can he have in him who is always on his own side, and will never descry
reason or right on that of his adversary? And certainly, if he that
showeth mercy, as well he that showeth justice, ought to do it with
cheerfulness.

But if all our light shine out, and none of our darkness, shall we not
be in utmost danger of hypocrisy? Yes, if we but hide our darkness, and
do not strive to slay it with our light: what way have we to show it,
while struggling to destroy it? Only when we cherish evil, is there
hypocrisy in hiding it. A man who is honestly fighting it and showing it
no quarter, is already conqueror in Christ, or will soon be--and more
than innocent. But our good feelings, those that make for righteousness
and unity, we ought to let shine; they claim to commune with the light
in others. Many parents hold words unsaid which would lift
hundred-weights from the hearts of their children, yea, make them leap
for joy. A stern father and a silent mother make mournful, or, which is
far worse, hard children. Need I add that, if any one, hearing the
injunction to let his light shine, makes himself shine instead, it is
because the light is not in him!

But what shall I say of such as, in the name of religion, let only their
darkness out--the darkness of worshipped opinion, the darkness of
lip-honour and disobedience! Such are those who tear asunder the body of
Christ with the explosives of dispute, on the plea of such a unity as
alone they can understand, namely a paltry uniformity. What have not the
'good church-man' and the 'strong dissenter' to answer for, who, hiding
what true light they have, if indeed they have any, each under the
bushel of his party-spirit, radiate only repulsion! There is no schism,
none whatever, in using diverse forms of thought or worship: true
honesty is never schismatic. The real schismatic is the man who turns