LAMPS are much more common in Eastern countries, where gas is almost unknown, than in England. They are of all kinds-good, bad, and indifferent; from iron pots stuffed with oily rags, to beautifully chased lanterns, studded with precious jewels. Some are in form like cylinders, some octagonal, some spherical, and some again of no definable form at all. But the most beautiful lamp that Know of, is one of which I have a few specimens in my own possession, and the form of it is like a book. This lamp is the Bible-the Word of God.
Of the many brilliant lamps in the world, there is none so brilliant as this; for not only is it shining in the present day in almost every country, town, and hamlet throughout the five Continents, but it has been shining for hundreds and hundreds of years in the same way. Silly men, who cannot bear its light, have tried again and again to blow it out, but somehow or other they have never succeeded. And indeed, their whiffing, and puffing, and blowing, have only seemed to make it burn brighter, just as the wind in a pair of bellows blows the fire finto flame. It is really wonderful how hard these windy people have tried to extinguish the lamp; one going one side of it, and giving his blow; and another going another side of it, and giving his blow; and so on. "Is not my WORD like as a fire? saith the Lord." (Jer. 23:2929Is not my word like as a fire? saith the Lord; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? (Jeremiah 23:29).) Yes, indeed it is; and a fire which can never be put out. "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth but the WORD of our God shall stand forever." (Isa. 40:88The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. (Isaiah 40:8).)
A curious thing about this lamp is that it shines into people, and its effect is often to make them very miserable. The rays that fall from it pierce like a sword; indeed, it is "sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow," so that it must be tolerably sharp. But when the rays do pierce, of course they give light also. There is nothing like this lamp for showing up the dirt, and dust, and cobwebs, which too often collect in the chambers of the human heart; but, in addition to that, it has the wonderful property of cleansing the chambers into which it shines; so that while a person can say to God, "the entrance of thy words giveth light" (Psa. 119:130130The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple. (Psalm 119:130)), the answer comes back to him, "Ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you." (John 15:33Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. (John 15:3).)
But though a Christian is quite clean in the sight of God—"clean every whit" (John 13:1010Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. (John 13:10))—he is liable to pick up a good deal of dust and dirt as he journeys through this desert scene, and it is necessary that he should hold up his lamp every now and then, in order to take a good look at himself. David asks, "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?" and the answer given is, "By taking heed thereto according to thy WORD." (Psa. 119:99BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. (Psalm 119:9).) And, depend upon it, that is the only way by which a Christian can keep himself clean.
This lamp, indeed, should be our continual and only guide through all the dark and dangerous places of the wilderness. If we take good heed to it, we never need lose our way or stumble; but if we shut our eyes, and will not profit by its light, we are bound to get into trouble. What would you say of a man traveling through a desert on a dark night, who threw his lantern away, and tried to get along without it? I think you would say he was a great simpleton, and deserved to meet with an accident. Well—and if you, who are traveling through a far more dangerous desert, and on a far darker night—if you neglect your lamp, what would you deserve to have said about you? You see the lamp is given to you, on purpose that it may light you on your way, and it takes half the roughness and darkness off the path, if you look steadily at its light. David said, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path" (Psa. 119:105105NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. (Psalm 119:105)); and while he was diligently using it in this way, he could add, "I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil." (Psa. 119:162162I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil. (Psalm 119:162).) Walking by the light of that lamp, you will not only be happy in yourself, but unconsciously impart your happiness to others; and so—young as you may be—you will find that you have not lived in vain, in the place where Jesus has put you to shine for Him.
“To shine for Him," do I say? Then the Christian himself must be a lamp? Yes, he is: or, at least, he would be so, if he were always shining as he might. Some Christians have shone very brightly in this dark world; so brightly that wicked men have tried to put out their light, for it showed up their own evil deeds, and they did not like that. (John 3:1919And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. (John 3:19).) Some cruel men, in the reign of Queen Mary, tried to act thus with two brave servants of God, named Ridley and Latimer; and I will tell you how they went to work. Doubtless you know that in those days people were going about the country teaching all sorts of false and wicked things about the Lord Jesus Christ and His church, and making men believe that it was right to worship images, and to say prayers for the dead, with other follies of this kind. Those who believed in these idle stories were not molested, but any who ventured to disagree, or attempted to preach the true gospel of the grace of God, were in danger of being thrown into prison, and perhaps murdered for their faithfulness. Dr. Ridley and Master Latimer were two such men, and because they would not consent to deny their Lord and Master, they were sentenced to be burnt alive. On the day of their execution, they were brought to the stake, at which they were to suffer; and Latimer, who desired that his light might shine even to the last, knelt at the feet of a nobleman who was there present, and said, "I beseech you, my lord, even for Christ's sake, that I may speak but two or three words.”
“And whilst my lord bent his head to the mayor and vice-chancellor, to know whether he might have leave to speak, the bailiffs and Dr. Marshall ran hastily to him, and, with their hands stopping his mouth, said, ‘Mr. Ridley, if you will revoke your opinions, you shall not only have liberty so to do, but also your life.’
“‘Not otherwise?’ said Dr. Ridley, "‘No,’ answered Dr. Marshall; ‘therefore, if you will not do so, there is no remedy; you must suffer for your deserts.'
“‘Well,’ said the martyr, ‘so long as the breath is in my body, I will never deny my Lord Christ and His known truth. God's will be done in me.’ With that he rose, and said with a loud voice, ‘I commit our cause to Almighty God, who will indifferently judge all.’ To which Mr. Latimer added this saving, ‘Well, there is nothing hid but it shall be opened.’ They were then commanded to prepare for the stake.”
A little later Dr. Ridley said, "O heavenly Father, I give unto Thee most hearty thanks that thou hast called me to be a professor of Thee, even unto death. I beseech Thee, Lord God, have mercy on this realm of England, and deliver it from all her enemies.”
“Then the smith took a chain of iron, and placed it about both their waists; and as he was knocking in the staple, Dr. Ridley took the chain in his hand, and, looking aside to the smith, said, ‘Good fellow, knock it in hard, for the flesh will have its course.'
“Then Dr. Ridley's brother (Shipside) brought him a bag of gunpowder, and tied it about his neck. Dr. Ridley asked him what it was. He answered, ‘Gunpowder.’
“Then said he, ‘I will take it to be sent of God, therefore I will receive it. And have you any,’ said he, ‘for my brother?’ (meaning Mr. Latimer.)
“‘Yes, sir, that I have,’ said Master Shipside.
“‘Then give it him in time, lest you come too late;’ said Dr. Ridley.
“So his brother went, and carried it to Mr. Latimer.
“Then they brought a lighted fagot, and laid it at Dr. Ridley's feet; upon which Mr. Latimer said, 'Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man! WE SHALL THIS DAY LIGHT SUCH A CANDLE, by God's grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out.'
"When Dr. Ridley saw the fire flaming up towards him, he cried out, with an amazing loud voice, ‘Into Thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit: Lord, receive my spirit!’ and continued often to repeat, ‘Lord, Lord, receive my spirit!’
“Mr. Latimer cried as vehemently, ‘O Father of heaven, receive my soul!’ after which he soon died, seemingly with little pain.”
Dear reader, these were shining lights, were they not? You may not be called upon to pass through the flames, or to light "such a candle" as they lighted; but are you shining in your smaller measure? Yours may be a very tiny lamp, but is it burning? "If I had been made a fire-fly," said a great preacher, some years ago, "it would not become me to say, ‘If God had only made me a star to shine always, then I would shine.’ It is my duty, if I am a fire-fly, to fly and sparkle, and fly and sparkle; not to shut my wings down over my phosphorescent self, because God did not make me a sun or a star." There is one thing every Christian can do, no matter how small his lamp may be, and that is, he can keep it always burning. In Egypt they burn lamps in all the inhabited apartments of a house all the night long; and the poorest people would rather retrench part of their food than neglect it. How many of us could say the same thing about our lamps? You, my young reader, would you rather go without your breakfast or your dinner, than miss an opportunity of shining for Christ? That is an easy test—but would you? Remember, nothing is forgotten that is done for Christ. Even the cup of cold water given to a thirsty saint, has its reward by-and-by (Mark 9:4141For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward. (Mark 9:41)); and oh, if you were always thus living for Jesus, what a lot of rewards would be waiting for you! Oh that every child of God would heed the Savior's words, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matt. 5:1616Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16).)
Even worldly people sometimes carry lamps—people who want to look like Christians, but have never had their lamps filled with the right sort of oil. Lamps with bad oil in them soon go out, you know. They may burn for awhile, but not for long; and very often they go out, just at a moment when the light of them is most needed. A case of this kind occurred in India, not many years ago, and here is an account of it in the words of an Englishman who was then present "At a marriage, the procession of which I saw some years ago, the bridegroom came from a distance, and the bride lived at Serampore, to which place the bridegroom was to come by water. After waiting two or three hours, at length, near midnight, it was announced, as if in the very words of scripture, ‘Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.’ All the persons employed now lighted their lamps, and ran with them in their hands, to fill up their stations in the procession. Some of them had lost their lights, and were unprepared, but it was then TOO LATE to seek them, and the cavalcade moved forward to the house of the bride, at which place the company entered a large and splendidly-illuminated area before the house, covered with an awning, where a great multitude of friends, dressed in their best apparel, were seated upon mats. The bridegroom was carried in the arms of a friend, and placed on a superb seat in the midst of the company, where he sat a short time, and then went into the house, the door of which was immediately shut, and guarded by keepers. I and others expostulated with the door-keepers, BUT IN VAIN." How like the foolish virgins in Matt. 25, who "took their lamps, and went forth to meet the Bridegroom!" There they were, right up to the moment of the Bridegroom's coming, mingling with the wise virgins—the true Christians—but never thinking of looking to their lamps to see what sort of oil they carried. Foolish virgins! The Bible gives them that name: but doubtless they were very wise in their own idea, and very wise in the opinions of their friends. Doubtless, too, their lamps were just as beautiful to look at as the lamps of the wise virgins, and burned quite as clearly; but God looked within the lamps, where the flames were fed, and He could see that the oil was wasting rapidly away, and that the little which remained of it was bad. Yes, the oil was wasting—slowly spending itself, and what was left of it was bad. Did they know this, however? Alas, no! They might have done so, but they neglected the opportunity. They were the foolish virgins, and so they only looked at the outsides of their lamps. The cases were bright and jeweled, and the light shone clearly through the horned windows; but they forgot to ascertain whether the oil was pure within-whether the supply would last them while the Bridegroom tarried.
When the ten virgins retired to rest the night before the summons came, no difference might have been noticed in their lamps—no difference even in themselves. It was the coming of the Bridegroom brought the change. "At midnight there was a cry made, ‘BEHOLD THE BRIDEGROOM COMETH! go ye out to meet him!’ And the foolish said unto the wise, ‘Give us of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’” Ah! here it was, you see—the testing time had come—their lamps were going out. Awful discovery! "And while they went to buy, the Bridegroom came, and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut"
Dear reader, I know not who you are, but whether young or old it matters not—how is it with you to-day? Mine is no idle curiosity. I put the question to you in all love—what of your immortal soul? Are you ready for the Bridegroom's coming? Pause and think. Is your lamp being fed by the true oil, which is the Holy Spirit of God, or is it being fed by an oil of your own providing, which can never be anything but bad, and must sooner or later waste away. How awful it would be, a year-a month-a week hence, perhaps to-night, to find yourself standing on the outer circle of a closed door, with a lightless lamp, vainly knocking for admittance! "The light of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out." (Prov. 13:99The light of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out. (Proverbs 13:9).)
"The heavenly Bridegroom soon will come,
To claim His bride, and take her home
To dwell with Him on high.
'Trim your lamps and be ready,'
Is the midnight cry.
“The midnight hour will soon be here,
The Voice will sound, distinct and clear,
And fill both earth and sky.
“The Bridegroom comes, let no one doubt,
Alas! for those whose lamps are out,
They'll find no oil to buy.
“Who ready are shall enter in,
The marriage feast will then begin,
And every tear be dry.
'Trim your lamps and be ready,'
Is the midnight cry.”