The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-12-08

originality. You see what seems to b.
sun burning in the distance: you &C
up TO II and find il is no sun, but only
mirror rejecting the true sun blaz'
ing overhead. And so when mar
does an act of higher purity or unself-
ishness than usual he seems to be a.
once vaguely impressed with the sense
that il was not he that did IL. but that
some higher power only used him as
an instrument-that IL WAS God act
ing through him.
How often we see in others or feel
in ourselves a strange sense that our
best does not belong 10 us and that
we are like windows through which
a higher light is always falling. but
the window is blurred and m ottled and
stained and will not let the light
through. The window does not shine;
it only receives the light that comes
to II from the house.
! This was the thought that ST. Paul
had when he declared that Christ is
all in all" Or again. None of us liv-
himself Whether we live. therefore,
or die. we are the Lords"
But this does not mean that person
aIity is limited or impaired. No mat
ter how pure or how high a man may
grow TO be, no two men will ever be
just alike. and it must be Sc Holt
ness does not make men monot onous.
II is the DIM light or the darkness
the light and you will see now dit
fcrent they are.
We all desire this difference. We all
want to be original. TO preserve our
own personality. to protect and de-
velop our own individual capacity. and
this is a desire for the divine orig
inality cf character which God In
tended for us all Many men try TO
be John the Baptist by wearing the
skins and eating the locusts and wild
honey. Others would be John the Bap-
lists by preaching strange doctrines to
the Pharisees and the people. Very
few seek 70 live the life that he lived
by recognizing that they are sent into
the world. not 10 shine themselves.
but merely by some way OF their own
TO bear witness of the light % God
Just think how different society
would be were this the dominant idea
OF each ones life. Instead OF the
dreary monotony % the many and the
eager search OF the few after sInne
superficial sort CT slngulari.y. We
should have our houses and streets full
Of men and women. each simply doing
his separate duty and so unconsciously
bearing his separate witness 20 the
light of God. That light shines all
around lis: il shines out OF the absO-
Lutte need If utterance that belongs 20
all the highest existences. And God
bears witness OF Himself through the
obedience Of all Ills children. Thus
He Himself is glorihed in helping them.
Here is a kingIiness that does not
need 10 be withdrawn IN order 10 main
tain its majesty. 1t is the more ma
jestic the nearer il comes to human
lives.
II We want 10 bring this truth out
of it's vagueness and make II very
real we must look at the manifested
God in the life Of Jesus Christ. Look
a. the characters of the New Testa-
ment. See how they shone with the
reflected light Of the Lord ard ask
Yourself. What is the name COR the
ouaiitv that makes one able 20 pass
on TO others the glory of the Most
High? The Bible has only one name
for this quality. and that is love. Love
in the Bible is not so much an action
Of the soul as it is quality IL the
soul. permitting God TO do His divine
action through il. IF any man love
God tn. same is known OF him -
I Corinthians. wifi. .. The love II God
is a new nature, a new fibre. new
fneness in the soul itself. by which
God IS able to express Himself as lie
cannot when lie finds only the medium.
NJ tho coarse material ~ an unlovinS
heart
II we could see our lives in their
sinfulness. so hindered and kept back
from the beauty and glory that might
be theirs: IL We could see how idle
ness biurs like cloud and selhshness
covers with great spots of bIaekness
and impIety breaks with a blow that
pure human life which was made TO
reflect God. would We not all desire
more than VIC do at present TO bear
witness ~ the light?
This be our thought or lHe- then
Not what can NC dc. but what can God
do in US: not what we are. but what
can We help men to sec that God If
that is the power by which we are 10
work In the light OF this truth let
us think of the deepest meaning OF
the words Of IT. Paul: we arc not your
own. &c are bought with price there
fore SI,r.fy God in your body and in
your spirit. which are Gods.