The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-03-12

Rev. Charles Lee, pastor of the Car
bondale Presbyterian church. ex.
changed pulpits yesterday with Rev.
James Mcleod. ID. D., pastor of the
First Presbyterian church of this city,
and preached two excellent sermons.
In the evening he took as his text John
sI2: Then spake Jesus again unto
them. saying, I am the light OF the
world; he that follow eth me shall not
walk in darkness. but shall have the
light of life," and among other things
sad
THE feast of the tabernacle, at
which these words were spoken, was a
sort of religious outing. at which lit
ualistic ceremonies in conmemoration
and remembrance Oe the history of the
early 1sraelites We're performed. One
of these ceremonies ~as the lighting
OF two immense lights. whose flames,
flaring out over Jerusalem. typified the
pillar of fire which guided the foot
steps of the early Jews. Perhaps Jesus
saw those lights, as He uttered those
words so full of deep meaning for all
of us, I am the light who shall guide
men in future to the kingdom OF God.
81 AM THE Light"
'What vast meaning there is in
those simple words. I am the light
He saw truly the light whose power
illumined the whole Roman empire
from Persia to Portugal, and from
Scotland to Italy; yea, even the whole
world. These We're no chance words
that had no lasting meaning. They
have deep. sweeping meaning and
are true or else the man who utt cred
them was insane to the point of fool
ishness.
THE greatest intellec;s of all ages
have been only too eager to lay their
tributes at the feet of Him who said
am the light; the greatest philo-
sophers have been only too willing to
ascribe all power and glory to Jesus,
men of affairs, Washington. Bismarck.
Gladstone, all have bowed before the
throne of the lowly Nazarinc.
Jesus Is the ligh. OF the world to
lead men out of darkness. hut cut Of
what darkness yOu ask. There are
many. many darkncsscT. There is the
darkness OF ignorance which envelopes
man in some parts Of the world. Jesus
by the power Of His ;,racc and by the
light of His own revelation dissipates
this darkness; picks us IN in His
arms and brings us back into the fold,
showing as that we are still heirs OF
the kingdom OF God.
Then there is the darkness of ma
terialism and sensuality. There are
savage peoples scarce above the brute
creation as regards their knowledge Of
the higher things of life. There are
N ,i
to think of nothing else but eating.
wearing fine clothes and gratifying
their own selfish desires.
ITO these Jesus comes and tells of
the grandness of His kingdom: tells
of the glory of being co-workers with
Cod tells of the pleasure that comes
from the cultivation of the higher in
tellectual and spiritual things,
DARKNESS OF SORROW.
"Thcn there Is the darkness of sor-
row. How universal this is. How few
eyes there are that never weep. Some-
times this sorrow comes from disap-
pointment at ourselves, from the chag-
rim Of not being able to accomplish
our ambitions. Sometimes it comes
from disappointment at some outward
thing, from the alienation of n friends
affections and sometimes it comes
from the loss of loved ones.
Truly is there sorrow abroad in this
old world of ours. but there is no place
where earthly sorrow is felt as it Is
in heaven. Christ comes with a mes
sage of peace and wipes away the
tears. He opens His arms and says:
Come unto me all you that labor and
are heavy laden and ! will give YOU
rest
But the deepest of the darknesses
and the blackest component Of the
gloom that settles over this world Of
ours is sin. How it has blasted this
world Of ours that God made so good
with its meanness and its awfulness
But Christ is willing to take up the
very worst sinner, the very DEVILS out
cast and lead him back where all is
JOY. He comes into the life detiled by
sin and c!eanses 1t and makes it one
of joy and happiness.
walk close to Jesus, friends, and
the power of His life will shine in you.
If you follow Him YOU will not walk
In darkness but in the light. To fol-
low Him may be hard for the old ma
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