The Help of Beauty to Goodness

‘‘The light of the body is the eye. If, therefore, thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.” — Marr. vi. 22.

UR Lord says that when a man looks at the sunshine it is not only his eye that

is affected; his whole body is influenced by the light. His pulse is quickened, his blood is accelerated, his step is lightened, his arm is strengthened, his voice is vivified. Even so, Christ says that in the moral world everything depends on what a man looks at — his ideal. He says that the great question is, What is that picture of heroism which you have set before your inward eye? He exclaims in effect, “It is no use to lay down rules of morality. What is your model of perfection, your ideal of beauty, your standard of excellence? — everything depends on that. If you admire that which is really noble, the picture before the eye will permeate the whole life; if you admire that which is mean and debasing, the picture before the eye will corrupt the entire nature. Show me what a man is looking at, and I will show you what his life will be. Tell me his favourite author, his favourite artist, his favourite pleasure, and I will tell you where his strength or weakness lies. Bring him into a room crowded with pictures and watch where his eye first lights and longest lingers; there will his heart be also. It is in the direction of the eye that you must seek the aim of the life.”

Beware, ye mothers and teachers, how ye furnish the halls of fancy! Beware what ideal you suggest to the admiration of the child! Do not point to Cain and say, “I have gotten a man from the Lord”! if to the young eye you make Cain a hero, you will soon to the young heart make violence heroic. Do not point to a physical conqueror and say, “That is the Messiah”! if the power that crushes becomes beautiful, it will ere long seem dutiful. Do not point to a covetous man and say, “There goes just Lot”! if you make selfishness an ideal, it will soon become a practice. Point the child to the greatness of some things deemed foolish! Point him to the Man of

Calvary and say, “What a strength was there”! Show him the sacredness of sacrifice, the power of pity, the kingliness of being kind! Tell him that there may be an infancy over which the angels sing, hours of childhood which are “about the Father’s business,” days of tender youth in which the very heavens are opened, seasons of wilderness want which are themselves the ministration of God, moments of death in which a soul has saved the world! Reveal to him the majesty of the manger and the coronation of the Cross! My Christ must be crowned ere I can serve Him — crowned beforehand, crowned to the eye. In vain you will point to Calvary if you teach me first that self-surrender is a shameful thing. In vain you will cry, “Follow Jesus!” if you have impressed me with the notion that meekness is cowardice, that mercy is weakness, that purity is effeminate, that grief is unmanly, that peacemaking is unheroic. You must guide the eye ere you guide the steps. Before you preach Christ, crown Him Lord of all! Wreath Calvary with flowers! Fill Gethsemane with music! Strew the Dolorous Way with palm-leaves! Write in golden letters the old old story! Let it appeal first to the eye, to the admiration! Encircle its clouds with a rainbow; let its tears, even while they fall, glitter in the sun! Let the Star of Bethlehem lead me up the heights of Golgotha! You will imprint Christ upon my life when you have made Him beautiful to my eye.