Ps. xix. 4-6. In the heavens hath He set a Tabernacle for The Sun, And there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. 2 Sam. xxiii. 3, 4. The God and Rock of Israel,-The Just One ruling over men,-shall be as The Light of the Morning, when the sun riseth, even a Morning without clouds; when the tender grass springeth out of the earth by clear shining after rain. 66 [When "the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle-dove is heard in our Land; the Fig-tree putteth forth her green figs, and the Vines with the tender grape give a good smell." Song ii. 11-13. Thy people shall be willing in The Day of Thy power, in the beauties of holiness; beyond the dew from the womb of the morning is the dew of Thine offspring to Thee." Ps. cx. 3.-" The idea refers to the beauty and number of pious children: pure and holy,-like dew-drops reflecting the Glory, and communicating the Grace of The Sun of Righteousness."] John viii. 12. I am The Light of the world: [He that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the Light of Life. In the Beginning was The Word, and The Word was with God, and The Word was God. The same was in The Beginning with God (John i. 1, 2). All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was Life: and The Life was The Light of men (3, 4). And The Light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His Glory, the Glory as of The Only-Begotten of The Father [xvii. 5], full of Grace and Truth. That Light was The True Light, Which coming into the world lighteth every man (5, 14, 8, 9.) And this is the condemnation,-that Light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than Light, because their deeds were evil. John iii. 19. As long as I am in the world, I am The Light of the world. The Night cometh when no man can work. (To mitigate the darkness of this Night, the branches of The Lampstand still lift up Its light, replenished with the oil of His Spirit of Grace, Matt. v. 14-16; John xiv. 9-26: until that last Hour of the Night be come, when the Church also is cast out as the Church's Head has been, already, rejected. Rev. xii. 14; xiii. 15; xiv. 12, 13; xi. 7-10: comp. Matt. xxi. 38, 39; Luke xix. 14; xxii. 53; John xix. 15.) John ix. 5, 4. you. I am come a Light into the world, that whosoever believeth on Me should not abide in darkness. Yet a little while is The Light with Walk! while ye have The Light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have Light, believe in The Light! that ye may be the Children of Light. John xii. 46, 35, 36.] Rev. xxii. 16. I am The Bright and Morning Star [ii. 28]. ["The Root and The Offspring of David : "The Man Whose Name is The Branch: '" Zech vi. 12. "There shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel: He Who shall have Dominion." Num. xxiv. 17-19.] 2 Pet. i. 19. Until the Day dawn, and The Day-Star arise. Mal. iv. 2. Unto you that fear My Name shall The Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in His wings. Zech. xiv. 6, 7. And it shall come to pass in that Day that it shall not be clear in some places and dark in other places of the world. [But as universal as it had been sudden and swift, "As the lightning cometh out of the East, and shineth even unto the West; so shall also The Coming of The Son of Man be." Matt. xxiv. 27.] But the Day shall be one, which shall be known to The Lord, not day nor night: but it shall come to pass that at evening-time it shall be light. [Does this signify that after that Millennial Day of the Reign of The Messiah over His chosen Nation, and conversion to Himself of the world by their agency, there shall follow no night of Apostasy? although the close of that Day shall be marked by a rebellion, so quickly crushed that no darkness shall again settle down upon the world; but the True Light shall shine unobscured and evermore. Above the earth during this Reign of The Messiah, it would seem that The Glory of the already ransomed and glorified Church is visible; the distant and softened, but glorious shining of The Ark of God in Whom His elect are gathered out of all nations. This Ark of Salvation, The Glory,— or The Glorious One-of His redeemed, has, during the Judgments upon the earth in the last days, been revealed with growing distinctness at various periods,-Rev. xi. 19; xv. 8; xix. 11-14;—and will, when the End is come, an End which is but the Beginning of an Everlasting Age, descend upon the New Earth. Rev. xxi. 1-3.] LET THE WHOLE EARTH BE FILLED GLORY. WITH THY Ps. lxxii. 19. (Ezek. xxxvi. 37; Hosea ii. 22; Zech. viii. 12.) Ps. lxvii. God be merciful unto us, and bless us ! That Thy Way may be known upon earth, Thy Saving Health among all nations. Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy! Let the people praise Thee, O God! Then shall the earth yield her increase ; And God, even our own God shall bless us. God shall bless us; And all the ends of the earth shall fear Him. (Rom. x. 13-15; Ps. lii. 7.) Ps. lxxii. Give to The King Thy Judgments, O God! The mountains shall bring peace to the people, He shall Judge the poor of the people, He shall save the children of the needy, And shall break in pieces the oppressor. They shall fear Thee as long as the sun and moon endure, He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: As showers that water the earth. In His Days shall the righteous flourish; And abundance of peace till there be no moon. And from the river unto the ends of the earth. They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before Him; The kings of Tarshish and of the Isles shall bring presents: The poor also, and him that hath no helper. And shall save the souls of the needy. He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: And precious shall their blood be in His sight. And He shall live, and to Him shall be given of the gold of Sheba : Prayer also shall be made for Him continually; And daily shall He be praised. There shall be a handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; The fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: And they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth. His Name shall be for ever: His Name shall be as a Son to continue His Father's Name for ever. (John xvii. 6, 26; Ex. xxiii. 21.) And men shall be blessed in Him: All nations shall call Him" Blessed." Blessed be The Lord God, The God of Israel! Who, only, doeth wondrous things. And blessed be His Glorious Name for ever: And let the whole Earth be filled with His Glory! Amen! and Amen! "The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended." [And thus shall dust be the Serpent's food (Gen. iii. 14; Isa. lxv. 25): disappointment, failure, ruin, befall the schemes of the Deceiver and Destroyer, the Liar and Murderer (Rev. xii. 9; John viii. 44); himself and his works be destroyed (Heb. ii. 14; Rev. xx. 1-3, 10; xxi. 4). For this Purpose The Son of God was Manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 1 John iii. 8. This is The True God and Eternal Life. 1 John v. 20; John i. 2, 3.] AT THE CLOSE OF THE MILLENNIAL REIGN, THE LIAR AND DESTROYER, LOOSED FROM HIS PRISON,- [Rev.xx. 3. After those thousand years he must be loosed a little season. Isa. liv. 15-17. Behold! they shall surely gather together, but not by Me whosoever shall gather together against thee [11-14] shall fall for thy sake. Behold! I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy. ["Woe unto him "-man or angel-" that striveth with his Maker!" Isa. xlv. 9. BB |