the work God gave us to do on this earth. Not until men and women are burned to the socket can they say that they have weighed sixteen ounces to the pound and measured thirty-six inches to the yard for God. Not until there is no tallow above the socket can we say we have lived up to the fullness of our possibilities. To escape with our lives is to lose our lives. To be burned to the socket in doing the will of Almighty God is to shine on forever—as stars that never go out, as a light that never fails, as a lamp whose oil never diminishes, as a star which midnight cannot dim or hide. “ He that doeth the will of God abideth forever.” As I looked that day, before I left the little can dle shop, at the candles that had never known a minute’s consuming burning, I recalled this from an old hymn: “ 0 the hitter shame and, sorrow, That a time could ever he When I let the Saviour’s pity Plead in vain, and proudly answered, ‘All of self, and none of Thee!’ ” And as I looked at the half-burned candles, the fractionally-eaten, the slightly flame-bitten candles I said: As I looked at the brass socket where no rem nant of the burned-to-the-socket candles remained I said: “Higher than the highest heaven, Deeper than the deepest sea, Lord, Thy love at last hath conquered, Grant me notv my heart’s desire — ‘None of self, and all of Thee.’ ” Only those who know how to bum to the socket, only those who have courage to burn to the socket, only those who know what it means to bum to the socket, know the secret o f abiding shining, the per petuity of radiant burnings, the power of consum ing sacrifice, the glory of perpetual flames which winds cannot dim, which floods cannot drown, which darkness cannot defeat, which economic dis asters cannot bring to bankruptcy. And now there are candles unlit! And now there are candles partly consumed! And now there are candles burned to the sockets! These three. They abide. And the greatest of these are the candles burned to the sockets! “Day by day His tender mercy, Healing, helping, full and free, Sweet and strong, and, ah! so patient Brought me lower, while I whispered, ‘Less of self, and more of Thee.’ ”
dies so are some of us today, even many today — shallow streams that are at flood tide awhile, then brooks where no water is ! Those there are who give to God who giveth abundantly to us the “waste drops from the cup overflowing,” sparks from the hearth ever glowing. How like those half-used, slightly-burned candles are hosts of people today! Doing something but not much. Weighing some thing for God, but not sixteen ounces to the pound! Living some, but not up to the fullness of their possibilities. Using their power and talent only occasionally, scrimpingly, lackadaisically! Measur ing something for God are many, but not thirty-six inches to the yard. Multitudes striking something for God, but striking three when twelve is the demand. Tragic truth this also! But joyfully did I see there — III. C andles B urned to the S ockets Yes, there in the little shop I saw also candles that had been burning and had burned till they had burned away. Candles that had come to mere rem nants of themselves, mere crumbs o f tallow, for the glory o f giving light to those in the darkness of night and the shadows of gloomy rooms. Hours of darkness had these bumed-to-the-socket candles dispelled. Sickrooms had they made softly bright, glowingly cheerful, comfortingly radiant, at night. Fragments and segments of the daytime had they brought into the nighttime. Like small ships of fire anchored on oceans of darkness, they had gleamed in service. Like miniature lighthouses, faithfully aflame on shores where darkness—bringing dread depressions—comes in from the sea and meets the darkness from the land, they had thrown their beams into surrounding glooms. By their light some traveler found his way at night. By their burning some wanderer found the path to the door—and shelter. By their light some student solved his problems, some poet put the language o f his heart into words, some writer made his pen to do duty glorious. By their light some nurse was assisted in smoothing rough pillows and cooling hot brows. By their shining, some weary one waiting for the dawn had been strengthened in his fight against disease. All this, and much more than this, was done by the candles burned away—burned even to the socket. Like those consumed candles are many people today. So like some today—burning till they bum out to give others light. So like many today—being consumed that they may bless, giving themselves in utter and unselfish abandon that others might find and know and follow the paths that lead from dark ness to daylight. In bondage to high and holy ob jectives, they bum themselves away that others might come “ out of their bondage, sorrow and night into Christ’s freedom, gladness and light.” Not till we are burned to the sockets can we say we have fulfilled our mission, that we have finished
“Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
T H E K IN G 'S BU SIN ESS
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