The Cause of Uncharitableness

u But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another” — Gal. vi. 4.

Paul says that the reason why men are so uncharitable is that they do not know themselves, do not prove their own work; they think of themselves “more highly than they ought to think.” When we ask the apostle how it is that a frail, sinful man can believe himself to be pure, he answers, It is because he compares his own badness with the worse badness of others. That is what Paul means by rejoicing in another. I have only a small candle of virtue, quite unfit to guard my footsteps, but then my brother has only a taper. I go with my candle to his taper, and I weigh that which is little in me against that which is less in him. The comparison enchants me; I come home rejoicing. I feel myself a better man than I ever felt

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before; I magnify the light of niyr candle. But Paul says, This is only rejoicing in another. You are only comparing your badness with the more pronounced badness of your neighbour. Why not have an absolute standard 1 why not prove your own work on its own merits, and have rejoicing in yourself alone? You have brought your candle to the taper, and your heart is glad; why not bring it to the sunlight? Why not carry it out into the blaze of day and weip;h it asrainst the majestic fulness of the light of heaven? If your candle could stand that ordeal, then indeed you might have rejoicing in yourself alone, and no longer in the mere knowledge that another is worse than you.

My soul, thy light could not stand that ordeal. If thou shouldst bring thy candle into the blaze of day, it would have no glory by reason of the all-excelling glory. Wilt thou shrink from the ordeal that would prove thy nothingness % thou art not wise in shrinkin or from it. What thou needest to make thee human is just the proof of thy nothingness, just the vision of thyself in thy poverty and in thy meanness. Go forth with thy candle into the light — the true Light that lighteth every man. Go forth into the presence, into the contact, of Him who is fairer than the children of men, the Chief among ten thousand, the altogether lovely. Go forth into the vision of that Sun of spotless righteousness that gathers no clouds upon His beams. In the hour when thou shalt behold Him thy candle shalt go out for evermore, and thou shalt be in darkness to thyself. 0 glorious darkness born of higher light, 0 grand humility sprung from a loftier ideal, 0 proud dissatisfaction telling of an enlarged capacity, my heart will not shrink from thee. I shall cease to rejoice in myself when I have come to rejoice in the perfect day.