We must live as children of the light, not as children of the
darkness. If we are dark and sorrowful, how is the world to know that
we are children of peace, and joy, and gladness? Our determination
must be to keep our lights burning. A few years ago, at the mouth of
Cleveland harbour there were two lights, one at each side of the bay,
called the upper and lower lights; and, to enter the harbour safely by
night, vessels must sight both of these lights. These Western lakes
are more dangerous sometimes than the great ocean. One wild, stormy
night a steamer was trying to make her way into the harbour. The
captain and the pilot were anxiously watching for the lights. By and
by the pilot was heard to say, "Do you see the lower lights?" "No,"
was the reply; "but I fear we have passed them." "Ah, there are the
lights," said the pilot! "and they must be, from the bluff on which
they stand, the upper lights. We have passed the lower lights, and
have lost our chance of getting into the harbour." What was to be
done? They looked back, and saw the dim outline of the lower
lighthouse against the sky. The lights had gone out. "Can't you turn
her head round?" "No; the night is too wild for that. She won't answer
her helm." The storm was so fearful that they could do nothing. They
tried again to make for the harbour, but they went crash against the
rocks, and sank to the bottom. Very few escaped; the great majority
found a watery grave. Why? Simply because the lower lights had gone
out.
And with us the upper lights are all right. Christ Himself is the
upper light, and we are the lower lights, and the cry to us is, _keep
the lower lights burning_, that is what we have to do. In the place
God has put us He expects us to shine, to be living witnesses, to be a
bright and shining light. While we are here our work is to shine for
Him, and He will lead us safe to the sunlit shore of Canaan, where
there is no more night.