p. 164 | The Light of the World

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 21, 1863

The Light of the World.

"Ye are the light of the world," says the Saviour in his sermon on the mount. But just what position the people of God should occupy to be the light of the world, is a matter of the highest importance. Some professed Christians conform to the world, supposing that in so doing they can have more influence in the world, and thus be the light of the world. Others, in another extreme, become exclusive, or sink below the level of society, and perhaps in a great degree lose their enterprise, habits of active life, promptness and good order, if they ever had them, thinking that in this way the church is to become the light of the world.

These are extremes. In both cases there is an utter failure. First, when Christians conform to the world, they become like the world; in fact, are of the world, and their light goes out. They then have no light to shine, consequently a worldly church cannot be the light of the world. Second, those who sink below the level of society, dishonor the elevating principles of Christianity, and instead of being the light of the world, they are a cause of reproach to that Christianity which they profess.

Nearly all the Christian world are occupying one or the other of these extremes. The majority seek to make their denomination popular and influential by entering into the spirit of the world, and conforming to its customs, and in this way add strength to the cause of Christianity. In this course they think to convert the world. But instead of their converting the world, the world has converted them, and they are the churches of the world, instead of the churches of Jesus Christ. They are not the light of the world, but stand enshrouded in the darkness of the world to which they have conformed. This is the position of the majority, while a minority, seeing this fatal error, set themselves at work to shun it. They take all those texts of scripture which require separation from the world, and denounce the friendship and fellowship of the world, and, without being assisted in their applications of these by other portions of Scripture which plainly set forth the responsible duties of the church, they give these texts extreme applications, and, acting accordingly, they place themselves where they are often disgusting to friendly worldlings. And the influence of such a course is too often manifest in justification of slothfulness, carelessness, and consequent poverty, and sometimes recklessness, and looseness of conversation and appearance.

It is possible that teachers of the Advent faith have failed to guard their flocks suitably against these evils, and in consequence of this neglect, those whose natural bend is that way, have concluded that the Lord was so soon coming that it is of little use to try to live in a decent house, wear decent clothing, and be good neighbors, and they sometimes talk as if they thought that all those who come in honest possession of the comforts of this life, and were neat and tidy in their appearance, were in possession of that pride, the sin of which calls for the fires of the last day. They are also in danger of coveting that which their brethren have accumulated by economy and industry. You may sometimes hear them make expressions like the following: "The truth brings us all down on a level." And they will not feel content until all the church come down where they are. But a church formed after their model, instead of being the light of the world, would shed moral darkness everywhere, and bring Christianity into disrepute.

We do not object to the level to which Christianity is designed to bring Christians; but it never tends downward. "Down on a level?" Never. Some may have mistaken scriptural activity for worldliness, and Christian neatness for pride, and have sunken beneath society, down on a deplorable level, where they are in danger of rust, if not rot; but pure Christianity does not tend that way. It was designed to purify, refine, elevate, and ennoble the true Christian, to bring its possessors all up upon a level. Let it be repeated by Christ's ministers everywhere, The truth brings us all up upon a level, and let all the people say, Amen.

But what is the true position for God's people to occupy in order to retain the light of Heaven, and let it shine before men in such a manner that they may be the light of the world? In reflecting upon this important question, our attention has been called to the first sixteen verses of Christ's sermon on the mount. Matt. v. In announcing the beatitudes and promises of the first twelve verses, our Lord delineates that true Christian character necessary to prepare the church to be the light of the world, and then in the next four verses, in the use of the strongest figures, sets forth the responsible position of such a church in the midst of the unbelieving world. We will notice,

1. True Christian Character. Matt. v, 1-12. And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain; and when he was set, his disciples came unto him, and he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of God.

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad; for great is your reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

It is worthy of notice that this sermon was addressed to the disciples. It may not be necessary for us to express an opinion whether the gathered multitude did, or did not, hear this discourse. If, as some think, Christ, followed by his disciples only, moved to a more convenient eminence, still in hearing of the multitude, then we have before our minds the impressive scene of the great Teacher with his disciples gathered around him, and he, in his address to them, setting forth in the hearing of the multitude the exalted character of his true followers, and their position in the world.

Here are nine qualifications mentioned, namely, poor in spirit, mourning, meek, hunger and thirst after righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, persecution for righteousness' sake, and suffering all manner of evil spoken against falsely. Reader, pause and reflect. Read these sweet verses again. What admirable characters are therein set forth. The complete sum of all goodness and virtue is comprised in them. Christianity proposes to do a great work for fallen men, in fitting them to be the light of the world.

True Christians are poor in spirit, which may be to correctly view their lost condition, and worthlessness out of Christ. To such Christ is precious. They mourn over the weaknesses of their own nature, and sigh for the abominations in the land. They are meek, and stand out in wide contrast with those who are actuated by haughty pride. They hunger and thirst for righteousness. Enlightened and imbued with the spirit of Christianity, a life of right-doing is before them in such high contrast with a life of groveling in sin, that their aspirations are sufficiently ardent for virtue and holiness to be represented by hunger and thirst. They are merciful and pure in heart. They are peacemakers, and are called the children of God. That is, in their efforts to live peaceably with all men, they earn this world-wide reputation. The world is constrained to say of them, They are the children of God. They are persecuted for righteousness' sake. Some professed Christians are persecuted for their own follies. They may be persecuted for their oddities, or their self-willed, fanatical course. But these are persecuted for doing right. And all manner of evil is spoken against them, but every word is false. Some labor under the embarrassment in defending their character of knowing that about one-half that is said against them is true, or, at least, in most cases reports have started from their not shunning the very appearance of evil.

The church possessing the above-named qualifications is prepared to occupy her high station in the world. Having briefly noticed true Christian character, we will now view,

2. The Exalted Position of the Church. Verses 13-16. Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid; neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Salt, properly applied, saves meat, fish, &c., Without it, these soon become unfit for use. So without the influence of Christianity the world would sink in pollution, and be visited with destruction. We have illustrations of this in the flood and the destruction of Sodom. We hear Abraham pleading for that city, Gen. xviii, 23-32: Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked; and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee. Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? And the Lord said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes. Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it. And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake. And he said unto him, Oh, let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall be thirty found there. And he said, I will not do it if I find thirty there. And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake. And he said, O, let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake.

But ten righteous could not be found. Lot escaped, and the city perished in its crimes. For an illustration of the saving power of Christianity to some extent, compare the condition of Christian and heathen countries.

"Ye are the light of the world," says Christ, and then follows in the next sentence with a strong figure illustrating the exalted position of the true church, namely, "A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid." Thus our Lord sets forth the right position for the church. He then illustrates the wrong position by the figure of putting a lighted candle under a bushel or under a bed. He then closes this branch of his discourse with the following declaration, which seems to be a summing up of all that he has said on this division of his sermon.

Conclusion. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

1. This conclusion supposes that the church has light; not darkness, but light, Bible light.

2. It is the duty of the people of God to let their light shine before men, before the world.

3. Christ says, Let your light so shine, implying that there is a right way, and wrong ways, in which to let it shine.

4. The people of God are to let their light shine in connection with good works. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works.

5. When the people of God let their light shine in a proper manner, attended by good works, the result is glorious. Men will be constrained to yield to the claims of truth, and glorify God.

In view of the solemn and testing message committed to us as Seventh-day Adventists, and the magnitude of the work before us, we conclude that this branch, at least, of our Lord's sermon on the mount, applies to us

with all its original force. We as a people can be fitted for the work before us only by possessing the exalted characteristics set forth in the first twelve verses. And not till then are we prepared to take our position in the world to give light.

Ours is a world-wide message. Its very nature, and its destined growing influence, will bring us into notice, to fill important and critical positions before the world. It is a grand mistake to suppose that the message we teach is to test the world and thus ripen the harvest of the earth, while those who bear it are shut up in a corner, so excluded from the world, or so singular in their general deportment, as to have no influence in the world. Our young ministers should with energy seek to cultivate their minds, their habits and manners. By this we do not mean that they should seek to follow the fashions of the times, by no means; but we do mean to say that they should be Bible gentlemen. Here is one text for them. "Let all things be done decently and in order." 1 Cor. xiv, 40. This is a broad expression. All things, does not mean some few things, but all. A young preacher, especially, in forming his habits, should apply this text to every-day life, in public, in private, let all things be done decently and in order. In his dress, his personal appearance, his conversation, his language and tone of voice in public speaking, he should let all be done decently and in order. This he can do if his heart is right with God, and not pattern after the world in a sense forbidden in the word.

To follow the inconvenient fashions of the world betrays a weakness unworthy of a Christian. God's people had better make some fashions which are in harmony with common sense and the Bible, and manifest a noble independence becoming the heirs of the immortal inheritance.

Our preachers should be workmen. They are well sustained, that their minds may be free from oppressing care, free to search the Scriptures, pray, meditate, and arrange, buoyant to rise above the dark shadows of this world and contemplate the glories of the coming kingdom. They should be workmen.

Our tent-companies should be right. All the appearance of evil should be shunned, as they go out where a thousand curious or jealous eyes are watching them. Our tent-masters should be intelligent, unassuming men, yet courteous and attentive, capable of seating a congregation with order and ease. Let everything be done decently and in order. A neglect of these things is impiety.

There has been a spirit among our people that has stubbornly opposed scriptural reform among us in many of these things. It is that lax, slack-twisted, slip-shod influence that has opposed organization, and almost every good work. If these persons could have had their way, not a few of our people would have sunken below the level of society, comforted with the idea that to do things decently and in order was pride, and that slack, indolent habits were the result of much humility, and that confusion and disorder were marks of piety.

What we have said against pride, we fully believe today. What Mrs. W. has written on this subject, we fully credit. But we do object to the foolish extremes to which some have wrested her words. We also believe what she has written in favor of cleanliness, neatness, and good order.

Pure Christianity stands upon a firm basis. On either side of it are the extremes to which many of its mistaken supporters have tried to carry it. But there stands the noble monument of Christianity, consistent in all its parts, and elevating and ennobling in its heaven-born character. Dear reader, come up to it, and joyfully cast aside every God-forbidden idol, be fully purged from the spirit of the world and of Satan, but be entreated not to cast aside anything that will make you a noble Christian, a good neighbor, and a blessing to community.

Be sure to obtain that Christian character set forth in connection with the beatitudes and promises of our Lord, as he opens his memorable sermon on the mount, and then let all that nature, moral culture, and the grace of God has done for you, shine out. To such a church it may be said, "Ye are the light of the world." Amen.