d. Now if you are down in
the valley amidst the thick fog and the darkness, get a little
higher; get nearer to Christ, and know more of Him.

You remember the Bible says, that when Christ expired on the cross,
the light of the world was put out. God sent His Son to be the light
of the world; but men did not love the light because it reproved them
of their sins. When they were about to put out this light, what did
Christ say to His disciples? "Ye shall be witnesses unto Me." (Acts
i. 8.) He has gone up yonder to intercede for us; but He wants us to
shine for Him down here. "Ye are the light of the world." (Matt. v.
14.) So our work is to shine; not to blow our own trumpet so that
people may look at us. What we want to do is to show forth Christ. If
we have any light at all it is borrowed light. Some one said to a
young Christian: "Converted! it is all moonshine!" Said he: "I thank
you for the illustration; the moon borrows its light from the sun;
and we borrow ours from the Sun of Righteousness." If we are
Christ's, we are here to shine for Him: by and by he will call us
home to our reward.

I remember hearing of a blind man who sat by the wayside with a
lantern near him. When he was asked what he had a lantern for, as he
could not see the light, he said it was that people should not
stumble ever him. I believe more people stumble over the
inconsistencies of professed Christians than from any other cause.
What is doing more harm to the cause of Christ than all the
scepticism in the world is this cold, dead formalism, this conformity
to the world, this professing what we do not possess. The eyes of the
world are upon us. I think it was George Fox who said every Quaker
ought to light up the country for ten miles around him. If we were
all brightly shining for the Master, those about us would soon be
reached, and there would be a shout of praise going to heaven.

People say: "I want to know what is the truth." Listen: "I am the
truth," says Christ. (John xiv. 5.) If you want to know what the
truth is, get acquainted with Christ. People also complain that they
have not life. Many are trying to give themselves spiritual life. You
may galvanize yourselves and put electricity into yourselves, so to
speak; but the effect will not last very long. Christ alone is the
author of life. If you would have real spiritual life, get to know
Christ. Many try to stir up spiritual life by going to meetings. That
may be well enough; but i