The Commission, July 1861

, . . • у-'- - ¥oLG. JULY, 1861. Ко.Д. “YE ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. When our Saviour said to His disci¬ ples: “Ye aro the light of the world,” Пе evidently intended to define their exact mission among men. Though himself “the true Light which lighteth every man that comeili into the world,” He had chosen them as the mediums of communiaating Ilis beams to the world. He would communicate light to them, which they should reflect upon the world, as the moon reflects the light of the sun upon the earth. Indeed, Christians sustain such a relation to Christ; that he may be said to shine upon the world through them. They are one with Him; He in them, and they in Him. In a most important sense, they arc Ilis representatives on earth. They aro appointed, and solemn¬ ly required, to subserve the same pur¬ poses, in carrying forward the great de¬ signs of infinite mercy, that He him¬ self would, were He personally on earth. "Verily, verily, I say unto you: he that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also.” Were Пе on earth now. He would do only those ‘'things, .which Ho has enjoined upon His disciples. When Ho was in the world, Ilis constant effort was, to give His dis¬ ciples an example, both of and in those things vyhich He was about to require of His followers throughout all com¬ ing ages, of tlie Church militant. True, He wrought many miracles when Ho ' was on earth', works which He does not 1 ' now require of His disciples.. ’ But there is no good reason for supposing that He would пою do miracles, were He personally on earth. No, He' would strive to give the world light on' the great and sublime themes of reli¬ gion, the very work which He has most solemnly enjoined upon, His people. Now, in the scriptures, the term “light,” is sometimes used in the sense of instruction, and sometimes in tho sense of “a teacher, an instructor.” Thus, our Saviour, quoting the prophets, represents himself us “ a great light, to lighten the Gentiles, who sat in' dark¬ ness.” And Paul speaks of the Philip¬ pian Christians “as lights in the world, bolding forth the word of life.” Their;» “ holding forth the word of life,” . is exegetical of their shining “ ns lights in the world." In precisely, this sense our Saviour said of John the Baptist: “ he was a burning and a shining’light. And such is the sense of this term in the expression : “ Ye are the light of the world.” Our Saviour meant, that he had appointed His disciples to be the religious instructors, of the world ; to be the heralds of the light, the prin¬ ciples and doctrines of the Gospel to all tlie'world.that'He had chosen them; and called them out of darkness into light, that they should show unto the world the way of sal vationV And such is still the grand practical design, ;in requiring His disciples to openly desig¬ nate themselves ns such. The wprld was then- ignorant of ; the^way • of life,* '