labouring daily to sanctify his own soul by the practices of a devout Christian life. The saving of our souls is not less a part of the work assigned us than fidelity to the tasks of daily life, and a hearty interest in the welfare of the Church. The servant must work to make himself an acceptable servant.

Second Thought.-To many of the weary toilers of this world, the Lord's word that after the day of this troublesome life there comes the night when no man can work, might seem one of great gladness. Yet it is felt by all that there is a mystery associated with it which causes foreboding. For with the night of death comes judgment; then every man must give answer concerning his work. One can hardly fancy any believer so well content with his fulfilment of his vocation as to feel no tremor when called to give to the Lord Christ an account of his stewardship.

1. It is certain that there will be some lost souls. For them, as the result of that judgment will come the night in which no man can longer work for God. With the loss of their work there must follow the loss of their hope, their eternal woe in hell. It is said that criminals confined in the great prisons of the state dread nothing so much as being deprived of

work. They beseech that something be given them to do, they feel that they shall go mad if they must remain idle. The lost souls in hell are so inflamed with hatred against God that they probably have no desire to be given work by Him; nevertheless they cannot but lament ceaselessly and with gnashing teeth the fact that while it was day, and they had the opportunity of saving their souls by working, they rejected that opportunity, and now it is theirs no longer.

2. The souls accepted in the judgment which follows upon death find themselves in purgatory, where they must endure God's gracious chastisement for their many sins. It is night for them too, yet not a starless night, but full of its own lights, and with many a consoling suggestion of the fast-coming dawn. The souls in purgatory can no longer work for their salvation, the day of work is over for them, the night of endurance is their portion. Had their working been better, their time of enduring had been shorter, their chastisement less sharp.

Third Thought. So long as our Lord is in the world, he is the Light of the world. That remains true for all mankind until the last great day; but it profits only those who desire the Light and seek Him. He is in the world

for every loyal disciple, an unfailing Light, guiding him happily on his course heavenward. He is in the world for every true penitent, turning back after his sins, and eagerly desirous again to look upon the Light of salvation. He is no longer in the world for such as reject Him, refusing to avail themselves of the Light, following their own wilful ways by the light of quickly expiring this-world's torches, and the deceitful lamps of men. Such souls come at last to prefer the night to the day, and to have place only in the land of outer darkness.

LXXIX.

"When He had thus spoken, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, and said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam (which is by interpretation, Sent). He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing." -St. John ix. 6, 7.

Exposition.-St. Chrysostom says: "Not without a cause hath the Evangelist mentioned unto us His words, and added that He spat, but to show that He confirmed His words by deeds. And why used He not water instead of spittle for the clay? He was about to send the man to Siloam: in order therefore that nothing might be ascribed to the fountain, but that thou mightest learn that the power proceeding from His mouth, the same both formed and opened the man's eyes, He spat on the ground; this at least the Evangelist signified when he said, And made clay of the spittle. Then that the successful issue might not seem to be of the earth, He bade him wash. But wherefore did

He not this at once, instead of sending him to Siloam? That thou mayest learn the faith of the blind man, and that the obstinacy of the Jews might be silenced: for it was probable that they would all see him as he departed, having the clay spread upon his eyes, since by the strangeness of the thing he would attract to himself all, both those who did and those who did not know him, and they would observe him exactly. And because it is not easy to recognize a blind man who hath recovered sight, He first maketh by the length of way many to be witnesses, and by the strangeness of the spectacle exact observers, that being more attentive they may no longer be able to say, It is he; It is not he. Moreover, by sending him to Siloam, He desireth to prove that He is not estranged from the Law and the Old Covenant, nor could it afterwards be feared that Siloam would receive the glory, since many who had often washed their eyes there gained no such benefit; for there also it was the power of Christ that wrought all."

Isaac Williams comments as follows: "Perhaps the spitting with the clay was His manhood; showing a divine power as issuing from His all-healing flesh; His incarnation is our illumination. But this illumination is by the washing; not in any fountain but that which is