows, “If thine eye be single,” singly fixed upon God, “thy whole body,” that is, all thy soul, “shall be full of light,” — shall be filled with holiness and happiness. “But if thine eye be evil,” — not single, aiming at any other object, seeking anything beneath the sun, — “thy whole body shall be full of darkness. And if the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” how remote, not only from all real knowledge, but from all real holiness and happiness!
3. Considering these things, we may well cry out, “How great a thing it is to be a Christian; to be a real, inward, scriptural Christian, conformed in heart and life to the will of God! Who is sufficient for these things” None, unless he be born of God. I do not wonder that one of the most sensible Deists should say, “I think the Bible is the finest book I ever read in my life; yet I have an insuperable objection to it: It is too good. It lays down such a plan of life, such a scheme of doctrine and practice, as is far too excellent for weak, silly men to aim at, or attempt to copy after.” All this is most true, upon any other than the scriptural hypothesis. But this being allowed, all the difficulty vanishes into air. For if “all things are possible with God, then all things are possible to him that believeth.”
4. But let us consider, First, the former part of our Lord’s declaration, — “If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light;” Secondly, the latter part, — “If thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness;” and, Thirdly, the dreadful state of those whose eye is not single, — “If the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!”
I. 1. And, First, “If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.” If thine eye be single; if God is in all thy thoughts; if thou art constantly aiming at Him that is invisible; if it be thy intention in all things, small and great, in all thy conversation, to please God, to do, not thy own will, but the will of Him that sent thee into the world; if thou canst say, not to any creature, but to Him that made thee for himself,“I view thee, Lord and end of my desires;” — then the promise will certainly take place: “Thy whole body shall be full of light;” thy whole soul shall be filled with the light of heaven, — with the glory of the Lord resting upon thee. In all thy actions and conversation, thou shalt have not only the testimony of a good conscience toward God, but likewise of his Spirit, bearing witness with thy spirit, that all thy ways are acceptable to him.
2. When thy whole soul is full of this light, thou wilt be able (according to St. Paul’s direction to the Thessalonians) to “rejoice evermore, to pray without ceasing, and in everything to give thanks.” [1 Thess. 5:16-18] For who can be constantly sensible of the loving presence of God without “rejoicing evermore” Who can have the loving eye of his soul perpetually fixed upon God, but he will “pray without ceasing” For his “heart is unto God without a voice, and his silence speaketh unto him.” Who can be sensible that this loving Father is well-pleased with all he does and suffers, but he will be constrained “in everything to give thanks” knowing that all things “work together for good.”
3. Thus shall “his whole body be full of light.” The light of knowledge is, doubtless, one thing here intended; arising from “the unction of the Holy One, which abideth with him, and teacheth him of all things,” — all the things which it is now necessary for him to know in order to please God. Hereby he will have a clear knowledge of the divine will in every circumstance of life. Not without the means, but in the use of all those means which God has furnished him with. And, walking in this light, he cannot but “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” He will continually advance in all holiness, and in the whole image of God.