p. 71 | Light | AdventAI

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 13, 1872

Light.

LIGHT moves at the rate of twelve thousand miles a minute. Men have long been puzzled to understand its nature and origin. Is it an original creation of God, or does it emanate from heavenly bodies created by his power? Does the sun send forth rays of light, or do a combination of circumstances among the works of God develop it. Philosophers will continue to theorize on the subject, yet will be compelled to receive the simple words of revelation, “God said, Let there be light, and there was light”.

Light is universally expanded through space; it is the source of vision; without it, all would be darkness and gloom. Why light continually flows from the sun and moon and stars, is another mystery; we only know it is an inexhaustible blessing to man.

Light vivifies all nature, and gives beauty and loveliness to every object; mankind and all animal life love its presence. The flowers and plants and leaves turn their faces to its first dawn, and follow the sun to his evening retreat. Light decks the earth in beauty; it shades the grass and foliage of trees in living green; it gives the varied tints to the flora of earth; it perfumes the rose; it makes the gardens and fields and deserts fragrant with richest odor. The plumage of birds, the down of the butterfly, the scales of fishes, are but the reflections of light.

But while God surrounds us with so many beauties and charms from light, he has revealed a light of transcending beauty and glory. It is called the “True Light,” the “Light of the world,” the “Light unapproachable,” the “Light that shines in darkness,” a “Light for those who sit in darkness.” The King of Israel said of this light: “The Lord is my light;” “Thy word is a light to my path.” God’s people are promised that “Christ will give them this light;” that “God’s saints shall partake of this light;” that Christians are the “children of this light;” that in Heaven there will be “no night, no need of a candle, or of the sun, or moon, for God himself will be the light.”

Men receive and believe the truths of natural light without fully understanding them, and at the same time will not believe in God and his revelation, because they cannot comprehend the great truths connected therewith. Men see the flowers and leaves turning their faces to the sun and basking in his earliest and latest rays, and without comprehending the truths, believe them; yet when they see the sinful soul turning to Christ and rejoicing in the glorious light of God’s countenance, because they cannot tell whence it comes they will not believe. Men will believe any truths relating to science, or governments, or money, quicker than they will believe anything relating to their salvation.

They stubbornly reject the offers of this light when they know it can change the sinful heart to one of peace and joy and hope; that it has caused the burdened soul to cast all its sins and cares on Jesus Christ; that thousands of those who were bowed down beneath a weight of sin have been enabled to rejoice in the triumphs of pardon, and the prospects of a glorious resurrection.

As the light of the sun is inexhaustible, so is the mercy of God inexhaustible to the chiefest of sinners. As light is expanded through all space, so do offers of salvation extend to all the world. As light inexhaustibly flows from the sun, and moon, and stars, so is the mercy of God inexhaustible to sinners.

When pilgrims have no home nor abiding place, this light leads to one. When days and nights of sorrow come, this light brings joy and hope; in poverty, it brings wealth; to the oppressed, relief; to the sick, health; to the friendless, a friend; to the blind, light; to the deaf, words of comfort; to the people of God, the prospect of a glorious immortality.—Am. Messenger.