Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1905-01-21

.
what they need is spiritual light If
you are the light of the world. II may
be your privilege by the grace of God
tn quicken them into life. They are
dormant now. but when the light i'm
planted in your soul shines upon them
they may awake into vigorous life and
bear fruit to the glory of God. What
sinful man needs is gospel light divine
light. spiritual light.
If this deduction is true, | would be
careful how your spiritual light touches
that drunkard or that beggar or that
woman with faded shawl who goes
down under the gaslight. | would be
careful how you speak to that man
who cheats you in business and has
lied about you. The ancient Romans
had Il custom of placing lighted lamp
in the collins of their dead During
the pontificate of Paul ILL.,. when the
coffin was dug up containing the body
of Tullia. the daughter of Cicero, the
famous orator. such lamp was found
among her bones. 1t was a strange
idea to give the dead light ON their
path beyond the grave. Better far is
the Christian hope that the divine
light. kindled during life in their souls,
will shed its rays on their path to the
heavenly haven.
Guiding Beacon.
Our divine light is a quickening and
transforming light. 1t is also guild
ir,n l.vI, lie. into
itual activity those human seeds buried
in the quagmires of sin; it guides to
Christ those wandering souls which,
like mariner who has lost his reck-
oning are drifting toward the rocks Of
destruction. How many weary soul
tossed in the storm. with hope and
courage failing. may find strength and
spirit revive as ii sees the divine light
kindled by the grace of God in your
soul shining out clear and true. as the
sailor is cheered by the sight of the
Diamond shoal light, which signals year
in and year out fifteen miles to sea-
ward off Cape Hatteras, or the Cape
Charles light burns upon the water
front of old Virginia. or the Hog island
shoal lighthouse burns off Rhode Is
land. or the Braddock point lighthouse
stands sentinel upon the banks of Lake
Ontario.
How necessary that the Christians
light should he always bright and shin
ing. How many souls there may be
looking TO il for guidance through the
storms of life. If it failed TO burn,
those souls might lose their way as.
some noble ship freighted with precious
lives might in the darkness go crashing
on the reefs. Near Michigan City /
enter lighthouse established there
many years ago by the United States
government ! see there an old wom-
an, over eighty years of age. of the
name of Miss Harriet L. ColfaX. For
forty years she has cared for that
precious light. say to her: Come.
let us take II night off and go see some
friends. You have been faithful
servant to our government long enough
Take just one night to yourself in forty
years" "Oh. no. she would answer.
Il cannot go. Tonight there might
come up a storm A ship driven before
the wind might head toward these dan
gerous rocks The captain. standing
upon the bridge, would peer out into
the darkness. saying: Where am /?
Michigan City lighthouse must be near
at hand. Harriet Colfax has never
failed me in the past If failed him
tonight. perhaps that captain and all
his crew might find watery grave.
cannot go tonight. l must attend to
the light. | cannot go tonight"
he Careful of False Lights.
Would you have smile of Miss Col
fax's answer? AS l. a seaman, sail
over the sea of life find l have been
watching certain spiritual lights as
Lake Ontario captains watch Michigan
City lighthouse If these spiritual
lights had failed me l know that I
would have been lost. 1t was my
mothers prayers. my fathers guild
ance; it was certain Christian leaders
hands which led my right AS / was
dependent upon the spiritual lights of
others know that others are watching
your spiritual lights and mine. o
man. o woman, be careful and not
give out false lights to your fellow
Christians. Be careful that you do not
say one word which might lead some
one to leave the right course. 1t was
just sentence, Il do not believe in the
excitements of revivals." uttered by
the president of Princeton college. that
kept Aaron Burr from becoming a
Christian and a man of God instead of
monster of iniquity. Watch well your
lives lest your inconsistency causes
some weak soul to stumble. AS Paul
said he would eat no meat while the
world endured II meat caused his
brother to offend. so do you beware
lest your indulgence dim the light
which you should be giving Ye are
the light of the world. Ye are the
lighthouses. standing sentinels over the
rocks of sin upGl which many a Chris
tian craft will be wrecked If your light
goes out. Burn brightly. Burn true.
Ye are guiding light.