Page:Spiritual Reflections for Every Day in the Year - Vol 2.pdf/166

 are in the outward profession of them, and yet live in evils of life! these see the truths, as it were, with the left eye; but the love of sensual things so obscures the affection for it, that there is no spiritual love of it—there is no applying it to the purposes of the regenerate life. With all their knowledge, they are cold in the things of heaven—the affections are not nurtured, and thus by not applying the truths to the life, the right eye offends. Where there is no disposition to apply the important truths of Revelation to the practical purposes of life, there is a strong longing after a false faith—a faith that God will accept us for the sake of the sufferings and death of Jesus Christ. But those who love the Lord Jesus will keep his commandments, they will follow Him in the way, and when they obtain a knowledge of His Truth—if they feel that their love is but cold and indifferent towards it—they will understand the Lord's direction, to pluck out the offending right eye, and cast it from them—they will turn with full purpose of heart to Him who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. The knowledge of truth is the sight of the left eye;—but the love of that truth, because it is seen to purify the affections and to prepare for heaven, is the sight of the right eye. The man who knows the truth, and yet has no affection for it, who uses it not for the purposes of spiritual purification, retains the offending right eye, instead of plucking it out; and his state is miserable and wretched in the extreme; it is that described as "having two eyes to be cast into hell fire, where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." Our Lord says it is better to enter into life with one hand, one foot, or one eye, than having two hands, feet, or