3. Constantly comforting, by its warmth of love and hope.
4. Christianly generous, always giving.
5. A centre of attraction, in the house, in the class, in the social circle, and in the Church.
II. Her death was like the sun in its setting.
1. Gradual
2. Beautiful.
3. Peaceful.
4. To rise again.
III. Her sunset was early in the day of life.
1. In the prime and beauty of being.
2. In the midst of work.
3. It seems unnatural, and suggests questions.
4. It is an interposition of God in His providence, doubtless wise and loving.
5. It leads us from the creature to the. Creator.
6. It suggests that we be all ready, always ready. (W. Whale.)
Premature sunset
I. In nature.
1. Would be unnatural.
2. Would be injurious to all life.
3. Would make us less confident as to the unerring regularity of nature’s law.
II. In history. Many cases in which nations have fallen, not with decrepitude of age, but through early and self-wrought ruin.
III. In individual life. The young, the immoral, the unprincipled in character generally. Obedience to God gives a long day and beautiful sunset. (W. Whale.)
The Christian’s sun
I. The Christian has a sun. A Sun is a globe which keeps other globes in connection with it in their proper spheres and at their assigned work, and which imports light and heat to them and to all the creatures which inhabit them. In a sense, all men have a sun to which they look for present and future good. But it differs with different men. With some it is nature; some, the traditions of their fathers; some, fancied superior morality; and the portion of good to every man, with regard to its character and intent, is determined by the capability and quality of his sun. Oh, how miserably off must be all who depend on the finite! The Christian does not. His sun is Jesus as set forth in Holy Writ. From Him every true believer has the light and heat of spiritual life, and through Him he gets into his place, and is put to his appropriate work in creation (Joh_1:1-14; Joh_8:12; Joh_12:46). Receptivity is the beginning of that state of mind which, if rightly followed up, issues in the likeness, love, and enjoyment of God; and as Jesus, the source to which the Christian looks for lasting, ennobling good, is infinite, his felicity and glory will be forever enlarging.
II. The Christian is sunnified by his sun. He is a retainer, as well as a receiver, of its beneficent outflow. All the colours, and all the shades of colours, and every form of animal and vegetable life, are owing to the retention and appropriation of solar rays. The wealth, and beauty, and blessed activity of earth arise in this way. In like manner, the rays of the world’s spiritual Sun--the divinely inspired record of the history of incarnate Deity--must be kept and fittingly used if His fruits are to be enjoyed.
III. The Christian sunnifies others. He is a reflector and spreader of the brightness and goodness of his sun. “Ye are the light of the world.” The globes which emit light and heat as well as have them, the animals which add usefulness to life, and the flowers which are fragrant besides being beautiful, are highest in the scale of existence and of greatest worth. To those Christians who are active besides being pious, who spread the Gospel in addition to living it, who enrich and bless others as well as seek to be enriched and blessed themselves, are the most like Jesus, the most dear to the Father, the most useful to men, the most honoured in the Church. Their death is a calamity to others, but auspicious to themselves. Apply the subject--
1. To sinners. Get spiritual light and life while you can.
2. To saints. Prize and make good use of your privileges. Diffuse your light.
3. To Christian workers.
Be not weary in works of faith and labours of love. The more light you spread, and the more men you illumine, the greater your joy now, the greater your blessedness hereafter. (W. J. Stuart.)
Death the setting of the sun
I. The sun, in setting, disappears from view. As the great central orb is lost to our part of the world as he sinks beneath the horizon, so man is lost to the view of earth as he descends to the grave. The “places that knew him know him no more.”
II. The sun in setting obeys its law. “The sun knoweth his going down.” Death is a law of nature. It is as natural for the body to die as for the sun to go down.
III. The sun in setting is often gorgeous. Often have we seen the monarch of the day ride down in a chariot of glittering gold. Many a man has died under a halo of moral splendour. Like Stephen, they have seen the heavens open, and reflected the celestial rays as they came down.
IV. The setting sun will rise again. So with man in death. He does not go out of existence: he only sinks from view, and sinks to rise again in new splendour. Conclusion--Let us fulfil our mission as the sun does his, move in our little circle in harmony with Divine law, enlightening, vivifying, and beautifying all, and then death need have no terror for us. Our path will be as a “shining light,” etc. (Homilist.)
Sunset at noonday
These words are illustrative of death in life’s meridian. They remind us of--
I. Premature darkness. Sunsetting is the harbinger of night.
1. In nature. We do not expect sunset until eventide.
2. In morals. The departure of moral integrity. This sun should never set.
3. In physical life. Death is sunset to the aged, at night; to the young, at noon.
4. Unexpected darkness is unanticipated sorrow to community, family, individual.
II. Uncompleted work. “Man goeth forth unto his work.” Ordinarily, man has work enough to last all day; when called away prematurely, he leaves part untouched. So in life’s aggregation. In life’s morning his work is largely preparatory for mightier accomplishments of his post meridian.
III. Frustrated design. Man lives in the future--
(1) intellectually,
(2) socially,
(3) religiously.
Setting suns of life. Permanently overwrought powers. Commercial disasters. Succumbing to evil. In each case failure to realise the hope.
IV. A speedier enjoyment of rest. Darkness suggests night; night suggests repose. As in the physical, so in the soul’s life. “Blessed are the dead,” etc. “There remaineth therefore,” etc. (Homiletic Monthly.)
Death in the midst of life
I. The sun as an emblem of the saints of God. When we contemplate the great orb of day we are impressed--
1. With his greatness and elevation. This greatness and elevation fitly represents the true character of the Christian, contrasted with what he was, with what others are around him. Knowledge makes a man great. Grace of God elevates and lifts up to heaven. “I will set him on high,” etc.
2. Natural glory and magnificence. The most glorious of all the heavenly bodies. “The king’s daughter,” etc. (Psa_45:13). See this strikingly set forth (2Co_3:18).
3. As the great diffuser of light and beauty. The Christian is first the recipient of light, and then he is called to shine. “Arise, shine,” etc. “So let your light shine,” etc.
4. As the chief source of fertility and fruitfulness. Where Christians live there is knowledge, benevolence, happiness, and life. Look at all our institutions of temporal and moral goodness.
II. The setting of the sun as a striking representation of the morality of the Christian.
1. The going down of the sun is a usual and therefore expected event. So sure as he arises we know he will go down. Man is born to die, etc. “I know that Thou wilt bring me to death,” etc. “The living know,” etc.
2. The period of the going down of the sun is very diversified. Look at the short winter’s day and the long summer’s day. So in life,--every age is alike mortal, etc. But the text speaks of the sun going down while it is yet day--prematurely. How often is this the case.
3. The going down of the sun is often peculiarly splendid and beautiful. How characteristic of the good man’s death!
4. The sun goes down to arise and shine on another horizon. (J. Burn, D. D.)
