The Washington herald., 1918-01-13

light Of the world. Jesus said when
He was in the flesh. I am the light
of the world His spirit dwelling In
men, In sinful 1esh II you please. sis
today the Hight Of the world. for II
pleases God not 20 work alone In this
world, but to work through men. Men
are the instruments In the hands OF
God to carry out the divine plan. There
Is no other way. As much as there
Is to be done, and as difficult as the
task Is, 1t is all entrusted TO men. but
Jesus works through men and shines
through men, and II thet rays OF His
perfect light are sometimes char
acterized by specks and tiaws, Il Is not
because the light is imperfect, but
because humanity Is imperfect How
necessary then that men become clear
lens and fawless 50 that when the
light Of the work shines through them.
there will be no hinderance in tbs
effect OF that light upon the unsaved.
Paul remarks in the text that the
Spirit writes upon the hearts Of men
and that men read what is written
there. thus becoming Living Epistles.
Let no mistake be made, IL is the
Spirit who writes the impressive.
compelling, irresistible message upon
mems hearts.
Sometimes men make the mistake
Of writing their own message Of
writing on their lives a story of
what they think a Christian ought
to be, and holding that up to the
world with very much the same kind
OF glee that a schoolboy does who is
just learning TO write and holds up
before the school some childish scrib-
BILE that he thinks is very impress
sive, but the school and the teacher
may not think so: thus men have
written churchianity over their lives
and have held them UP 10 the world
and have wondered why the world
passed by in scorn. Others have writ
ten upon their lives, their credulity.
showing their belief in doctrines and
creeds. have gloried in their OTthO-
doxy and have shouted anathemas
against those who differ with them.
They. too. have wondered why the
world passed by with sneer. Uti"Is
seeing that there is within themselves
no real good, have written their
messages Of what they think a Chris
tian should be and hiding behind
their stupid scribble have asked the
"OlAu 10 ltOh anu NlAflttH IoN HalilA-
ly they are. In most OF such mes
sages there is a postscript that heaps
vitriolic condemnation on the poor
sinner. on the crowd outside the pale
OF the church. They, too. have won
dered why the world passed by with
scorn.
THE reason is very evident; men
are not so easily deceived. Real
Righteousness, sincerity. strsightfor-
wardness always leave their influence
upon others. creating in them the
desire 60 be better. DO not think
that your life will be Of any real in
fluence until Jesus Christ has written
upon il His message. and His mes
sage 10 the world can be summed
up in one word. Love" AS splendid
as some OF the counterfeits are. they
will not do, and they will not i'm
press. and they will not save men.
Let that message Of love be written
upon the most humble heart or upon
the life OF the most ignorant man or
upon the life OF child. and just as
sure as the working Of any other law,
influence for good must follow. In
fact. il is better for the Kingdom OF
Heaven 10 have this message written
in the life Of a child than for a great
renounced scholar to write his own
message upon his life. The child will
have a more benefieent influence upon
humanity than the scholar.
You will note that Paul says that
the spirit writes upon the hearts OF
men. 1t is not upon their heads. nor
in their minds only. A message that
is merely memorized in a mechanical
manner is nfelesS 1t is as lifeless as
a machine. II must be written. upon