so the other gives strength to our moral nature. And as the world cannot do without bread, neither can it do without Jesus. He is the great source or fountain of all spiritual blessings. To him, then, and to him alone, must we look. 'My natural life,' says one, 'is exposed to ten thousand contingencies, the least of which may destroy it as soon as my foot crushes the moth, or as the breeze breaks the bubble. That I live, as it regards the life of nature, is a constant miracle of Providence. That I live spiritually, is a greater miracle of grace, for which I am indebted to him who is himself my Life. Was that new life, which he hath given me, vested in myself, it would soon perish; but in him it is far beyond the reach of violence or accident.' 'In him was life, and the Life was the light of men.' * Jesus presents himself to us as 'the bread of life;' as 'the water of life.' 'The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.' 'He that hath the Son hath life.' 'He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.'§ Passages like these abound every where in the discourses of our Lord and in the subsequent teachings of his disciples.

It should be remembered that Jesus not only imparted spiritual life, but he even gave life to the dead. The very graves opened at his presence. Indeed, the power of Jesus was unbounded. For he could impart life to the physical, intellectual, and moral worlds. He could say to a Lazarus, 'Come forth!' Then to a maniac, 'Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit!' Then to the transgressor, 'Go, and sin no more!'

And if we follow him, we find even the waves and the sea becoming calm at his approach!

Here we cannot refrain from presenting the words of Pollock, who has graphically described the blessed effects that flowed from him who is emphatically called the Life:

***The wretch that begging sat,

Limbless, deformed, at corner of the way,
Unmindful of his crutch, in joint and limb,
Arose complete; and he that on the bed
Of mortal sickness, worn with sore distress,
Lay breathing forth his soul to death, felt now
The tide of life and vigor rushing back,
And looking up, beheld his weeping wife
And daughter fond that o'er him bending stooped
To close his eyes. The frantic madman too,
In whose confused brain reason had lost
Her way, long driven at random to and fro,
Grew sober, and his manacles fell off.
The newly-sheeted corpse arose, and stared
On those who dressed it, and the coffined dead,
That men were bearing to the tomb, awoke,
And mingled with their friends.' ***

In conclusion, we may well cite the strong language of an apostle, when Jesus, seeing many of his disciples going back, and walking no more with him, said, 'Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ the Son of the living God.' Glorious confession! Let us thus under all circumstances acknowledge our Master. Let us put entire confidence in him, and finally we shall enter upon that world where we shall enjoy that life and immortality which he brought to light!

XLIX. LIGHT OF THE WORLD.

'Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the Light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.' John viii. 12.

JESUS is called a Light in seven instances in the Scriptures, and Light of the world in one other passage. The Divine Teacher also called his disciples the Light of the world, Matt. v. 14.

If the reader will turn to the first verse of the chapter where the motto is found, he will there see that 'early in the morning Jesus came again into the temple,' and that the case of the adulteress was brought before him. With great wisdom and calmness he eludes the artful snare which the Jewish sanhedrim had laid for his destruction. And then with great dignity he resumes his discourse, probably availing himself of the rising sun, which was at that moment beautifully illuminating that magnificent edifice, to declare to the people, that as this luminary gave light and animation to the material world, so he, in like manner, was destined, in the counsels of Supreme Wisdom, to give light and vigor to the moral, intellectual, and spiritual worlds! How appropriate and striking then is this title. And we have thought that if we could sketch a few of its beauties, we might interest the reader, and perhaps persuade him to study the excellencies of the brightest

and purest character that has ever been displayed before mortal eyes. It is worthy of remark, that Jesus communicated both moral and natural light. He not only opened the natural eye, but he also opened the eyes of the understanding. He had command over both the natural and moral world. He could make the mind and the body whole. No disease, either of body or mind, was too inveterate for him to remove. And it is remarkable that he never refused to do either even to the vilest of our

race.

But in what sense is the Redeemer the Light of the world? There are several qualities in light, which may all be applied to Jesus and his mission.

I. Light cannot create; it can only show what already exists.

II. Light is perfectly adapted to the human eye. III. Light is inexhaustible; otherwise we should live in constant fear of eternal night.

IV. Light is impartial; having no favorite to bless. Now Jesus is the light of the moral world, as the sun is the light of the natural world. Man can no more do without Jesus, than he can do without the light of day. As natural light follows in the track of the sun, so does moral light follow in the path of Jesus. 'Without me,' said the great Saviour, 'ye can do nothing.' All systems of religion, where Jesus is not taken for a Light, must sooner or later come to nought.

I. Jesus did not come to create truth. He came to reveal what had been true from all eternity. No being can create truth. Man might as well attempt the creation of a God, as to think of bringing the

simplest truth into being. She is not of created things, and is therefore exempt from their destiny. God's well-beloved daughter knows neither age nor decay. Before the work of creation began, she was with the Father of all things; and when time shall have ceased to be, she will stand before his throne, and still bask in the living light of the ineffable presence!' Jesus came to shed light on the character of God. He revealed him to the world as a Father. Man now can repose the utmost confidence in God; for he feels that he is his best friend. Jesus presented human duty in a clearer light than was ever seen before. A great many systems of moral philosophy have been presented to the world, but the system of Jesus excels them all. It is comprehensive, and exactly adapted to the mind. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind; thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.' Can any thing be more excellent? These two commands of God are binding on every moral being throughout the universe, and the time can never arrive when man will cease to be amenable to them.

II. Jesus adapted the truths which he taught to the human understanding, as natural light is adapted to the eye of man. That is, he communicated truth in such a simple and plain manner, that the lowest mind could comprehend him. His usual form was by parables, the most pleasing medium through which truth can be presented. Hence, when he taught, the multitudes thronged to hear him. Jesus 'knew what was in man,' and therefore, he was well qualified to reach his heart. Truth never appeared