October 30

Who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. - 1 Peter 2:9.

OBSERVE the consequences of this call. The light into which he called them is distinguished by two appellations. First, It is divine. “He calls them out of the darkness into his marvellous light.” He is the Father of lights; all light is from him,- material light, mental light, spiritual light, the light of revelation, and the light of illumination. Therefore says the church, “In thy light shall we see light.”

Secondly, It is wonderful. He hath called us out of darkness into his “marvellous light.” It is marvellous in its greatness, in its clearness, in its influences, and in its effects. It sets a man a-wondering. If a person had been born in a mine, and had never seen any of the aspects of nature, and were to be raised up, and desired to look abroad, the first emotion, we may be assured, would be surprise and wonder. Thus it is really here. But here a question of some magnitude occurs:-To whom does this representation apply? All are willing to acknowledge its application to the heathen, for they were living in darkness, and perishing for lack of knowledge: when such are converted to Christ, doubtless they are called from darkness into marvellous light.

There are also some who have scarcely any notion of divine things, though they live in the land of Bibles. Now, as to such, when these things are presented to their minds, they press upon them with all the force of entire novelty, and of them it may he said, they are called out of “darkness into God’s marvellous light.” But even with regard to those who have read and heard of these things, and have some loose speculative notions of them before, yet even these have been called “out of darkness into God’s marvellous light,” when they are called by divine grace. They have then other views. Other views of sin, of holiness, of the Saviour, of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. All these things have become new; not new in themselves, but new to them; not new in existence, but new in their experience.

Thus the man whose eyes our Saviour had opened saw not a new sun, but the same sun that had ripened Isaac’s corn and had been shining from the beginning; but it was new to him. Thus it is with these divine realities which he who has been enlightened beholds in -their beauty and glory. And even after conversion they are called “out of darkness into his marvellous light.” Thus they have fears, many fears, and he dispels them; they have doubts, and he removes them; they have perplexities, and he unravels them. Thus he fulfils the word, “I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not, and in paths which they have not known; I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight: these things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.”

What will it be when he calls them out of the darkness of time into the marvellous light of eternity? A marvellous light, indeed, will that be! “The light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, as the light of seven days.” Oh, how marvellous will the Saviour then appear unto them! Though they have read and heard of him so much, they will find that the one-half has not been told them, “when he comes to be glorified in his saints and admired in all them that believe.”

There will be three things that will excite our wonder then. First, We shall miss some whom we expected to see. Secondly, We shall be surprised to find some there we despaired ever of seeing; this surprise, however, will not fill us with envy, but gratitude. Thirdly, We shall wonder to find ourselves there.