November 24

is like the head of a rickety child, too large for the other parts of the body; it is the effect not of strength, but of weakness and disease; and by destroying proportion, is not a beauty, but a deformity.

Whatever be the defects of him that doeth truth, he may be known by this—If he has not the light, "he cometh to the light."

NOVEMBER 24—"He that doeth truth COMETH TO THE LIGHT, that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God."—John 3:21.

WHAT is his BUSINESS?

"He cometh to the light." He is not averse to it. He is not afraid of it. Why should he wish to shun it? It is for the thief, the murderer, the adulterer, to feel the morning as the shadow of death; not the man who is honestly going forth to his work and to labour until the evening. "If," says the man that is upright in the way—"if I am not right, I wish, above all things, to be right, and to be led into all truth. Hide nothing from me. Where my soul and eternity are concerned I dread delusion. I cannot bear uncertainty. Let me come to the light. And how does he this? He does it five ways.

He comes to the light by self-inspection. There are cases in which he will more solemnly and expressly examine himself: such as the close of the year; and when he is approaching the table of the Lord; and when under those events, which are called by the sacred writers trials, because they are intended to show us what manner of spirit we are of. But he will be habitually a self-observer, and will look not only at his actions, but especially at his motives and the state of his heart.

He comes to the light by attention to the Scriptures. To their decisions, and counsels, and reproofs, he endeavours to lay himself fairly open. And instead of turning away from those parts which more particularly bear upon his own office and condition, towards them he will look more frequently and fully. "Am I a parent? Am I a member of a church? Am I poor? Am I prosperous? Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?"

He comes to the light by hearing the word preached. The minister is to take forth the precious from the vile; to discriminate characters, to divide the word of truth, and to give to every hearer his appropriate encouragement or censure. And he that doeth truth will receive his words with meekness. He will not try to bribe the prophet, or desire him to prophesy smooth things. He will not be offended because the preacher is faithful; but will say to him, as Eli did to Samuel, who had received a message from God concerning him, "What is the thing that the Lord hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee." Such a man is likely to apply too much to himself rather than too little. And this will commonly be the case with regard to those things which are said to unmask hypocrites, and to exclude the usurpers of religious privileges. It is not easy, says Bishop Hall, to beat out the dogs without making the children cry.

He cometh to the light by religious intercourse. "They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward." And whom