The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1914-02-26
TOO MUCH DARKNESS
Faith, Hope and Love Should
FIN the Christians Heart With
the True Light.


! ond epistle to the Corinthians. begin
ming at the sixth verse. he says: God.
who commanded the light to shine out
Of darkness, hath SHRED In our hearts
to give the light OF the knowledge OF
the glory In the face OF Jesus Christ
But we have this treasure In earth.
en vessels. that the excellency OF the
power may be OF God. and not OF US.
We are troubled on every side-the
apostle In speaking out OF the depths
Of q heartfelt experience yet not dis
tressed: we are perpieIed. but not In
despair; prosecuted. but not forsaken;
cast down. but not destroyed: always
bearing about in the body the dying
Of the Lord Jesus. that the life also
Of jesus might be- manifest In our
body"-that 10, the life Of him who
10 the life and the light OF men.
You know that light is used az the
symbol OF all excellence. OF all good.
ness. OF all truth. OF all purity. OF all
power. In opposition to darkness.
which is the emblem OF their oppo-
sites
the darkness Of fear. Take q man
who 10 full OF fear. bring him before
your mental gaze: see how he Is crop
ing and trembling In that darkness:
hands outstretched. knees shaking.
heart beating wildly. nerves In a rack
Ing tension. No man can be himself
In such a state.
Afraid OF God
We have been afraid OF God. afraid
Of man. afraid Of ourselves. We have
been afraid OF life. afraid OF death
We have been afraid of things we see
and OF things We do not see. afraid
Of things that are and OF things that
are not In that darkness We are
iostlins our dearest friends and mis-
taking them for enemies.
There is the darkness OF anger See
the angry man. Reason Ia blinded.
Judgment is hooded. thought is dis
tracted. language Is disjointed. right
Ii choked to blackness OF vision and
truth itself Is bludgeoned into insen.
sibllity.
There Is the darkness of doubt An,
too often we have been wandering In
that darkness which. like Egyptian
darkness. could be felt: God cannot be
seen: goodness Is hidden from view:
the stars have ceased to shine: the
sun Is In an eclipse: there is no honor
In man: there is no virtue In woman:
there Is nothing but hypocrisy In the
church. nothing but rottenness In so
ciety.
There Is the darkness OF worry
The man perturbed cannot hnd the
way to gain the thing desired. He
says: Il cant do II. can't see the way"
He wants to accomplish a purpose. but
Is like the blind man cropping. because
In that state OF worry the faculties
are all out OF Joint
Sees Men 80 rrees.
He sees men as trees walking: his
vision Is opaque. II any OF US have
been In darkness. let us rejoice In the
light which streams today from the
face OF Jesus Christ. who came to dis
pei all our darkness regarding the ma.
ture OF God. the love OF God. the rela
tiou oi ulau 10 ssou anu tnt RELATION OF
man TO his fellow men.
God Is our Father God Ii love We
are all his children Life is Gods gift
lie will help us meet all its duties.
bear all Its burdens. endure all Its
sorrows
lie has brought life and immortality
TO light and has abolished death. wiped
II out. annihilated H.
BE We angry and sin not" embodies
his teaching Doubt not the ultimate
reign OF goodness. truth and love
among men. Is the very command Civ.
en- In his coming into the world. for
the tabernacle OF God IL among
men"
BE not solicitous: do not worry"
he says. SO ! plead. wait Gods good
time to bring you out OF your difficul.
ties and trials. He will bring you into
a wealthy place" BE patient
Let the light OF his divine human
face stream upon you. BE transformed
into his image Let faith. hope and
love rule your hearts. Then your life
will be filled with light and you shall
rejoice with the JOY that Is unspeak.
able and full OF glory ."-Rt Rev Sam
ls.ll