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Take text to illustrate the disposition of men to look upon the dark side of things.

I. THE TEXT WILL APPLY TO THE SCEPTIC IN RELATION TO THE DARK THINGS OF REVELATION. These men see the clouds, and through the unbelief of their heart these clouds blacken and spread until they cover the whole firmament of revelation. That there are clouds hanging over this Book, it is far more Christian to admit than to deny. But, thank God, though we see the clouds, the clouds which the sceptic sees, we do not see them like him. We see a bright light upon them. There are several things which give the darkest of them a bright light.

1. There is the love of the Infinite Father. This shines through all its pages.

2. The unspotted holiness of our Great Example.

3. The provision He has made for our spiritual recovery.

4. The existence of a blessed immortality. Immortality is a bright light upon all the clouds of revelation. The clouds give variety and interest to the scene — they soften and cool the brilliant and burning rays.

II. THE TEXT WILL APPLY TO THE FACTIOUS FAULTFINDERS OF GOD'S PROVIDENCE. Some people are everlastingly musing on the difficulties of providence.

1. The permission of moral evil is a cloud.

2. The apparent disregard of God to the moral distinctions of society is a cloud. "All things come alike to all," etc.

3. The power which wickedness is often allowed to exercise over virtue, is a cloud — chains, dungeons, stakes.

4. The premature deaths of the good and useful are a cloud. We feel these clouds. But there is a bright light upon these clouds. The belief that they are local, temporary, transitional, is a bright light upon all the clouds. Out of their darkness and confusion will one day come a beautiful system. "Our light afflictions which are but for a moment," etc.

III. THE TEXT WILL APPLY TO THE MISANTHROPIC IN RELATION TO THE CHARACTER OF RACE. There are men who have gloomy and uncharitable views of the character of mankind. All men are as corrupt as they can be — virtue is but vice in a pleasing garb. Very dark indeed are the clouds which these men see hanging over society; there is no ray to relieve their darkness. Stiff, we see bright light upon the clouds — there is not unmitigated, unrelieved corruption. There is the light of social love which streams through all the ramifications of life. There is a light of moral justice which flames forth when the right and the true are outraged. There is the light of true religion. There are men who are throwing on society the right thoughts, putting forth the right efforts, and breathing to heaven the right prayers.

IV. THE TEXT WILL APPLY TO THE DESPONDING CHRISTIAN IN RELATION TO HIS EXPERIENCE. There are hours in the experience of many of the good when all within is cloudy. The proneness to fall into sin, the coldness of our devotional feeling, the consciousness of our defects, the felt distance between our ideal and ourselves, sometimes bring a sad gloom over the heart." We walk in darkness, and have no light. But here are bright lights, however, upon this cloudy experience. In the first place, the very feeling of imperfection indicates something good. "Blessed are the poor in spirit," etc. "Blessed are they that mourn," etc. In the second place, most of those who are now in heaven once felt this. Christ is ready to help such as you. From this subject we learn —

1. To cultivate the habit of looking upon the bright side of things.

2. To anticipate the world of future light.

(Homilist.)

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KJV: And now men see not the bright light which is in the clouds: but the wind passeth, and cleanseth them.

WEB: Now men don't see the light which is bright in the skies, but the wind passes, and clears them.