ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness. II. Learn how a soul is brought into light and peace : "The Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee." 66 1. It is by Christ rising upon the soul. The image here is taken from the rising of the sun. When the sun rises, then all is light; so when Christ rises upon the soul, all is light. When God first awakens a soul, he finds himself sitting in gross darkness and the shadow of death; he fears he shall soon be cast into outer darkness. He says, I must make my way to light; so he struggles to justify himself-he tries to blot out his past sins by repentance-he tries to mend his life; but he is met by the word: Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks, walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks that ye have kindled; this shall ye have of mine hand, ye shall lie down in sorrow." So he sits down in agony-in more midnight darkness than before; but man's extremity is God's opportunity. The soul is sitting, as it were, in a dungeon; he sees no way of peace. The Spirit opens the Word, and Christ shines through-Christ the Son of God-the Lord our Righteousness. The heart of Christ is revealed-his love to the lost his undertaking for them-his suretyship obedience-his suretyship sufferings. Glorious Christ!-precious Christ! He shines like a new sun-the soul gazes and says: "Truly light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun." Has Christ risen upon you? Has he been revealed to you—that better Sun? Oh! if not, you are of all men most miserable; you are sitting in darkness and the shadow of death. Oh! what are all the sparks of worldly pleasure-what are all the fires and torches of the world's kindling? They are like the glowworm's deceitful blaze-they are leading you to ruin; they will soon go out, and leave you to the blackness of darkness for ever. Anxious souls, learn to look out for peace. Oh! how anxiously you search that bosom, to see if there is any change there which may give you peace. Now, change your plan. No more gaze into that foul dungeon; but look out upon the glorious Sun-look upon Christ: one look to him gives peace. Learn to wait for light. Be like those that wait for the morning. You can no more bring yourself into peace than you can change the course of the sun. Feel your vileness, feel your helplessness, and wait on his hand to take the veil away. "I wait for the Lord; my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope; my soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning." sun. 2. Christ's glory is put upon the soul: "His glory shall be seen upon thee." It has long been discovered that colour is nothing in the object, but is all thrown upon it by the sun, and reflected back again. The beautiful colours with which this lovely world is adorned, all proceed from the His glory is seen upon the earth. It is all the gift of the sun that the grass is of that refreshing green, and the rivers are lines of waving blue; it is all the gift of the sun that the flowers are tinged with their thousand glories— that the petal of the rose has its delicate blush, and the lily, that neither toils nor spins, a brightness that is greater than Solomon's. Now, my dear souls, this is the way in which you may be justified. You are dark, and vile, and worthless in yourselves; but Christ's glory shall be seen on you. Observe it is His glory. If you only consent to take Christ for your surety, his divine righteousness is all imputed to you; his sufferings, his obedience are both yours. Tell me, anxious soul, what are you seeking? "I am seeking to make myself appear better in the sight of God." Well, then, do you think you will ever make yourself appear as lovely and glorious as Jesus Christ in the eyes of God? "No; I have no hope of that." Ah! then, look here. Christ himself is offered you for a covering; put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. Oh! that God would open some heart to believe the word concerning Jesus. Oh! to see dust and ashes clothed in the brightness and beauty of Christ! Oh! to see a weary sinner perfect in beauty, through Christ's comeliness! This is the loveliest sight in all the world. "His glory shall be seen upon thee." III. The command to all in Christ: "Arise, shine." There never yet was a man saved for himself. God never yet made a Christian to be a selfish being. "Ye are the salt of the earth." But salt is not for itself, but to be used. A city set on an hill cannot be hid; so a Christian is set upon God's holy hill not to be hid. No man lighteth a candle and putteth it under a bushel or a bed, but on a candlestick, and then it gives light to all that are in the house. But here is a more wonderful comparison still: "Arise, shine." Christians are to become like Christ-little suns, to rise and shine upon the dark world. He rises and shines upon us, and then says to us: Arise, shine." This is Christ's command to all on whom he has arisen: "Arise, shine." Dear Christians, ye are the lights of the world. Poor, and feeble, and dark, and sinful, though you be, Christ has risen upon you for this very end, that you might "Arise and shine." 1. Be like the sun, which shineth every day, and in every place. Wherever he goes he carries light; so do you. Some shine like the sun in public before men, but are dark as night in their own family. Dear Christians, look more to Christ, and you will shine more constantly. 2. Shine with Christ's light. The moon rises and shines, but not with her own light-she gathers all from the sun; so do you. Shine in such a way that Christ shall have all the glory. They shine brightest who feel most their own darkness, and are most clothed in Christ's brightness. Oh! wherever you go, make it manifest that your light and peace all come from him—that it is by looking unto Jesus that you shine that your holiness all comes from union to him. "Let your light so shine before men.” 3. Make it the business of your life to shine. If the sun were to grow weary of running his daily journey, and were to give over shining, would you not say it should be taken down? for, did not God hang it in the sky to give light upon the earth? Just so, dear Christians, if you grow weary in well-doing-in shining with Christ's beauty-in walking by Christ's Spirit-you, too, should be taken down and cast away; for did not Christ arise upon you for this very end, that you might be a light in the world? Ah! think of this, dark, useless Christians, who are putting your candle under a bushel. I tremble for some who will not lay themselves out for Christ. Ah! you are wronging yourselves and dishonouring Christ. Your truest happiness is in shining; the more you shine for Christ, the happier you will be. "To me to live is Christ; and to die, gain.' دو 4. Shine far and near. You are this day besought to help your brethren in the colonies-to send them the Gospel, that the Sun of Righteousness may rise upon them. Obj. Better help the heathen at home. Ans. It is quite right to help the heathen at home; but it is just as right to help the heathen abroad. Oh! that God would free you from a narrow mind, and give you his own divine Spirit. Learn a lesson from the sun. It shines both far and near; it does not pour its beams all into one sunny valley, or on one bright land. No; it journeys on from shore to shore; pours its rich beams upon the wide ocean-on the torrid sands of Africa and the icy coasts of Greenland. Go you and do likewise. Shine as lights in the world. Ah! let your face Shine in your closet in secret prayer. shine in secret communion with God. family; that without the word you may gain their souls. Shine in your town; that, when you mingle with the crowd, it may be as if an angel shook his wings. Shine in the world-embrace every shore with the beams of living love. Oh! let your heart's desire and prayer be, that every soul may be saved. Be like Christ himself, who is not willing that any should perish. And whenever a soul sinks into the dark lake of eternal agony, may you be able to lift up your tearful eyes and say: Father, I have prayed to the last, and spoken to the last. "Even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight." SERMON VI. MELTING THE BETRAYER. "When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. -JOHN xiii. 21. 39 THERE are many excellent and most Christian men who think that the feast of the Lord's supper should never be sullied or interrupted by allusions to those who may be eating and drinking unworthily. They think that when men have, by their own solemn act and deed, deliberately seated themselves at the table of the Lord-that table to which none but believers in Jesus are invited—they think that, for the time being, at least, it is the part of that charity which hopeth all things, to address them as if all were the genuine disciples of Jesus, and children of God. These good men know well that there are always many intruders into that holy ordinance; they know that many come from mere custom, and a sense of decency, and from a dislike to be marked out as openly irreligious and profane-and though they feel, in addressing the whole mass as Christians, many a rise of conscience within, many a sad foreboding that the true guests may be the little flock, while the intruders may be the vast majority; yet they do not feel themselves called upon to disturb the enjoyment of the believing flock, however few they may be, by insinuating any such dark suspicion as that there may be some there who have already sold their Lord for their sins-some who, though they may eat bread with him, yet lift up the heel against him. Now, a most complete answer to the scruples of these good men is to be found in the example of our blessed Lord. In that night, so much to be remembered, in which he instituted the Lord's supper-a night in which nothing but kindness and tenderness flowed from his blessed lips— we find that no fewer than five times over did he begin to speak about his betrayer. In many respects that was the most wonderful evening that ever was in the world, and that upper room in Jerusalem the most wonderful room that ever was in the world. Never did the shades of evening gather round a more wonderful company-never did the walls of an upper chamber look upon so wonderful a scene. Three strange events were crowded into that little space. 1st, There was the washing the disciples' feet-the Lord of glory stooping as a servant to wash the feet of poor worms! 2d, There was the last passover-eating of the lamb and the bitter herbs-which had been the memorial of the dying Saviour to all believing Jews, but which was now to come to an end. 3d, There was the first Lord's supper-the breaking of bread and pouring out of wine, and the giving and receiving of it-which was to be the memorial of his dying love even to the end of the world. Oh! what an assemblage of love was here!—what a meeting together of ncidents, each one more than another picturing forth the inexpressible love of Jesus! Oh! what an awfully tender hour was this! Oh! what an awfully tender joy was now thrilling through the bosoms of his believing disciples! Oh! brethren, what an exulting gladness would now fill the bosom of the courageous Peter!what an adoring |