YE ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.
By Isaac Sanborn
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.” Matt. v, 16. This language of our dear Saviour was addressed to his disciples, whom he declared to be the light of the world; and lest some might think that it was especially intended for his disciples who heard his gracious words, and not for those living in the last days, professing to be his disciples and hearing the proclamation of the third angel’s message, I wish to notice the following scriptures, which to every unbiased mind must prove that he meant every disciple from that time to the end of the world. Matt. xix, 20. “Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Isa. viii, 14–18. And he (that is Christ) shall be “for a stone of stumbling and a for rock of offense to both the houses of Israel.” Here we understand the people of God at the close of the Mosaic and gospel dispensations are referred to by the term, both the houses of Israel; referring undoubtedly to the Jewish church, which rejected the doctrine of the first advent of their Lord, and also to the churches which in 1844 and since that time, reject the doctrine of the second coming of our divine Lord, with its kindred truths. And even since their rejection of the doctrine of the personal coming of Jesus near at hand, they have been fulfilling a part of Isa. lxvi, 5: “Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word: Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified; but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.” This text already shows that those who tremble at the word of God, are such as are looking for the soon and personal appearing of their Saviour in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory; when they, with all the resurrected, will put on immortality, eternal life. See Rom. ii, 6, 7. Those who tremble at God’s word also keep his commandments, and the faith of Jesus. See Rev. xiv, 12. And those who keep the faith of Jesus, we understand to be those who can say like Paul in the hour of deep affliction and trial. “I have kept the faith;” that is, he had obeyed all of Christ’s teachings as laid down in the gospel. But some say, Do you think that Paul kept all the ten commandments? I also will ask you one question: Do not all evangelical professors of religion make obedience to the principles of the ten commandments a test of Christian character and church fellowship? You answer, They profess to. Well, then why should not Paul keep them? But we will let him speak for himself. Rom. iii, 19, 20. “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law (Mark! the next words tell us who are under the law); that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world become guilty [margin, subject to the judgment of God].” Dear reader, does not this text prove the law to be binding upon all the world? It certainly does. But, say some, It is the gospel that Paul here calls law. Well, but do you not claim that obedience to the gospel is a means of justification? You answer, Yes. Well, but Paul says, because the law stops every mouth before God, therefore, by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin; which, you see, proves the gospel to be one thing, and the law another. How did Paul find out that he was a sinner? by the gospel? or by the law? Let him answer. Rom. vii, 7. (By the law is the knowledge of sin.) “Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin but by the law; for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.” Here all must see that Paul quotes four words of the tenth commandment of God’s everlasting covenant. See Deut. iv, 12, 13. “And the Lord spake unto you out of the midst of the fire; . . . and he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments, and he wrote them upon two tables of stone.” Now, how long was this covenant of ten commandments to last? See Psa. cxi, 9: “He hath commanded his covenant for ever; holy and reverend is his name.” The term forever, here used, we understand can only mean as long as the things spoken of can consistently exist. Very well. As it is God’s commanded covenant of ten commandments that is spoken of, and as they grow out of the relations existing between God and man, and man and his fellow-men, therefore, as God and obedient men with those relations will exist forever, the conclusion seems inevitable, that the ten commandments must be binding upon all men eternally; of which we will let our Lord testify in Matt. v, 17–20: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill (the law and the prophets). For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” That is, till all the prophecies shall be fulfilled; one of which we will here notice. Ps. cii, 25, 26. “Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure; yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed.” Peter refers to this prophecy, and says, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also; and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” 2 Pet. iii, 10. Now as this prophecy of David, referred to by Peter, has not yet been fulfilled, and as our Saviour has positively declared that until this prophecy is fulfilled, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, therefore, we believe with Paul, in Rom. vii, 12, that the law is holy, just and good; and that whosoever, therefore, will transgress the fourth command of that law, by working, or doing his pleasure on the Sabbath, the seventh day, is a sinner in the sight of God. For John says, “Whosoever committeth sin, transgresseth also the law; for sin is the transgression of the law.” 1 John iii, 4. But to show that God has made obedience to his law a test of character and of our having light, see Isa. viii, 20, “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” Now, by reading verse 19, it will be seen that God makes the speaking according to the law a test of their having light, at the time another class is saying, “Seek unto them that have familiar spirits;” evidently referring to the work of Modern Spiritualism now before us, to which we understand the prophet refers in verse 15, when speaking of the second house of Israel, or professors of religion in these last days. He says, “And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.” A cursory glance will enable you to see that very many are being snared, and taken captive by the Devil through Modern Spiritualism. And in contrast with this work of the spirits of devils (see Rev. xvi, 14), Isaiah speaks of another work, as follows: “Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.” Isa. viii, 16: and in verse 17 he shows that this sealing work is carried on while there is a people looking and waiting for the Lord. Since what time has such a people been in existence? I answer, Since 1844. For since that time, the third angel’s message has been going forth, calling out a people to observe all the ten commandments of God, and showing the Sabbath to be the sign and seal of the living God. Rev. xiv, 9–12; Ex. xxxi, 13–17. Then, we ask, according to all the testimony we have presented, Who have light in them? The Lord says, those who speak according to the law and the testimony,146which mark of obedience forms the characteristic of the remnant church or people of God, spoken of in Rev. xii, 17: “And the Dragon (that is the Devil or Satan) was with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” The testimony of Jesus, the angel told John, in Chap. xix, 10, is the spirit of prophecy. But some may ask, Is there such a people now on the earth as is here described by the prophet as the remnant church? I answer, There is not, if the Seventh-day Adventists have not the characteristics named above. And I admit that they do not have them only as they let their light shine. And as I see the great flood of light that the Lord is letting shine upon his people from the holy sanctuary, and especially the light given us through the gift of prophecy, containing such good counsel and holy admonitions, I can but exclaim, Oh! how many good works are enjoined upon us by the Lord who has said in our text, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works.” Dear brethren and sisters, are we faithfully obeying the Lord? He says, “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” Jno. xv, 14. In view of the great light thus given to us, I am astonished at our lukewarmness, our carelessness, and indifference. Oh! see! yonder stands the Lord with sword in hand, to cut down his careless people. See, also, those careworn servants of God in this solemn time, weeping between the porch and the altar, and crying unto God, saying, “Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach.” Joel ii, 17. And here I would say to my fellow-servants, who are thus crying unto the Lord, Do not be discouraged, but continue your importunate cries, for God is hearing, and is waking up his slumbering people, who are beginning to be more faithful in letting their light shine; yet I see one very important lack among them, and that is, agonizing, earnest, persevering, faithful prayer. Some seem satisfied without taking any part in the family worship, or in meeting, although it is a meeting where God’s people have met to pray, and exhort each other; and should “so much the more as they see the day approaching.” Others go through a form of prayer, or exhortation, which is dry, not having even a tear in it. I have often wept when I have been compelled to listen to such lifeless prayers, and wondered how they could talk to the Lord, who had wept so much for us, without even a tear. Here I will present two passages of scripture that I hope all will remember. First. Heb. ii, 9. “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” Second. Heb. v, 7–9. “Who, in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto Him (that is God) that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared [margin, for his piety]; though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him,” and hence let their light shine. David says, “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit,” Ps. xxxiv, 18, and Isaiah says, God inhabiteth eternity, and dwelleth in the holy place, with him, also, that is of a contrite spirit. See Isa. lvii, 15. Paul says, “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings; that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.” Phil. ii, 12–15. If we thus hold forth the word of life, by our careful, humble, prayerful, consistent course of conduct, poor sinners will see our good works, and be constrained to glorify God. How often God’s servants are requested to go to this and that place to preach the message; and upon coming to the place, find a few Sabbath-keepers, who, perhaps, would not be known in the neighborhood as professors, if it were not that they observe the seventh day (and that not acceptably with God) for the Sabbath, so that before the servant of God can meet with any success among unbelievers, he must labor for the conversion of these brethren and sisters. The minister well knows that it is useless to ask, or expect, God to help him labor for the salvation of sinners, until these professed brethren and sisters, who are nothing but stumbling-blocks standing in the way of others, are taken out of the way, either by conversion, or by being rejected of the Lord. Sometimes the different churches want us to hold protracted meetings among them, while, perhaps, a number of its members are a by-word among sinners, and a reproach to the cause they profess. Oh! what hard work such make for the minister. May the Lord in mercy stir up such careless souls, all over the land, is my prayer. But how easy it is to labor in a place where one or two persons, or a whole church have been letting their light shine. I went once into a place to labor where the people had never heard any Advent preaching, but there were two Seventh-day Adventists who had lived in the place about two years, and as I was going to that place by their request, I inquired of their neighbors concerning their Christian characters, and found that the whole community looked upon them as consistent, upright, honest, good Christians. The result was, when we commenced meetings, several hundred people came to hear, and soon more than a score were added to their numbers. It is easy to preach and pray in such a place. Dear reader, may the Lord bless you, and stir us up upon this subject, so that we may let our light so shine before men that they may see our good works and glorify our Father which is in Heaven.