WHAT a dreary hand time of it those two poor little collier boys had list winter!
At work all day long, underground, in the deep dark coal pits. Up at four o'clock in the morning, and as they had some miles to walk, never home again till seven at night. Such dirty disagreeable work too, so that when at last their tired feet reached their father's door, they could only wash off the black coal dust, eat their supper, and go to bed.
But almost the worst part of it was, never being able to see the sun all those winter months, excepting just on Sundays. Nothing but darkness for them all day and all night, unless you could call the feeble glimmer of the tallow candle they each carried stuck in their hats, light! And what a beautiful thing the sun is! have you watched it rising like a great red globe of fire on a winter's morning, till gradually it bursts forth in all its light and splendor, and gladdens the face of the whole earth?
But if; instead of this brilliant sight, you were to go and stand every morning at the mouth of a coal mine, I think you would be a little frightened. It is so terribly dark and deep, and the steam that rises is so dense that you cannot see down many feet. But there the collier men and boys go, every day of the six: and alas! they are sometimes carried up sadly hurt and wounded. So now you can fancy how these boys used to look forward to Sunday, when they were able to see each other's faces, and everything else, clearly and brightly; and when they could feel the warmth and cheer of the sun's rays, if only for a few hours.
“Poor boys!" you will say: and yet do you know there are a great many people in the world who never see the light at all? I meet a number of men, women, and children who are always groping about in the dark, often stumbling, sometimes falling, and yet getting up again, and going on in the same old way. Don't you ever meet these "blind people"? But, perhaps you are in the dark yourselves. When the Son of Man-the Lord Jesus Christ-was upon earth, He went about giving sight to the blind, not only to Bartimeus and those other blind men, but He said, "I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." "In him was life, and the life was the light of men." How strange it was that so few carne to the light! Men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. Just as when you let a sunbeam, into a dark room, it instantly discovers all the dirt and dust that may have gathered there; so it was with the Lord Jesus, men could not bear His presence; nor can they now, because all that is in them is discovered and tested by the light.
You have read the history of the dreadful plagues God sent upon Pharaoh king of Egypt, because he would not let the children of Israel go: and will remember that among them was a thick darkness, which even might have been felt. It lasted for three days, and spread over all the land, so that none of the Egyptians were able to see each other all that time, or to leave their houses. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings. What, a terrible time that must have been, thick black darkness, day and night, not a thing to be seen! But God's own people were in light and comfort-no matter how dark and terrible a shadow was upon everything without, they had light, God's light in their dwellings.
Have you light in your dwellings? All around is lying in deep, deep shadow, because of man's rejection of God's dear Son-the true light-but there is one line of light, the track which He made when walking down here, which leads right up to glory.
Are you delivered from the “power of darkness," and translated into the kingdom of God's dear Son? Oh! it is worse, much worse for you, if you are not one of the "children of light," than it was for the poor little colliers. They were kept from the light of the sun for a few months, but you will be shut out from the light of God's presence forever and ever-"cast out into outer darkness, there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." Will you listen now to the words of Jesus, "I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness;" and by believing on Him, not only get your sins put away forever from God's sight, but be able to give thanks to the Father, who hath made you meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light?”
Have you never proved the use of a lantern on a dark, cloudy night? We were driving home from a largo town the other day, and as it was wintry weather, it began to get dark very early. Black clouds gathered overhead and the sun set, so that very soon we were hardly able to see our way. What was to be done? We thought of the anxious watchers at home, and the long lonely hills that had yet to be surmounted, and our hearts sank. “If we could only light the lamps, we should not care," we said, "for then we should be able to see our way plainly, and no other carriage coming fast down the hills, could run into us, for they would see our lights.” So we stopped at the door of a small cottage, and as quickly as I could, for each moment it grew darker, I ran in and asked for matches. How I thanked the kind woman who hurried out with a box-full, and there stood at the door, while we carefully opened and lighted the lamps. Then we were happy, the rain began to pour in torrents, but what did it matter? we could see our way-the darkness was just as great-but we had light. We could see all the rough and dangerous parts of the road quite clearly, and the lamps guided us safely all the way home. And oh; if you are following the One who has “called us out of darkness into his marvelous light," you will find it not difficult to see your way down here, for the light will be shining all around you, and you will only have to walk according to it. Like Paul, when he had seen "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" did not care for anything else. The "mid-day" sun shone full and clear, but he saw a light above its brightness.
Oh! is the "god of this world" still blinding your eyes? Can you bear the thought of being shut out from the presence of the Lord Jesus forever? He is longing to open your eyes, and to turn you from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that you may receive the forgiveness of your sins. For just as you cannot stand the light if there be a speck of dirt upon you; so no one can dwell with God (for "He is light, and in him is no darkness at all"), unless one has first been made clean and white in the blood of Jesus. I hope that the little colliers I have been telling about, and you too, will find out very soon what it is to be “light in the Lord." Then you will not any longer be groping about in darkness, but gazing upon light and beauty in the face of Jesus Christ. And then you will not be able to help your own light shining before men, for it will be the reflection of what you see in Him.
"I see poor men around me in darkness, and I yearn
To let my little taper more clearly, brightly burn.”
Soon, very soon He is coming to take us to be with Himself, and then there will be no more need of the sun, or moon, or any candle, or lamp; for the glory of God and the Lamb will be our light. Oh! what a light that will be, the light of God's own presence- night and darkness passed away forever!
“The radiance of the glories
Which clothe you bright abode,
Throw back their beams of brightness
Upon our present road.”
Will you be there, dear reader?