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1. As to the kind of it. To be in a room hung with pictures and not to be able to see them is grief; to be in a world filled with expressions of the Creator's power and love, and not see them is unutterable loss.

2. It is great in respect of guilt.

3. It is hopeless.

(W. I. Budington, D. D.)

I. THERE IS IN EVERY MAN A CONSCIENCE or practical judgment, A SPIRITUAL EYE OR LIGHT WITHIN HIM. Conscience is God's deputy.

1. Acts by His commission.

2. Dictates in His name.

3. Censures by His authority.

4. Refers us to His sentence.

5. Assigns us over to answer for all our actions at the bar of the Supreme Judge of heaven and earth.

II. CONSCIENCE IS A LIGHT TO DIRECT AND GUIDE US. It manifests and demonstrates itself in all the circumstances of human life by universal regard to present, past, and future action.

1. When temptation assaults and inclines to evil action, conscience is ready to interpose, admonish, and dissuade us from it.

2. When temptation prevails upon us, conscience resists, regrets, checks, and upbraids the undertaking, after the commission.

3. It objects, convicts, reproves, accuses, condemns, and afflicts us for it.

4. When occasion of doing good is offered, conscience incites, persuades, and encourages us to do it.

5. After it is done, it defends, approves, and applauds the action.

III. CONSCIENCE MAY ABUSE ITS OFFICE, MISTAKE ITS MEASURES. This eye may be evil, this light may be darkness.

1. Conscience may be perverted by false principles, prejudice, dangerous errors, and evil practices.

2. May err in its notions of truth.

IV. FOUR PRINCIPLES GENERALLY INFLUENCE HUMAN LIFE.

1. CHANCE;

2. SENSE;

3. CUSTOM;

4. TEMPORAL INTEREST.

V. THE GREATEST MISERY AND MISFORTUNE THAT CAN BEFALL, US, IS TO HAVE OUR CONSCIENCES DEPRAVED AND CORRUPTED. If the light within us be darkness, how great, how mischievous, is that darkness?

(Samuel Fuller, D. D.)

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KJV: The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

WEB: "The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light.