For the Days of Darkness

“Who followeth me shall walk in darkness never,

The light of life shall brighten all his way; Nor things of time, nor things to come, shall sever From him they love the children of the day.”

WE are not to anticipate trial. God wants us to take the days as they come, building little fences of trust about each one, shutting out all that does not belong to it. We are not to stain to-day’s blue sky with to-morrow’s clouds. We are not ‘to burden to-day’s strength with to-morrow’s loads. We are not to walk sadly in bright youth, when we have no sorrows, be cause we know that later in life we must meet pain and grief. “Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” Yet we should live in the glad days so that when the sad days come they will not overwhelm us. For no matter how brightly the sun shines about us to-day,

22$ it will some time grow dark. No holy living, no kind of preparation beforehand, can keep the affliction away. That is not the way God blesses his children. Yet there are ways of living in the sunny days so that when the night comes we shall not be left in utter darkness.

One way is by storing our minds with the promises of God. We may get a lesson right here from our geology. Ages ago vegetation grew rank and luxuriant. Wisely our earth piled away all the vast ctibris of the falling and decaying forests, and covered it up. It seemed a foolish sort of carefulness and economy. Of what use would all this mass of dead trees and vegetation ever be? But it is now earth’s coal-beds, and it is lighting our homes in the dark nights. In the days of human gladness, when there is no trouble, no pain, there are many of God’s words which seem to have no meaning for us. We do not need them. They are for times of sorrow, and we have no sorrow. They are lamps for the darkness, and we are not walking in darkness. They are for days of pain and loss, and we have no pain, and are called to endure no loss. But if we are wise, if we would be ready for whatever the future may bring to us, we will not leave these unheeded words unappropriated. We will take them into our heart and fix them there, as one would fix lamps in a house during the daytime, to be ready to shine when night comes. Then when the sorrow comes, as it surely will come, we shall not be overtaken by the darkness. These promises for which we had no use in the days of human joy, but which we took into our heart against the time of need, will now shine down upon us and fill our gloom with sweet light from heaven. That is one way of walking while we have the light, so that the darkness will not overtake us and overwhelm us. Hang the lamps all about your heart’s chambers during the day.

Another way is by keeping the vision clear all the time between our souls and heaven. It is not easy in the time of unbroken worldly prosperity to maintain unbroken communion with God. Prosperity fosters many things that serve to cut off our spiritual outlook. A man built a house on a spot which commanded a beautiful view of distant mountains and a great stretch of sky. Then he said, “I must have trees to shelter the house. Trees make any place more lovely.” So he planted a number of fine trees, and they grew up, and were much admired. But the trees were close together, and, as they grew, their branches inter laced; and by and by they shut out the distant view, so that the mountains were no longer visible from the house, and scarcely a glimpse could be had of the sky.

So it is often with men’s lives. In their prosperity men gather about them many earthly interests and pleasures. These are very sweet; but sometimes they shut out the view of heaven’s glorious mountains, and of the blessed spiritual things which are the realities of Christian faith. Many a life thus loses its familiarity with Christ, and the invisible things of God become less and less clear to the vision. Earthly interests absorb the thought and the affections. Then when sorrow comes and it grows dark, the heart cannot find its refuge, and goes uncomforted. The familiar joys have lost their power to bless, and the soul has no experience of the higher joys.

Walk while ye have light, that the darkness overtake you not, swallow you not up. That is,’ in the days of earthly joy and prosperity, keep the view between your soul and heaven clear and open. Do not let the trees grow up about your life’s home, so as to shut out your view of the mountains of God. Keep on intimate and familiar terms all the time with Christ. Then when night comes the lights from your Father’s house will shine down upon your darkness. Bereft of human companionship, the consciousness of the presence, the companionship, and the love of Jesus Christ, your unseen Friend, will become more and more real to you. Thus walking while you have the light, the darkness when it comes will not overwhelm you.

There are many such experiences of sorrow. They come, perhaps suddenly, to some Christian who has known only gladness before; but the life is not crushed. In the darkness the face of Christ appears in beauty never seen before, and the sad heart is comforted.

Still another way in which we may be prepared in the light for the darkness is suggested by our Lord himself in one of his teachings. “While ye have the light, believe on the light, that ye may become sons of light.” There is something very beautiful in this. If you walk in the light, the light will enter into you, and you will become a son of light. If a diamond lie for a while in the sunshine, and then be carried into a darkened room, a soft light will pour out from it. We know how it was with John, for example. He walked in the light of Christ for three years, and the light entered into him, into his very soul, until he became a shining light. So it was with all who were close friends of Christ.

And we may walk in the light of Christ just as truly as did those who knew him in the flesh. Christ is not behind us, a mere historical figure of long centuries past. He is with us, as really present by our side as he was by Mary when she sat at his feet, or by John when he lay upon that blessed bosom. So we can walk in the light of Christ; and as we do so, we shall become light ourselves, filled with his light.

But how can we get the light into our own life? Only by opening our heart to the love of Christ. There were a great many people in those ancient days who saw Jesus, who met him ofttimes, who heard his wonderful words, who beheld his sweet life, who were witnesses of his patience, his gentleness, his gracious kindness, his unselfish ministry, but who ncvi-r became children of light. Their lives remained dull and cold and dark as though they had never seen him. On the other hand, there were a few people who walked in the light of Christ, and became themselves transfigured, bright, shining children of light.

What was the cause of this difference in the influence of Jesus upon different lives? It is very plain to one who understands the law of spiritual impression. The people at large saw Christ, heard his words, beheld his sweet life, walked beneath his influence, but kept their hearts shut against him. Christ’s life flowed all about them, but found no entrance into them. The friends of Christ, however, believed in him, loved him, opened their souls to him, came into intimate communion with him, received his words, let his Spirit pour into their hearts. The divine life that flowed about them filled them. There is the same difference always among those who live under the influence of Christ. Not all take the blessing into their souls. Thousands know the truth of Christianity who have not received the spirit of Christianity. But those who receive Christ himself become Christians, Christ’s men, chil dren of light, and shine themselves with the same light.

That is what our Lord means for us when he says, “Ye are the light of the world.” We are lighted at the flame of his life. Then as he was in the world so are we in the world. Our lives shine too. In our little measure we be come Christs to others. We, in turn, are comforters of the sorrow of the sorrowing, inspirers of hope in the despairing, and of strength in the weak. There is no other secret in the art of comfort. There is no use in your saying over verses of Scripture to those who arc in darkness or trouble, if that is all you do. You must have light in yourself. The sorrowing must hear the heart-beat in your words. The life of Christ must flow through your lips and shine in your face. Walk in the light until you become a child of light, and then you can go out to shine for Christ in the world.

If we are children of light, no darkness can overwhelm us. Night does not quench the lights that shine in our streets and in our homes; they appear only the brighter as the darkness deepens. So, if we are children of light, the darkness of sorrow falling about us will not overwhelm us. It will not be dark in our soul, however deep the gloom outside. In the time of the three days’ darkness in Egypt, God’s people had light in their houses. Thus it is in the Christian home in the time of sorest and most sudden sorrow. This is the secret of comfort. Be filled with Christ. Open your heart to his love, to his Spirit, to his peace, to his joy, to his life. Abide in Christ until Christ abides in you, until you are filled with all the fulness of God. Then you need not fear any sorrow, for the comfort is in yourself. No darkness can make it dark in your soul, because the light of Christ shines there.

Then in your own sorrow you will be a comforter of others. Jesus, in his darkest hours, forgot himself and sought to comfort others. On the night of his betrayal, when the shadows were deepening about him, he took the disciples into the upper room, and comforted them in their deep and bitter grief with the most precious words of comfort earth’s sorrowing ones have ever heard. Let those who are themselves crying out for consolation, go out into the sad world, and forget their own affliction as they seek to lift up other mourners. The words Christ has spoken to them in their hour of darkness let them speak forth again. Let the mother with the empty crib and the empty bosom go to the home where white crape hangs on the door, put her arm around the mother who sits there in her bitter grief, and tell her she understands the pain of her heart, and then whisper to her the comfort of God’s love. In trying to console others, the mourner will find consolation for herself.

There is no other secret of comfort like this. Walk in the light while ye have the light, and ye shall become the children of light. Then no darkness can overtake you, or quench the light that shines in you. Then you will be a light in the world to brighten other lives in their sorrow. Of a great preacher a poet wrote: -

“Where he trod,
Love of God

Blossomed into sight.
Form and hue
Lovelier grew

In the eternal light.”