WI\J, Any ono Cl\n come who will give the seed-ground of his heart as goo<l grounJ fur lho soed of cternnl truth.-Y, Ver. 12.-T/,e LigM of the world. We shall hardly be wrong in assuming that Jesus snid these words in the full warmth and radianco of a most sunshiny day. Surely tho sun speaks so every day in his rising, "I am the light of tho worl<l." Sometimes he says it more emphntically. More omphatically in summer than in winter, more emphatically on a bright day than o cloudy one, but always saying it afresh every morning with the roturn of daylight to the earth. Jesus means that just ns the sun gives light to the world in one way, so he gives light in another. When the li;;l,t of tho Lord Jesus Christ comes in all its fulness, then the night passes from our life. 'fhero is a darkness that is not banished with the dawn, unless Jesus banishes it; and if Jesus stays with us, then there is a light that will not vanish with the sunset. In him we get securities, comforts, and opportunities, such as make us independent of unfavourable times and seasons, Take this declaration in connection- . I. W1TH SAFETY, Night is the time of clanger. The thief comes by night. Day- light gives a freedom of movement which at once ceases with t.he darkness. So he who is the true Light of the world brings a. safety that is impossible without him. ,vho can tell into what depths of destruction and misery they plunge who refuse the Jiaht of the Lord Jesus? After all, the only real destruction is self-destruction. When J:sus lodges the light of his truth in our hearts, then our notions of danger get turned upside down. So it was with the jailor of Philippi. Jesus shows to us spiritual peril and saves us from it. To any one who has clearly seen what a terrible thing spiritual peril is, and what a real thing spiritual salvation is, how absurd and exaggerated much of the world's prudence must appear. The moment Christ begins to rise upou the heart, spiritual danger and spiritual salvation will cease to be mere words. All spiritually anxious ones are where they are just because Jesus is the Light of the world. None ca.n tell into what light he may be travelling. To see one's peril is half one's :,alvation. II. WITH HUMAN IGNOBANOE. What can a man know of the scene round him in the dark? Take him to some elevation from which in daylight there is a spacious and charming prospect, and he is none the better. But what a change a few short hours will make-a. change going nil the way from ignorance to knowledge! Visible object., are not properly known till seen in daylight. In the light that streams from Jesus how different we seem to ourselves! The duties, the possibilities, and the associations of life become altogether different. Lifo is as full of interest as ever, yea, fuller; but we are interested in different things, or in old things in a different way. No one knows so much of permanent and comforting value as the Chril!tian. III. WITH PRACTICAL PEBPLEXITms. Many have made great mistakes in life, and had to go through toils and trials they might well have been spared, if only they had been practical Christians, completely a.t the disposal of the Lord Jesus, Jesns knows well what poor guesses we. ca.n make at consequences a.nd probabilities. He who claims to rule us will never lea.ve us in doubt as to what we a.re really to do. The continu- a.nee of serious perplexity comes not from want of light, bnt want of disposition to niake use of the light. IV. WITH WORK, "The night cometh, when no man can work." Jesus gives the light whereby we may be useful down to the very end of our present life. Jesus must show how best to employ our time, how best to serve the world. Never yet did true Christian look back on wasted life. The miserable retrospects, the terrible confessions, belonging to the men of this world are not his.-Y.
Ver. 31.-Genuine discipleship. In the earlier part of his ministry Jesus probably had a great many disciples. .At all events this might be suspected. He taught a. great deal, and the testimony is that ho spoke "with authority, and not a.s the scribes." W c may be sure ho was al ways ready to speak concerning the things of the kingdom of heaven. In synagogue, in temple, in the homes of the people, out in the open air, ho lost no opportunity. He that soweth sparingly, reapeth !:lparingly. Thus a larg(J company of nominal disciples would be gathered. But Jesus did not care for mero quantity ss euoh, He was quite prepared for desertions and backslidings. Only a 400 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN, [err. vm. 1-59.