“Walk while ye Have the Light.”
By Mary Martin
“THEN Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you; for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.” John 12: 35: “A little while,” and each fleeting moment makes the time less. God in infinite mercy sends us the light. It may be in answer to prayer; but when it comes, oh! how thick the crosses lie all along the way. Our few feeble efforts seem thwarted on every hand; and the lions appear but just ahead. How can we go farther? “Walk while ye have the light.” If we ever hear the call to the marriage supper of the Lamb, we must listen to the call to share in the suffering part now. How little do we know of true self-sacrifice! how very little of suffering for Christ! Each moment’s delay in performing known duty increases the danger. “Lest darkness come upon you.” If we spend our precious time in trying to climb up to Heaven “some other way,” darkness will surely come, and the siren song of “peace and safety” may disarm us of all our fears; for, he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.” Is it possible? Have we worn the outward garb of religion and been counted followers of Jesus, and yet are in danger of hearing at last those awful words, “Depart, I never knew you”? Shall we, because the light from Heaven instead of falling on a way strewn with flowers, falls on burning sand, ragged rocks, or cruel thorns, go away grieved, and so pass by on the other side? If we do, darkness will come, and not knowing whither we are going, we may think we are safe in the road to the heavenly city, when our feet are fast tending the other way. Oh! fatal delusion. Who may know the anguish of such a one, when he learns that he has forfeited a right to the tree of life, a crown of gold, a home in the city of God, and is never to hear that music no earthly strains can imitate, nor ever to see those precious forms that “sleep in Jesus,” nor from his eyes to have all tears wiped away? And all this because somebody else does not do right, or it takes too much of an effort, or, somebody will ridicule, or, we shall lose a few moments of earthly happiness, that it seems we may just as well enjoy. Can we do this? Can we sell our title to eternal life so cheap? Where is our realizing sense of the toil, and sorrow, and anguish, of that sinless One, suffering till the great drops of blood came oozing from every pore, and then suffering for us that cruel death we shudder to think of. Oh! for a deeper heart-work, a more thorough consecration of our entire being to God. Then let the crosses come, close up by our Saviour’s wounded side will we keep now, and we can easily bear them. If they seem heavy, let us carefully examine and see if it is not because we are so great a distance from the burden-bearer. Then hasten on, lest darkness come upon us, “for yet a little while and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry.” How comforting the thought! The eyes heavy with unshed tears beam brighter, and the aching heart feels less sad, as the quivering lips repeat over and over again, a little while, only a little while. Spring and summer, autumn and winter, passing in rapid succession, make that little while still less. Soon he will be here, and shall we be ready? If we are as interested for ourselves as God and angels are for us, we shall not be found without the wedding garment. Let us ever walk in the path of duty, however humiliating it may be, working out our own salvation with fear and trembling. MARY MARTIN.
Blakeville, N. H.