Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1904-02-24
CHRIST THE LIGHT OF WORLD.


world" it seems scarcely conceivable
that he should mean what his words
express.
These words say what the sun > 10
the physical world that you and those
minded who shall come after are
to the spiritual, therefore moral and
intellectual, world. As utterly improD-
able as it seemed, yet to-day are these
words fulfilled.
The I-'7doos, Chiose, Persians,
Arabians, Greeks and Romans, in their
turn, sent forth into the heavens galax-
les of names that seemed destined
forever to light the human family In
their climbing to highest things. But
to-day Confucius, Zoraoster, Pythagor-
as-all the great luminaries of the hrst
magnitude in the ancient world+-haVe
faded out before the rising of the sun
of Righteousness, whose name those
few fishermen preached, and whose
teaching and life they reflected III their
own. Matthew, Mark, Luke and Jtnn
are household words, almost the worn
over, while the great lights of ancient
days are known only to few learned
men.
And the doctrines these lights of
the world" taught stand out clear and
established in the hearts and lives OF
the best of the human family. All the
light OF modern times has not only
failed to reveal a single error in
Christ's instruction, but has served to
prove his every utterance to be in har-
mony with univei sal truth and in ac-
cord with all nature. These men are
yet, in the revelation they give in their
life and doctrines of Christ, THE light
of the world"
But there is yet another sense In
which these words are TO be taken
Those men andsall Christians are the
light of the wc@d in that they reflect
and disseminate the light of the Lord
Jesus Christ, the true light of the
world
THE suns rays fall not directly ant
Immediately on the face of the earth
If there were no intercepting agency
the heat of the beams would be con
Stunning, the brilliancy binding. The
atmosphere interposes to moderate the
heat and soften the brightness; every
| particle of the atmosphere becomes {
/ center of light emission. SO ever!
| Christian, every unit in the church. the
moment the rays of the Sun of Right
eousness falls on him. becomes new
center of light emission. rejecting thu
| glory of God and scattering the ligh
upon all in his sphere.
Such is the glory of God that no mar
can look on his face and live. Whel
Paul for brief moment saw but /;
fitting of that glory he fell to tn,
earth blinded When on the mount o
TRANSPORTATION the three disciples stoot
for a moment before the veil partl!
lifted thay fell to the earth as deaf
| men. When men pray with Moses
"Show me thy glory" Christ points t.
his people saying: They reflect m.
| glory. In them look for the purity
goodness, loving kindness and holmes
of God" In the audience of such ;
thought how full of meaning are tn
words: BE We therefore perfect,' ever
| as your Father in heaven is perfect"
There are those who feel the bearC
| of the thought that the Christian is
reflector of the light of God. bat tn
fact seems TO them beyond realization
The iriperfecJicn of human nature. tn
strong and subtle temptations that do
mans every step. TIE enigmas of lif
and perpleXities of casuistry- q. these
they fancy. make the reproduction o
the character of Christ on even a lov
plain impossible.
The following his lessons and exam
pie. they think, would shipwreck thei
busint SIS and ,stracize them from pc
lite society. 1ltfN argue it is impossl
BILE TO mix such religion with business
1t is good for Sundays, for funerals
for churches, but it is too delicate an,
dainty to bring into the du : of every
sday life, the noise and confusion o
ed together. business and religion
must be divorced six days in the week
or both suffer loss. You must serv
God and Mammon. or you will los
your profits both in time and eternity
But all this is a frightful blundel
or deliberate rejection of God. VIVA
religious element would you exclud
from your business life? Not truth
nor justice, nor integrity. nor fairnes.
If so, you are opening the food gate
for the preparation of all crime whe
your interests seem to demand it, 70
cannot condemn the bribe-giver O
bribe-taker. or forger or robber; for
your interests demanded it you woul
do the same thing.
Yes. religion and business are joine
indlssolubIy; united they both stant
divided they both fall The man VIII
brings true religion into his bushes
life takes God for his partner. If RI
ligion and business must be separated
then has Christ died in vain. and til
Kingdom of heaven has in it no inhab
tant of earth.
Therefore, we expect TO find anon
church people sympathy of sentimen
gentleness Of action. helpfulness In til
common work, charity in all thing
1--WE be brethren is the ideal. and wi
help and shield each other from harn
THE LAW OF LIFE.
By Rev. c. 7. Brad
Thou art be5o-ne guilty in thy bloc
that thou hast shed.-Ezekiel xii,
1t is a question whether vice filter
down from the top or percolates u