"Dear Lord! and shall we ever live "At this poor dying rate? "Our love so faint, so cold to thee, 41. The Light of the World. How are we to know whether, being nominally Christians, we are also really Christians? It is important to know if we possess the thing signified by Christianity. The mere name and fame of the thing will be of little use to us. Now the Bible tells us what Christians are. If then, we are what the book says Christians are, we are Christians. Every body admits this-that a scriptural Christian is without doubt a real one. But some seem to hesitate about admitting the converse of the proposition, that if we are not what the Bible says Christians are, we are not Christians. The reason they hesitate can only be that they perceive or fear the latter conclusion makes against themselves; for the one is as clearly and certainly true as the other. What use could there be in statements declaring what Christians are, if individuals may be Christians without being what Christians are thus declared to be? Indeed, what truth would there be in such statements? That is no character istic of a class, which does not belong to all the individuals of the class. The declaration, "If any man be in Christ Jesus, he is a new creature," is neither useful nor true, if some are in Christ who are not new creatures. The same may be said of the assertion, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit," if a solitary individual is pardoned and freed from condemnation who still walks after the flesh. There is neither sense nor sincerity in it; nor in this other passage, "They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts," if some are Christ's who have never put the flesh and its lusts to that kind of death. It must be admitted that if we are not what the Bible says Christians are, we are not Christians in fact. We may as well admit it first as last. Christ says we are to be judged by his word; not by any favorite author of ours, Blair or Paley, or whoever he may be; not by any sermon we may have heard from this or that minister; not by the standard that may have been set up in some conversation with an eminent divine; not by the opinion entertained in the circle in which we move; nor by what seems to stand to our reason. There will be no spreading out of these, when the Judge shall sit. The Bible will be the only book of law and authority opened then. I know very well there is nothing new in what I am saying. Any body can say it, and say it as well. Every body knows it already. But it is one of the old things that we need to be often reminded of. I know nothing we are more prone to forget than these common-place truths. It is what we know best, and most firmly believe, that we fail most to consider and lay to heart. The most familiar truths have always been the truths by men most disregarded. But let us hear what the Bible says Christians are, for I did not intend so long an introduction. Well, the Bible says, among other things, that they are the light of the world. The blessed Jesus himself is the speaker, and he is addressing his disciples, and he says to them "YE ARE the light of the world." Observe, he does not say, "Ye may be, if you are careful to live up to your privileges;" or "Ye ought to be—it is your duty;" or "Ye shall be by and by, when you have have made greater progress in religion;" but he speaks of it as a present matter of fact, "Ye are the light of the world.” -So it seems that Christians shine. We talk of a shining Christian, meaning to distinguish such a one from Christians in general. But there is no Christian who is not a shining one. Every Christian emits light. Paul testifies of the Christians of Philippi that they shone as lights in the world. They were what Christ said his disciples were. And must not Christians of our cities and villages be the same? 18 Pr. Thoughts. It also appears that Christians are not merely receivers. They give out-they communicate. That is their character. They do not live merely or mainly for themselves. A candle is not lighted for its own convenience, but for the benefit of others, that it may give light unto all that are in the house. Some people think it is enough if they personally enjoy religion. But that is not the case. No man liveth to himself-much more does no Christian. There are two objects for which Christians shine. One is to discover themselves, that the world may know what Christians are, and so be led to emulate the character. This our Savior contemplates when he says, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven." We are to emit light for others to see by; and it is that they may see our good works. All Christians perform good works. They are all of them doers. They are the most practical men in the world, though regarded by many as visionaries. There are, to be sure, speculators and theorists enough in the church, but real Christians are working men. But what is the use in our good works being seen? Why is it not enough that they be done. Does not humility dictate that they should be concealed, rather than exposed? The thing is impracticable. "A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid." Were the thing pos sible the attempt at concealment might be proper enough, if there were no others to be influenced by the sight of our good works. Whether a candle in an uninhabited house be on a candlestick or under a bushel, is a matter of little consequence; but not so if there be people in the house. The Christian's good works are to be visible; not that he may be applauded for them, but that men may thence be led to glorify God. Now, a question. Do we shine? And by the light which we evolve, do observers see our good works? Have we any good works for them to see? And are they such good works as, they seeing, will instinctively refer to the grace of God as their cause, and so be led to glorify him? We are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that we should shew forth the praises of him who hath called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. I would not have any one suppose that a Christian is to make an effort to let his good works be seen- -to be ostentatious of them. No, he is only to let his light shine. He is active in doing good works, but quite passive in shewing them. A luminous body makes no effort in emitting light. Indeed it cannot help shining. A Christian has only in all his intercourse with men to act out the Christian spirit, and be governed by the fear of God, and the principles of his holy religion, and the thing is done. The light is emitted, and the good works are seen. And this is the way, under God, to commend truth |