The Eye, the Light of the Body
C. Buck. Luke 11:33-36 No man, when he has lighted a candle, puts it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick… What is the world, says one, without the sun, but a dark melancholy dungeon? What is a man without eyes, but monstrous and deformed? The two eyes are two luminaries, that God hath set up in the microcosm, man's little world. When God would express His tender love unto His people, He calls them the apple of His eye. "He that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of His eye." And the like phrase St. Paul makes use of, when he speaks of the love of the Galatians unto himself: "I bear you record, that if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your eyes, and have given them to me." The Emperor Adrian, with an arrow, by accident, put out one of his servant's eyes; he commanded him to be brought to him, and bade him ask what he would that he might make him amends. The poor man was silent; he pressed him again, when he said he would ask nothing, but he wished he had the eye which he had lost, intimating that an emperor was not able to make satisfaction for the loss of an eye. So the light of Divine truth is infinitely more valuable than all other blessings. If we come short of this, there can be no substitute found. If the soul should be lost, the whole world can afford us no relief. The Latin verses Adrian addressed to his soul, and translated by Pope ("Vital Spark," &c.) are well known. (C. Buck.) Parallel Verses KJV: No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light. WEB: "No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, that those who come in may see the light.