Fragments

The single eye is receiving everything in the light of God. To view it so transmits as God views it. It is an apprehension of the word and mind and counsels of God judging all that is presented. The soul thus receives nothing but as judged of by God, and the whole existence is in the light. It gives also " a quick understanding in the fear of the Lord," as if you were enlightened by a bright and sudden shining. If thine eye be evil, receiving a judgment that is morally the reverse of the word and counsel and judgment of God, thy whole body is full of darkness. See therefore that the light that is in thee, and that you boast of, be not darkness.
Seeking first the kingdom of God-subject to Christ-practical obedience as immediate to Himself. To do so, creates such an interest in Christ as a charge on Him that He would not let you want for His own glory's sake. It is not that you should not eat and drink and clothe yourself; but belong to Him, consult Him, serve Him as His in a world that is not His. The world being considered as a thing never to be kept for itself, and parted with as that to which you are in no way bound; given away as future treasure; God supplying all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Seeking things for themselves is to do as the Gentiles do. It was the fault of the prodigal son to ask for his inheritance before the time.
Why cannot they pray? Prayer is a spiritual exercise-they are immersed in sense. Prayer lifts us above this world-they mind earthly things. With their eyes rivettedupon earth, how should they look up to heaven. May we by improvement of the grace already given, prevail upon God to pour upon us more and more abundantly the Spirit of grace and supplication, in sense of our need; for, be assured, if we would ever go to heaven ourselves, our hearts and desires must be there before us.
Fragments
Abraham staggered not at the promise. " He trusted in God, who quickeneth the dead. In this aspect of his service-in a scene much higher than that of Moses forsaking the court of Pharaoh-he becomes our pattern. It is ours to let God choose our service, though it might be to leave a sphere of public usefulness, where we hoped to win souls to Christ, to go to a sick bed or to a prison. We are at best bet poor judges of what will most glorify God and serve our generation. He knows; and therefore we may well give up our wishes and our hopes for the accomplishment of His blessed will. May He give all His servants grace to do this!
Let our souls learn that to obey God is to renounce ourselves-to give up our own will, that we may do His. Let us not calculate that we shall be always able to expound or harmonize His ways. Verily " He is a God that hideth Himself." Nothing but faith, implicit faith, can carry us through the path of trial. When He tries faith, He often confounds reason. He asks us to walk through the sea, to eat bread from the clouds, or to drink water from the rock of flint. " We must learn," as one has said, " to trust Him where we cannot trace Him." He sent Elijah to the brook, and the brook dried up; then to be sustained by a widow, who had only a meal to eat, and die. He gave a son to the Shunammite, and afterward took him away. But even to reason, in due time He made it all plain. He would have faith, first of all, to hold her empire unwaveringly; and then it often happens that reason gets the exposition, that patience may work experience, and experience hope.
Keeping the testimony, and not keeping things together, is the proper work of those who would now be found in God's path, and advancing. That which has wrought so much confusion and scattering is, that people have been more concerned to keep things together than to keep the testimony.
" Thou hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name." " Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth."
Fragments
" We are sanctified unto obedience."-1 Peter 1:2.
The spirit of obedience is the great secret of all the present and practical blessings of the believer; for the Spirit is not grieved, and so becomes the minister of the grace and knowledge both of the Father and of the Son, and the simplest believer walking thus, enjoys the blessings of the covenant-faithfulness both of the Father, and the Lord, and the Spirit to the purposes of love in which we stand, and of divine glory.
The very blessings of the Church bring us into a kind of conflict that we should know nothing of apart from such a position, and privileges, and blessings. So the Church is subject to more failure and evil than either Jews or Gentiles were, because they were not set in the same blessings. A Jew might do many things which would be monstrous in a Christian, and find no defilement in his conscience. The veil
that was over the knowledge of God being rent, the light shines out, and the consequence is, that this light which has come out of the holy place cannot tolerate evil. Christians are in a more dangerous position, if not walking in the light, than a Jew. Satan may draw and entice me with many things which would have no power against me, if I were not so favored. Hence the need of the exhortation, " Be strong in the Lord, and the power of his might."