Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1902-10-08
Tfll5 WoRL.n.s LIGHT.


Isaiah tx, l.
The Holy Scriptures ring the changes
upon this word Tight" in its application
to the Lord Jesus Christ, ana the work
that he came to 20. 1t was of his COM
ing that the prophet Isaiah wrote when
he said in the above text, Thy light is
come 1t was Of him that tie older
BALKAN forctold, as THE star that should
arise out Of Jacob" 1t MIS- to him that
the prophet Malachi applied the slorious
title Of the Sun Of Righteousness" 1t
was of him thar st. John spoke Gs 'the
true Light that lighteth every man -
Even in his babyhood tho aged Simeon
was taught of God 10 rejoice i'll him as
"a light to tighten tie Gentiles." When
he was born Gcd set in the heavens the
lesser light Of a mysterious star 70 guide
wise men from the Fast into the presence
of the greater light. When he came TO
manhood and entered upo' the work of
his ministry. he spake of himself rs the
light of the wcrld.
Light and darkness are used rs syno-
nynls of good and evil to-day. The good
man is said TO walk in the light, and the
bad man to walk in darkness. BY those
who lived before the coming of the
Christ, and who knew nothing Of the law
that in so many things preiigured him.
light was taken as the figure of what vas
pure and good, and darkness as that of
what was evil. and needed in shame to
hide itself. There is some element of
truth and goodness in most of the old
religions. When l.?en Worshiped the sun
and the stars there was i'll that worship
something that was inspiring aud en-
nobiing. Degradation did not come 70
man through religion until he began to
defy his own vices, and TO make Il god of
himself, and of the things that he could
make subservicnt to his own desires.
In the worship of light there was IN
element of truth. a yeaFning after some
thing higher than had been already at
tanned to which ycaning God gave heed
when he sent his Son into the world TO
become mans light.
What, then. are so.ue Of the plain and
practical lessons that we can gather
from this word light Well, whatever
mysterious things can be said about ls;ht,
and these are many. we can say this
plain thing about it, that it is the me
dunn through which we see all things.
never know the beauty of the beautiful
things with which Gods universe
abounds except through the medium Of
the light. The part of Christ's work
to which the word light more especially
points is the teaching part of TINT work.
With his work of willing sacrifice the
word love is more fifty associated; but
every enlargement Of knowledge wrought
by him, every low truth taught as, and
every old Truth brought more closely
home to us, is part Of his work rs the
light of the world.
And by common consent even of those
who do not choose to walk in his light, #
they have in them anything of truth and
candor, he is acknowledged as pre-emi-
nent among the worlds teachers. They
were not disciples of his, but enemies,
who came back to their masters with the
testimony: "Never man spake like this
man.; and enemies as well as friends
have continued to echo that testimony
down to our own tines
The Licht of the World he called
himself, meaning by that that none who
cared to come to his light should be de-
barred or forbidden, that to come into
his light is not the peculiar privilege Of
one nation or people, but the common
privilege Of all who win to come.
When we note how nearly coterm!nous
are the words civilization and Chris
tianity, it would seem almost as if the
light of Christ had Illuminated all the
paths of knowledge, as if he had taught
men science and philosophy, as well as
religion. There may he something in the
thought that God is more willing to un-
lock the secrets ui science to those who
seek to penetrate them in reverent spirit.
giving glory to him; and that men are
more likely to find a true philosophy
when they give to him his place of pre-
eminence in that system. But there are
irreverent scientists enough TO keep Us
from making. overmuch Of that thought,
and there is enough Of corrupt and god
less civilization to keep us from account
ing civilization and Christianity as words
of the me meaning.
So the word Eight" as applied TO our
Lord. needs some limitation. He did not
come to guide men into the mysteries of
physical science. lie brought no reye-
lation about these mysteries to put a
check upon human effort and research
and Il premium upon human Incidence.
What man can find ont or does not need
TO find out Christ leaves him to seek for.
or to do without? What man needs for
the right working out of his destiny. to
make him the sort of man that God
wants him to hc-that Christ came to
teach him. So the word light, in its an
plication to Christ. is joined with ara
limited by the word life" In hinl was
life, and the life was the light Of men"
He that followeth I've shall have the
light of life"
1t is upon our human life, upon its
origin, its destiny and its pathway of
duty and privilege that the Christ came
TO shed his light.
The origin of human life. what is that.
according to the light of Christian teach
ing? Did man struggle up by n slow de-
ont of lower forms, SO that if
there be a difference between Linn and
other living things, it is n differences made
by his OVID toll and effort. and he may
pride himself on having realized the sur
vival Of the fttcst, and in that pride
may know no need Of other religion than
that Of self-adulation? Nay. man came
from the hand Of God. bearing the stamp
of the divine image. pre- eminent over oil
other creatures from the very start.
And what is mans destiny. according
TO the light Of Christ? Is it 20 die Ike
dumb beasts and be forgotten. aud To
know no life beyond death? Nay, it is
TO 90 hack to the God who made him. |
clothed upon with n glorious and uufad-
ing body, sGch as we know not how 10
picture in this earthly life.
And what is mans privilege. in this