The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-05-01

/ had to give His life with his meanngA
Jesus testified Of John the HAP
| tist that he was a burning and shin
Ing light. Christ never would have
shined IL He had lived life of selfish
| indulgence. You can count on this
| that thu life you give the world 10 In
proportion to what you are able and
willing to suffer for the world. You
are going to emit light just in propor-
ton to the soul within you that 10
consumed for God. II you are not
willing that your soul be consumed
! as the candle Is consumed. as the oil
ia consumed. as the electricity Is con-
sumed, then you can produce but lit
tie light. We can't shine until we
have suffered the price of shining.
Purpose to Show Way.
furthermore, light never shines for
the sake of itself The purp use of q
light is to show other people the way.
Some light fiickers, goes out, is dim,
at the very time II is most needed.
remember seeing when l welt into q
mine on the mountains of vir-
ginia an old-fashioned miners lamp.
1t was just little torch stuck onto the
cap that was easily blown out by every
breeze. But when was In San Fran
cisco at the exposition, l was taken
down under the floor. of one of the
buildings to be shown how a mine
looked under the ground and among
other things that interested rae was
What was called the miner safety
lamp. 1t was an electric light with .
little hidden battery and the Elass
covering the light was shielded by .
wire covering, so that the glass could
not be broken easily and the wind
could not put out the light. Every
man who bears in his life q safety
light must find II in the light which
cometh from above,
We ought not to put out our light
pharcah Is an example OF one WHO
put out his light. who rebelled against
his slaves, until the hail spelled his
harvest and the thunder rocked the
heavens and the tightening burned the
forest and his heart tremblsd. He
sene for Moses and Aaron and cop
fessed that he was a sinner in tbs
sight OF God. He admitted that tbs
Lord WAS righteous in his conduct and
asked Moses and Aaron to pray for
him that the thunder might cease.
He promised to let Israel go. but
when tho sun .shone again the air was
full Of the Joy OF the morning and
all was quiet and peaceful. he hard
ened hts heart against God and re-
fused TO keep his word. The plaques
continued 10 come and he continued
to confess his sins. but he also failed
to live up to them. He could have
done better but he did not want To-
Balaam Is another striking example.
He Is a man who knew the truth and
knew hts duty, who had the ltKht.
but did not follow II. He wanted 70
enjoy thu money of wickedness ana NJ
the same time escape the curse Of
God. When the angel OF God blocked
his path and wanted TO turn him back
=, Il - 80
he was wrong and declared that he
was willing to do what God wanted
him TO do. but he tried to walk both
sides OF the road. He wanted to save
his soul. but was determined to have
money. even II he lost his soul When
ever a man is determined TO have
something else rather than his soul
or at the price of his soul, there isn't
any doubt about what Is going TO
happen to him. Judas had light. He
had plenty of It. He walked with his
Master: was one OF the inner circle,
and yet he never let the light burn
into perfect truth. PLATE had good
opportunity. much better than the
thief on the cross. but he loved dark
ness rather than light, because his
deeds were evil.
Let US remember. To him that
knoweth to do good and doeth II not.
to him it Is a sin Let us remember
that we have not all the same degree
OF light, but we all have some light
and are responsible in proportion TO
the light we have. Daniel and Moses
and Matthew and Phillip and Paul
aud great host OF others have tried
TO be true to the light that was In
them. Our first duty is to live up to
the light that we have In order that
more light may come. We can best
shine by living. we can best live by
loving. we can best love by suffering.
being consumed for God. We are TO
shine. not for our sakes. but for tbs
sake OF Him who is the light OF the
world and lighteth every man that
cometh into the world