The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-05-29

ly suggestive in this connection. In the first place 1t must be lighted. l do not say 1t must light, as if 1t could light itself. It cannot do that any more than 1t could make itself. So with us, my friends. We cannot light ourselves. We do not create the light that is in us any more than we create ourselves. It comes from another source, and that source is Christ, who said of Himself: T am the light of the world" Only He can light us. Indeed, only as He Is present in us can there be for us any light at all. And so we must turn to Him as the moon turns to the sun, and drink in of His own Divine light. Thus shall we be lighted, and thus shall we be able to obey His commands: Let your light so shine before men that glorify your Father which Is in Heay-
 But this is not all. A lamp must be set. That Is, 1t must be placed where 1t can be seen, placed where its light may shine forth freely and thus dispel the darkness roundabout So with us. We must make our light seen. It must not shine simply for ourselves. We are not here in this world merely to save our own souls, but to save others. Christ hath not given us light to be used selfishly, to be hoarded in a dark place as a miser hoards his gold. No, our light must be seen and known of men. Thus is the case only as we do our part faithfully and cheerfally in the affairs of the community a3 good citizens, in social life as courteous sympathetic and hospitabie members thereof, in the Church, the Household of God, as promoting its welfare through attendance upon It's worship. and the giving of our time and means to its work and support.
 In word our light Is seer. our light shines only as we render personal ser vice in the various relations of life as Christian men and women. This calls for the realization of light. calls for an abiding interest on our part in others welfare, calls for the doing of something for them, for Christ and His church.; calls for the wrestling with and overcoming of self. the trampling under foot of our love of ease and comfort; calls for the ex- penditure of energy and sacrifice; in a word, calls for the realization in our hearts and minds and lives of the great truth that we are members one of an- other, and should bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.
 Again, a lamp must be fed, and 1t must be trimmed.
 
 the oil, which, burning, makes the light. Nor is the oil inexhaustible. It must be replenishcd as often as the light begins to burn low. Further, anything which prevents the flame from burning bright and clear, must be cut away. So with us. That which makes our light burn Is the oil of grace, grace which comes from God our Father. Nor is 1t inexhaustible from our side. For, as experience shows, 1t must be re- newed from time to time. And God graciously provides channels through which 1t reaches us. Only as we use them can our supply of theNpil of grace possibly be enough and ourNlight kept burning. These channels are: prayer and ms-giving, public worship. the devotional reading of Gods Holy Word, and others.
 Again, that which flinders our light from burning as 1t should and sending its rays afar, must be trimmed away with the sword of the spirit. Our little faults, our persistent shortcomings, our pct defects which we justify to our selves by saying with a sort of mock humility very provoking to others: Its my way, and can't help it," too often gather about the flame and char 1t. thus preventing its burning brightly. They must be trimmed and cast aside before we can possibly obey Christs divine imperative: Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works"
 And the object of 1t all is to glorify our Father which Is in heaven--not to glorify ourselves, but to glorify Him "the Father of Lights with Whom is no variablSness nor shadow of turn- ing"