“I HATE the nasty sun; it shows up all the dirt,” said a grumbling servant maid to another, unconsciously giving the best commentary possible on more than one passage of Holy Writ. For not many would own so frankly their dislike of what reveals their own neglect of duty; yet at the bottom of every heart that has not been laid bare in the light of God’s presence there lies the dread of discovery, and the consequent hatred of that which would show things as they really are. In dull, dark weather the girl knew her half-swept rooms, neglected corners, and undusted shelves, might escape detection; but once let the sun shine—then her idleness and carelessness become patent to all. “This is the condemnation that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.” “For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.”
Why did men cast out and murder the Christ of God? Because He came a light into the world, and their deeds were evil. The object of the sunshine is not to shew up remiss servant girls, though that may be its consequence; it shines as the source of light and heat to the world. “God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world”—that was not the object of Christ’s coming, “but that the world through him might be saved.” “The Father sent the Son the Saviour of the world.” “God is light and in him is no darkness at all.” God’s beloved Son is the effulgence of His glory ; so, if He come at all, He is of necessity the Light, the true Light that coming into the world lighteth every man.
“But men loved darkness rather than light” ; they loved their sin, and they hated the light, and, as far as they could, they put it out on Calvary. They extinguished the light that exposed them, and hanged the Lord of glory to the cross of a felon slave! “And there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. And the sun was darkened.” Little as men thought it, yet the Light was shining brightest then. It was stewing up all,—all the enormity of man’s guilt, all the weight of his sin,—everything was exposed in thee presence of God, and “sin” eternally condemned. he Light detected all; the Light judged all. And from the lips of the Holy Sufferer burst the cry, “It is finished,” and He bowed His head, and delivered up His spirit. And the Light shone again. “As it began to dawn toward the first day of the week” the Light that man thought extinguished by blood on Calvary rose again, and now the light of the knowledge of the glory of God shines in the face of Jesus. And the believer in Jesus knows that all he is and all he has done has been already exposed and judged; and the brighter the light the brighter the testimony to the precious blood and the perfect work that puts all away.
“He that doeth truth cometh to the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God.” Reader, are you doing truth? Have all your sins to have them washed away forever in His blood? Have you been turned from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God? II not, come as a lost sinner to a waiting Saviour to hear Him say, “Thy sins which are many are all forgiven.” But if you have already come to Him, His desire for you is that which His servant Paul prayed for the Philippians— “that ye may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ” (Phil. 1:1010That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; (Philippians 1:10)). Some say that the meaning of the word here translated “sincere” is, “judged by the sunlight.” If you have known all your sins exposed by the light in order that they may be all forgiven, it will be your delight to bring everything to the test of that light, to put away all contrary to it, judging yourself and your ways by the sunlight until the “Sun of righteousness shall arise.”
T.