Vers. l, 2.-Great light in deep darkness. In wratli God remembers ri:lercy; he makes us to "sing of mercy and of jud,,ament." • He "will not al ways .chide, nor keep his anger for ever." Even unto disobedient and perverse Israel he will mam:fest his Divine pity, his redeeming power. -Respecting tbis promise we may n9te--: ·' • • 1 ' L ITS HISTORICAL FULFILMENT. This, in the literal and primary sense, jsjirvolved in no slight obscurity (see Exposition). The difficulty in determining the period wh~n these regions saw the light of liberty and plenty arter the 'time of darkness and desola- tion is painfully suggestive of the fact that it is a very difficult thing to find any instances of a nation that has ouce lost its place and power recovering it.s position. Even those which have had the best opportunities of so doing have failed t.o use them; witness Egypt, Greece, Rome. It seems as if nations could J' firid no place of repent- ance." The fact may well stir every patriotic feeling irl •our breasts, and' make1 us resolute to in[use into aU our laws, customs, institutions, the purifying and preserving influences of Christian truth. . IL 1TB SUPBEM.E ILLUSTRATION. (Matt.1v. 15, 16.) Undoubtedly this passage finds its cnlminating fulfilment in the advent and the work of Christ. " That was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlighteneth every one.'' 1. The era wheri ,Jellus was born was one of peculiar -darkness. Ignorance, vice, superstiti~n, violence, faifati- cism, unbelief, eespair,-these abounded 'as never before. 2. He became' the 1\ight of the world. (1) His truth illumined the dark valleys of error; (2) his· lij'e shed a bright light on the life of man ; (3) his redeeming death opened and made· clear ,to :all mankind the way of return and restoration to God. • . • 11 1, •1 III. ITS HEALIZATION IN THE CHRISTIAN ERA. 1. .Among peoples. , Many are· the communities, larger or lesser, which, found in gross darkness, have been enlightened by the gospel of the grace of God. Beside the various European nati_ons and otir-own islands, there are such places as Greenland, the islands of Polynesia, Madagasqir,·etc; 2. In .individual, men. Down into the human soul; into the mind dark with u'tlbelief or crusted over with worldliness, or blinded by prejudice and consequent misconcopti\:11) 1 or be[(uiied and led astray hy evil passion -0r some strong, spiritual hallucioat1on, tnere WM! shone the ligbt of Christian uuth, a "healing ray fic,m heaven;" and he tl:.at walked" in the shadow or death" now dwdls in the light of God, and·w1ll'dwell in hii C1I, IX, 1-21.] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. 175
glory. ( 1) We may all open our hearts to its shining; (2) we have the fatal power of closing them if we,choose; (3) we are all invited to reflect and multiply its beame,-0.·