Such men shine because they burn.

But this is pre-eminently the principle in the service of Christ. It
was so with the Lord Himself. He shone, and his beams have illumined
myriads of darkened souls, and shall yet bring dawn throughout the
world; but, ah, how He burned! The disciples remembered that it was
written of Him: "The zeal of thy house hath eaten Me up." He suffered,
that He might serve. He would not save Himself, because He was bent on
saving others. He ascended to the throne because He spared not Himself
from the cruel tree. Pilate marvelled that his death came so soon, and
sent for the centurion to be certified that in so few hours He had
succumbed. But he did not realize that in three short years He had
expended his vital strength so utterly, that there was no reserve to
fall back upon. There had been an inward consumption, an exhaustion of
nervous power, a wearing down of the springs of vitality. He shone
because of the fire that burned within Him.

It was so with the great apostle, who said that he filled up that which
was lacking in the afflictions of Christ, not of course that there was
any lack in the work of propitiation which required his further help,
but that the saints are called to share with their Lord his sorrows for
men, his tears, to lift the burdens and crosses of others, to give of
their very life-blood for the replenishing of the exhausted fountains
of human faith, and hope, and love. Paul gave freely of his best. He
shone because he never hesitated to burn. Remember how he affirmed
that he was pressed down, perplexed, pursued, and always bore about in
his body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus might be
manifested in his mortal flesh. The price paid for the life that
wrought in the hearts of his converts was that death should work in
himself.

All the saints have passed through similar experiences. They knew, as
Cranmer said, that they could never hope to kindle a fire that should
never be put out, unless they were prepared to stand steadily at the
stake and give their bodies to be burned. But they counted not their
lives dear unto them, if they might but finish their course with joy,
and the ministry which they had received of the Lord Jesus, to testify
the Gospel of the grace of God. The men and women who shine as
beacon-lights across the centuries are those whose tears were their
meat day and night, whose prayers rose with strong cryings and tears;