of his grace. Never think then that you have yet attained, but press forward for higher degrees of grace and holiness ; and make it your endeavour to " stand perfect and complete in all the will of God."]
John viii. 12. 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.
IT was customary with our blessed Lord to take occasion from things that were immediately before him to instil divine knowledge into his hearers. When he was at a well, he spake of himself as a fountain of living water: when mention had been made of the manna which was given to the Israelites in the wilderness, he represented himself as the bread that came down from heaven, that men might eat of it and live for ever : when he was passing though a vineyard, he set himself forth as the true and living- vine, by an union with which all the branches were to bring forth fruit. Thus, it should seem, in the passage before us, being early in the temple8, and beholding the sun shining bright upon him, he resumed his discourse which had been interrupted, and spake to all the people, saying, " I am the light of the world."
We cannot but notice in this impressive declaration,
I. The excellency of Christ —
Of all the objects in the visible creation, the sun is the most splendid and majestic : and hence it is the most frequently selected to characterize our blessed Lord. The sun has in itself a fulness of light, and is the one source of light to the material world. In Christ also are " hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge;" and from him alone is derived all spi- ritual light. It is he that enlightens all,
-* ver.