eit that are piled over each other in a
human heart. A secret unwillingness to partake of the feast may induce
the invited to time his purchases, so that he may have a good excuse at
hand, or at least to abstain from effort to regulate the incidence of
other cares, so as to leave a time of leisure for the great concern.
Here in the highest matters, as elsewhere in lower, "Where there's a
will there's a way." If the desire were pure and true,--the desire to
attend the Giver, and receive his unspeakable gift, the field may be
inspected and the oxen proved early in the morning, or postponed till
the following day. Without supposing a conscious falsehood representing
that transactions which had no existence stood in the way, you have the
evil in all its bulk and all its virulence, when the deceitful heart
tries to persuade neighbours, and to persuade itself, that the emerging
necessities of earthly business interfered with the waiting on Christ
for the salvation of the soul.

We might be put on our guard against this species of deceit in the
highest matters, by observing how readily we glide into it, in things of
smaller moment. Deceits of every shade, from the lie direct to the most
attenuated equivocation, spring in the complicated intercourse of modern
society, like weeds in a moist summer on a fallow field. Assuredly,
unless our hand be diligent in digging out these bitter roots, we shall
not grow rich in the graces of the Spirit. You are invited to a
neighbour's house: you don't like to go, and you determine that you will
not go. Forthwith your wits go to work to discover an excuse, and you
soon find that which you seek for: you must travel on business that day;
or some other excuse equally convenient and plausible occurs. You are
invited to the house of another neighbour; difficulties unforeseen
spring up; but being bent on accepting this invitation, you brush them
all aside, and contrive to reserve the evening for the company that you
love. There is much danger of staining the conscience in affairs like
these. The Lord requires truth in the inward parts: watch and pray. But
the difficulty of the path should not make any disciple sad: the effort
to walk circumspectly, when honestly, prayerfully, lovingly made, is
pleasant and healthful exercise to the spirit.

Neither on the natural nor on the spiritual side does the expression,
"with one consent," intimate that the parties met and consulted together
regarding the te