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been to them; see St. John xvii. 8. "For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them." Verse 18, "As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world." The apostles were appointed to manifest the gospel to all nations, and · whatsoever maketh manifest is light; therefore, Christ declared his disciples to be the light of the world. "A city set on an hill cannot be hid.” The order, regularity and harmony, which ought to be observed among the disciples of Christ, are signified by a city. And that they ought carefully to exhibit all the virtues and graces of the gospel as conspicuously as possible, is meant by a city being set on an hill so that it could not be hid. "Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel; but on a candlestick, and it giveth light unto all that are in the house." The disciples being lit by that true light which will finally light every man that cometh into the world, is meant by candles being lit, and that Christ had lit them for the purpose of their giving light to others, and that they ought not to secrete that light from the world, is signified by a candle when lit being placed on a candlestick to give light to all,

Let all professors of christianity, and especially those who are called to the glorious work of the ministry, remember well the application of the parable. "Let your light so shine before men, that they beholding your good works may glorify your father which is in heaven.”

ILLUSTRATION.

1st. We may notice Christ as the true light. 2d. The ministers of his word partaking of and

3d. The impropriety of hiding or keeping this light in obscurity.

As the natural sun is the light, glory and beauty of the natural world, so Christ is the light, glory and beauty of the moral world. He is called the sun of righteousness, in Mal. iv. 2. "But unto you that fear my name, shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings." When Simeon of Jerusalem, who waited for the consolation of Israel, to whom it was revealed, by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ, was blessed with that vision, and held the child in his arms, he blessed God, saying, "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel." St.John calls Christ "the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." Jesus calls himself the light, in the 12th of John, 35, 36. "Then Jesus said unto them, yet a little while is the light with you walk while ye have the light, least darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light." Chap. viii. verse 12, he calls himself the light of the world. "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." Christ is called the light of the gospel covenant, or new Jerusalem, which St. Paul calls Jerusalem that is above. See Isaiah Ix. 1. "Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee."

Rev. xxi. 22, 23. "And I saw no temple therein; for the Lord God almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it; for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof." Perhaps there is no representation given of Christ which more evidently discovers his power to save mankind, than in those scriptures which speak of him in the character of light. Man is resented as alienated from God through ignorance. This being the case, the knowledge of the truth would reconcile him to God. The object of Christ's mission is to reconcile all things to his Father. Whatsoever maketh manifest is light.

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When

Christ shall have manifested the true character of the Father to mankind, universal reconciliation will be the consequence. Jesus says, "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free;" by which we see that it was only necessary for them to know the truth, in order to obtain their freedom; which shows their bondage was the effects of their ignorance. Jesus is called the faithful and the true witness. The use of a witness is to make known the truth and certainty of a fact, not to be the author of the fact to which he witnesses. Christ is a witness to mankind of the Father's love, as has been observed, in a quotation from Rom. v. 8. "But God commendeth his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us." Christ is not the cause of God's loving mankind, but the evidence to us that God is love towards us. The mercy and grace, according to which we are saved and called, was given unto us in Christ Jesus before the world began, but was made manifest by the appearing of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,

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3d. The impropriety of hiding or keeping this light in obscurity.

As the natural sun is the light, glory and beauty of the natural world, so Christ is the light, glory and beauty of the moral world. He is called the sun of righteousness, in Mal. iv. 2. "But unto you that fear my name, shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings." When Simeon of Jerusalem, who waited for the consolation of Israel, to whom it was revealed, by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ, was blessed with that vision, and held the child in his arms, he blessed God, saying, "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel." St.John calls Christ "the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." Jesus calls himself the light, in the 12th of John, 35, 36. "Then Jesus said unto them, yet a little while is the light with you walk while ye have the light, least darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light." Chap. viii. verse 12, he calls himself the light of the world. "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." Christ is called the light of the gospel covenant, or new Jerusalem, which St. Paul calls Jerusalem that is above. See Isaiah lx. 1. "Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee."

Rev. xxi. 22, 23. "And I saw no temple therein; for the Lord God almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it; for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof." Perhaps there is no representation given of Christ which more evidently discovers his power to save mankind, than in those scriptures which speak of him in the character of light. Man is represented as alienated from God through ignorance. This being the case, the knowledge of the truth would reconcile him to God. The object of Christ's mission is to reconcile all things to his Father. Whatsoever maketh manifest is light.

When

Christ shall have manifested the true character of the Father to mankind, universal reconciliation will be the consequence. Jesus says, "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free;" by which we see that it was only necessary for them to know the truth, in order to obtain their freedom; which shows their bondage was the effects of their ignorance. Jesus is called the faithful and the true witness. The use of a witness is to make known the truth and certainty of a fact, not to be the author of the fact to which he witnesses. Christ is a witness to mankind of the Father's love, as has been observed, in a quotation from Rom. v. 8. "But God commendeth his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us." Christ is not the cause of God's loving mankind, but the evidence to us that God is love towards us. The mercy and grace, according to which we are saved and called, was given unto us in Christ Jesus before the world began, but was made manifest by the appearing of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,

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