Light and power

Here they are going on 'the dog walk' - a days off ritual - spot the dogs!
We had to cope without electricity for the whole service until we got to the last verse in 451 and the line:

Tell the praise of him who called you out of darkness into light

when on came the lights!
While re-shelving books in the refurbished study, I came across a copy of Octavius Winslow's, 'Grace and Truth' 3rd edition (1855). There's a chapter on 'The sick one whom Jesus loves', from John 11:3 Just as Pastor was saying the other day, suffering and consolation are blended with mercurial skill to refine faith and promote the glory of God:

He is brought nearer to Christ. He has the inward witness more clearly to the preciousness of Jesus, and his own personal salvation. His lightness and levity are lessened, and there is a heavenliness of mind, a sobriety of manner, and a spirituality of conversation, which mark one who has been in close converse with the great realities of eternity. Truly his sickness was 'for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby'
Or, if that sickness terminates in death's slumber, is He less glorified? Ask the spirit just emerged from its shattered tenement, and towering away to its home on high - ask it as it enters the portals of heaven, the blaze of eternal glory bursting upon its view - ask it as it finds itself before the throne of God, once an earthly, polluted creature, now whiter and brighter than an unfallen angel - ask it as it rests in the bosom of its redeeming Saviour, blissfully conscious of its final and eternal safety, and reposing in expectation of its complete glorification, when its reunion with the spiritual body shall take place on the morning of the first resurrection - ask, and it will testify how great was the glory brought to the Son of God by the termination of a sickness which, while it left kindred and friends weeping around the death-bed below, demonstrated his life, and power, and love, 'who hath abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light.' Blessed words of Jesus! 'This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified thereby' (John 11:4)

A couple of thoughts following that: how sad that some deny the Saviour to His people! Some will not have it that God can have a son, still less a Saviour, measuring divine wisdom by earthly fallen man's wisdom. Of all the creatures, we humans stand most in need of a saviour, but they would face the Thrice Holy God with nothing but the 'filthy rags' of their own righteousness, thinking that He will somehow overlook their misdeeds, instead of sending Messiah to pay for them, in full. Others would place 'intermediaries' between me and Jesus, as if He were too lofty to hear me, as if His intercession was unavailable or inadequate.