The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-09-20
THE LIGHTS OF THE WORLD
DE. GALLAHER ON GODS DESCRIP- TTON OF HIS CHILDREN.

An Eloquent Discourse Iilumined by Apt
 Anecdote and Homely Truths-Howard
 Avenue Baptist Church FiIled-what il
 is Mans Duty Plainly and Effectively
 Set Forth by the Preacher.
 The Rev. Dr. Gallaher preached last
 night at the Howard avenue Baptist
 church. The preachers friends in this city are many, as he was for more than a dozen years pastor of the Calvary
 Baptist church. The little church was filled to overflowing last evening when Dr. Gallaher talked in his characteris- tlcally witty and happy way of Why | God Calls His Children the Lights of the World" The address was punctu- ated by quotations of poetry and at times was stirring and eloquent.
 The preacher said that there was no good man in the world, and that there was no one of us who had not his full share of human feelings. God, how ever, will overlook those faults if He sees that it is in a mans heart to be good As the Lord is the light that | lighteth every man that cometh into the world He bids His children arise and let their light shine"
 | The speaker said that the same beau tiful things are said of light. Thy light is sun for the righteous" is David's way of saying 1t. He said that the most difficult and seemingly ex- plicable passages in the Scriptures be- come simple and easy if we but have the understanding necessary He spoke of Gods way of imparting spirit ual truth One way was by nature. The clouds speak to painter as they never speak to one who has not the artists eye. Nature does tell men of the existence of God through their sense of beauty, but it never tells us what we most need to know--that God loves us. Nature is as unforgiving as a step mother If St. John had fallen off the rock of Patmos it would have Killed him" Nature never forgives She is always stern and unrelenting, and de- mands strict conformity to her laws.
 God uses His children as lights of the world. He sent His poets to earth with songs of sadness and mirth to win men to Him. Our work, therefore, is not so much to make our calling and election sure as to make that of our neighbor sure. That is the reason why God calls His children lights of the world''
 The preacher spoke of how light be- hayes, and drew from it several lessons. Truth is beautiful in the two noblest things in the world" said wise writer.
 Sweetness and light" Indeed, light is the revealer of beauty. There is no col or in the rose in the dark and no sparkle in the diamond Yet with a handful of moisture and a. little light God paints the most glorious of sunsets, and with a little touch of His light and truth and a large touch of His love God makes of a man saint. That is the real thing of beauty that is joy forever. So it comes to pass that when good people grow old they take on the face of angels, just like St. Stephen, and that is what we mean when we speak of the beauty of holiness' That, too. is the reason why bad man as he grows old CT takes on him the look of an animal. II anyone wishes to. be beautiful or to grow more beautiful the best way is to be one of our Gods lights for mems characters shine out in the Iineaments of their faces.
 The speaker then spoke of the reason why god sometimes aff1icts a man who has absorbed too much and gives out no light. God gives him squeeze Light is protecting thing and a healthy thing. Every point that the speaker dWelt on was illuminated with his witty and picturesque illustrations humorous often, and always easy and deftly brought into play.
 In closing pr. Gallaher said that the three illuminators of God and His truth were His written and His living epis ties, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and suf- fering and affiiction.