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Home » Free Books » Bonar, Horatius » Light & Truth: The Gospels !

Chapter 73 - John 12:35-36 - Light and its Little While Light & Truth: The Gospels by Bonar, Horatius

Quick Access Chapter 1 - Matthew 1:1 - Very Man... Chapter 2 - Matthew 1:16 - Jesus the See... Chapter 3 - Matthew 2:3 - Jesus the Trou... Chapter 4 - Matthew 3:10 - The Desert Vo... Chapter 5 - Matthew 4:23 - Jesus in Seas... Chapter 6 - Matthew 5:45 - His Sun... Chapter 7 - Matthew 8:1-3 - Human Lepros... Chapter 8 - Matthew 8:34 - Man's Dislike... Chapter 9 - Matthew 11:28 - The Rest and... Chapter 10 - Matthew 11:29 - The Three E... Chapter 11 - Matthew 12:41 - Nineveh and... Chapter 12 - Matthew 13:25 - The Two Sow... Chapter 13 - Matthew 19:6 - Herod's Ball... Chapter 14 - Matthew 19:15-16 - Man's Wa... Chapter 15 - Matthew 14:24-31 - The Help... Chapter 16 - Matthew 17:17 - The Graciou... Chapter 17 - Matthew 18:1-4 - The Peerag... Chapter 18 - Matthew 18:2; Luke 19:10 - ... Chapter 19 - Matthew 21:44 - The Stone o... Chapter 20 - Matthew 22:42 - The Things ... Chapter 21 - Matthew 24:12 - The Chill o... Chapter 22 - Matthew 24:42, 44 - True Vi... Chapter 23 - Matthew 25:3 - Religion wit... Chapter 24 - Matthew 25:31, 33 - The Gre... Chapter 25 - Matthew 24:70 - The Denying... Chapter 26 - Matthew 27:4 - The True Con... Chapter 27 - Mark 3:35 - Relationship to... Chapter 28 - Mark 4:39 - The Great Calm... Chapter 29 - Mark 5:36 - Only Believe... Chapter 30 - Mark 6:6 - Jesus Wondering ... Chapter 31 - Mark 6:33, 34 - Christ's Te... Chapter 32 - Mark 6:53-56 - Jesus and Hi... Chapter 34 - Mark 11:13 - The Fruitless ... Chapter 33 - Mark 10:52 - Christ's Recog... Chapter 35 - Mark 11:22 - Faith in God... Chapter 36 - Mark 13:33 - Watch and Pray... Chapter 37 - Mark 13:34-37 - The Master ... Chapter 38 - Mark 14:62 - The Coming of ... Chapter 39 - Luke 4:16-31 - The Gracious... Chapter 40 - Luke 6:19 - Health in Jesus... Chapter 41 - Luke 7:36-50 - Much Forgive... Chapter 42 - Luke 11:13 - How Much More!... Chapter 43 - Luke 15:2 - Jesus Watching ... Chapter 44 - Luke 15:10 - God's Joy Over... Chapter 45 - Luke 15:20 - The Father's L... Chapter 46 - Luke 15:22 - God's Free Lov... Chapter 47 - Luke 17:26, 27 - Noah Days... Chapter 48 - Luke 19:11-27 - The Lowest ... Chapter 49 - Luke 14:40 - Christ Must ha... Chapter 50 - Luke 21:28 - Signs of the T... Chapter 51 - Luke 21:36 - Deliverance in... Chapter 52 - Luke 22:18 - The New Wine o... Chapter 53 - Luke 22:19, 20 - The Heaven... Chapter 54 - Luke 23:32-43 - The Three C... Chapter 55 - Luke 24:29 - The Disciples'... Chapter 56 - John 1:12, 13 - Reception o... Chapter 57 - John 3:2 - The World's Need... Chapter 58 - John 3:14, 15 - Life in Loo... Chapter 59 - John 3:29 - The Filling Up ... Chapter 60 - John 3:34, 35 - The Fullnes... Chapter 61 - John 4:10 - The Living Wate... Chapter 62 - John 5:39, 40 - Bible Testi... Chapter 63 - John 6:17 - Night with Jesu... Chapter 64 - John 6:50 - The Bread of Im... Chapter 65 - John 6:51 - Christ's Flesh ... Chapter 66 - John 7:37 - Come and Drink... Chapter 67 - John 7:53; John 8:1, 12 - J... Chapter 68 - John 8:31, 32 - Truth and L... Chapter 69 - John 8:54 - The Father Hono... Chapter 70 - John 11:40 - The Honour Giv... Chapter 71 - John 12:12 - Inquiring afte... Chapter 72 - John 12:32 - The Great Attr... Chapter 73 - John 12:35-36 - Light and i... Chapter 74 - John 12:46 - Light for the ... Chapter 75 - John 12:48 - The Judging Wo... Chapter 76 - John 14:8-10 - The Revelati... Chapter 77 - John 13:16, 17 - The Abidin... Chapter 78 - John 14:26 - The Mighty Com... Chapter 79 - John 14:27 - The Divine Leg... Chapter 80 - John 16:25-28 - Christ in H... Chapter 81 - John 16:33 - Tribulation, P... Chapter 82 - John 17:26 - The Declaratio... Chapter 84 - John 18:28 - Ritualism and ... Chapter 84 - John 19:2 - The Greater Sin... Chapter 85 - John 20:17 - Christ's Work ... Chapter 86 - John 21:5 - The Tender Love... Light & Truth - The Gospels - Footnotes...

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LXXIII.

Light And Its Little While.

"Then, Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you: 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.

These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them."-John 12: 35-36.

The speaker here was one who knew what light was, what it could do, where it was to be found, and how terrible it must be to be without it.

He had come from the land of light, where there was no darkness, and where all were walking in the light.

In that home of light there were angels of light and spirits of light.

All sons of light!

He speaks, therefore, with authority, and we know that his words are true-

     I.

The light.

Light is that which shews or reveals all objects, as darkness is that which hides.

Our earthly sun daily reveals to us man and the things of man; the heavenly sun reveals to us God and the things of God.

Christ is Himself that light.

He is both the light and the sun.

As the life, He is the light.

The life is the light of man.

He is the light of the world; the true light; beside which all other lights are false and unreal.

That which shines from his face, from his works, from his words, from his cross, is light.

"We look to Him and are lightened."

He reveals the Father; the Father's love, the Father's righteousness, the Father's character; all the riches of his grace; and we, opening our eyes to take in this light, are thereby enlightened.

That which shines into us is "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ."

Light for a dark world!

Light for a dark soul!

This is our message.

II.

The light with us.

The first gleam of it came in the first promise.

After that the rays multiplied.

But still "the light" had not come.

But when "the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us," then it came.

It remained here in human form for thirty-three years.

It is still, though impersonally, "with us "; and it will yet be more gloriously with us when He comes again.

After Jesus had spoken of the light being with them, he withdrew Himself,-to shew that his presence was the light, and to shew the difference between light and darkness, his presence and his absence.

Yes; the light is with us still.

In a sense it is withdrawn, yet still with us ; still in our world; still shining in its brightness out of the testimony concerning "the light" left us in the gospels.

There the true light still shineth.

We may withdraw from it, but it never withdraws from us.

We may shut our eyes and our windows, but the light still shineth.

God is light, God is love, is still the burden of that testimony.

The light is not far off nor clouded, but nigh and clear; not starlight nor moonlight, but sunlight,-pure, bright, and gladdening.

The light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not.

O dark world, when wilt thou let in the light!

O dark soul, O child of darkness, when wilt thou be enlightened.

III.

The little while of light.

The special little while referred to here was that of our Lord's presence on earth,-a blessed little while indeed!

He so near, so gracious, so willing to bless!

But there are other little whiles.

Jerusalem had her little while.

Israel had her little while.

The churches have all had or are having their little while.

The nations have had or are having their little while.

Each congregation has its little while.

Each soul has its little while.

A little while of the gospel, a little while of invitations from God, a little while of Sabbaths, and sermons, and sacraments, and providences,-and all is done.

The light departs.

O man what has the light done for thee?

How hast thou been dealing with it?

Hast thou let it in or shut it out?

Thy little while of light may soon be at an end.

The night cometh!

The eternal darkness is at hand! Jesus is coming; but not with light; only with darkness to the despisers of the light.

IV.

The using of the light.

Walking is here a general expression for the whole of a man's life, in all its actings, and changes, and movements.

Our Lord's meaning is, "Use this light for whatever you do, so long as you have it: do everything in your daily life, in this light."

Use this light then, is the Lord's message to us.

The process of using it is then described.

(1.)

Believe in the light.

Receive the Father's testimony to this light, to its genuineness, its excellency, its divinity, its suitableness, its varied qualities and fitnesses to meet the wants of a child of darkness.

Believe in this light, and believe in no other.

The light of reason, intellect, literature, science, will do nothing for your soul.

At best it is but starlight, "distinct but distant; clear, but oh how cold"; still oftener is it the meteor, or the lightning, or the volcano, or the taper or the spark of your own kindling.

Believe in this heavenly and divine light.

It will suffice.

There is no darkness too dense for it either within you or without.

There is light for the darkness.

God proclaims his testimony concerning this true light.

Receive that testimony, and, on receiving it, receive the light.

It wants admission into you!

Oh admit it!

(2.)

Become children of the light.

He into whom the light enters becomes a child of light.

The light rests on him; surrounds him; abides with him; dwells in him; pervades him.