DO you see, children, what this is in my hand? A little end of a burnt match.
Yes, so it is. Well, it has shown me what a great deal a tiny thing can do, and, as you are but little people, it may do you good if I tell you all that this match has done, and then you will not wonder if it should now look so worn out.
When I came into the Boys' Hall to light up for the evening meeting, I groped my way to the chimney- piece, where I knew there was a matchbox. I soon had my hand on it, but when I opened it I felt at once there was only one match in the box-and what if it refused to light? What if it could think and reason, and, as it were, say to itself: “It is quite ridiculous to expect a poor little thing like me to light up all this big room; I shall not attempt it, but will just go out at once as soon as I am struck, as so many of my companions have done."
You know that is the way some boys and girls who love the Lord Jesus reason, when, in some position where it is not easy to confess the Lord and to shine for Him, they find themselves without any Christian companion.
Happily my little match had a brave heart. No sooner was it struck than it burnt up well, and, in less time than it takes me to tell you, it had lit a long candle that stood alongside the matchbox, and having done this, it rested a bit, for I blew it out, so that it should not burn all away at once.
Now, thought I, here is a grand lesson for little Christian people. Let them get hold of someone bigger and light them up for God, like Andrew, who found his brother Peter, and brought him to Jesus. Peter made a bigger light than Andrew ever did, but how lovingly he must ever have thought of the brother who brought him to the Light? And Jesus would not forget about it either, would He?
"And now the candle is going to do all the work!” you exclaim.
No, it is not. There is work for the little people all the way along. The Lord has His servants “both small and great," and none of them can do the work of the other.
Why, if I had taken that candle to light the lamps I should have sent the wax all down into the works, and made such a mess. No, the match was badly wanted. Round the room we went together, and at every lamp the candle lit the match afresh, and the match quickly lit up the bright duplex lamp, and then rested awhile until the next lamp was reached, and so on, until the room was a blaze of light, and my dear, brave, little match was worn down to the poor, wee, blackened end you laughed at when I showed it you ; while its long comrade did not look much the worse for wear, as it went back on the chimney-piece until it should be wanted again.
Now you will none of you say that you cannot understand my lesson, for it is so easy! It is just this, “Two are better than one," as it says in the Bible, and you dear lads and little maids, who belong to Christ, must look round and see who among your friends you can win over to Him; and then you will be able to work together, to bring in others again to shine out for Him in this dark world.
And, dear children, remember that if a little match does not do the right thing, it is very dangerous when it is doing the wrong. I want to impress on you that each one of you has great power for good or for evil, so take care who gets hold of you, and for whom you spend yourself. The other day, a match was used to light a cigarette by a careless young man in a large hall. Then the reckless fingers threw it down still burning, and it fell between the chinks of the boarded floor, ready to do any mischief that came in its way. And it found plenty of help, as little people always will when they are on a like errand. Some wee chips of wood and a little dust were quite enough to keep the fire smoldering, and, in the dead of the night, when the hall was empty, and all around slept, suddenly the whole place was in a blaze, and before the flames could be extinguished there was a terrible loss of valuable property. “Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth “Do be sure that all your influence, and all your powers are spent on the right side, on the Lord's side, and then your little life will not be in vain.
Jesus will use the boys and girls who come to Him for His glory; He will bid them shine "first of all for Him," and only by-and-by, in eternity, will it come out how much such little lights have done for Him in this world of sin and sorrow.
A. P. C.