WALKING IN THE LIGHT.

BY MISS ANNA MENNELL.

Authoress of "Rosa's Childhood," "Sketches of Home Life,” "Sunday Hours," " Life's Evening," &c.

If you had a long and important journey to take on IF foot, would you not set out, dear reader, in the early morning, that you might secure to yourself the advantages which belong exclusively to the hours of daylight? For there would be hazard as well as discomfort in passing through strange localities, and along difficult roads, when the thick shadows of evening had gathered over the fair blue sky. And you certainly would not be so foolish as to attempt the ascent of Mont Blanc in the night; or so regardless of your own welfare as to cross one of our northern moors after the sun had retired to his western pavilion. No, you would choose the day-time for your excursions.

We are all travellers, dear reader; pilgrims to another and far-distant country. Heaven is the resting place whither we all profess to be going, and which, at least, we all desire to reach. But if we would assure ourselves that we are in the right-and indeed the only-—way that can lead us there, we must be day-travellers; we must not walk in the dark, but in the sunshine. For the path which the Christian pilgrim treads, is clear and well-defined. He is not ashamed of the course which he pursues, and therefore does not strive to envelope it in gloom and obscurity, but he marches on in the broad open daylight, that all may see which way he is going. With the desire to make rapid and easy progress towards his anticipated home is combined the earnest endeavour to win others to accompany him; and how could his road be visible at midnight, or attractive in the dark? And on these, as well as on other accounts, the

Christian often stimulates and encourages himself by language such as this, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? I must walk in the light, as one of the children of light. I must lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset me, and run with patience the race that is set before me."

Walk in the light! Walk. The idea of walking includes resolve, effort, movement. When we walk, we exert ourselves. And the Christian life is a life of activity; a life of earnest endeavours to do God's will. It is not enough, then, to say that you are in the light; are you walking in the light? Is your profession associated with practice? And the metaphor also reminds us that there will be progress in the spiritual journey. The pilgrim walks, not sleeps, not sits down, not yields to self-indulgence. He advances in his path; he is further to-day than he was yesterday; nearer his rest this year than he was the last. This is always his motto, "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect, but I follow after;" and this is ever his attitude, "Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.'

Walk in the light! In the light. What is it to walk in the light? It is to "walk uprightly," Prov. ii. 7; it is to "walk in the ways of the Lord," Hos. xiv. 9; it is to "walk by faith," 2 Cor. v. 7; it is to "walk in the Spirit," Gal. v. 16; it is to "walk in the truth," 3 John, 4; it is to "walk in love," Eph. v. 2; it is to "walk in newness of life," Rom. vi. 4. Or to sum up the whole in one short sentence, it is "perfecting holiness in the fear of God," 2 Cor. vii. 1. Walk in the light! Well, and if you do, what kind of walk will it be?

It will be a safe walk. A Christian lady, when travelling in France, was waiting one evening for the diligence. Wearied with the delay, she walked some distance in another direction. Full of thought, she

forgot how the time was passing, till the deep stillness and intense darkness roused her to self-consciousness. A gleam of something white on the road-side dimly appeared, which recalled to her mind the white footways of English towns. Never reflecting that she was on a road and not in a street, she crossed over to the other side of the highway, thinking it was better to walk on the footpath, and the next moment went straight over the parapet of the great Canal du Midi! She was saved by a remarkable Providence from a watery grave, but not before she became quite unconscious. Now, this alarming and well-nigh fatal occurrence, arose from walking in the dark! "If any man walk in the night, he stumbleth; but if any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world," John xi. 10. When the radiance of the morning illumines your path, you can discern its peculiarities, and guard against its dangers. You are not likely then to fall over some unperceived obstacle, or to wander to the edge of a precipice. walk on unharmed, because you walk in the light.

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And the path of obedience and virtue, is the path of safety. "He that walketh uprightly, walketh surely." You are exposed, it is true, to many dangers and to varied snares, but you may discover them in the daylight, and thus avoid them. Satan may harass you; the world may tempt you; friends may ridicule you; but "who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good ?" No, the Christian who steadily and sincerely endeavours to serve God by faith in Christ Jesus, may banish all apprehensions about the present or the future. "The law of his

God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide," Ps. xxxvii. 31. He shall be kept from all evil, and preserved from every peril. Walk in the light; and "then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble," Prov. iii. 23.

It will be a pleasant walk. How dreary and dis

So those who walk in the

heartening it is to attempt to find our way anywhere in the dark! And how sombre the loveliest scenes appear at night! But when the gladsome sunbeams dance across our path, and hill and valley are bathed in a stream of golden light, how bright appears the face of Nature! We ramble through the green meadow and narrow lane, or along the busy and well-paved highway, with a light heart and a joyous step. We get on so easily and so cheerfully, it is just the time in which to enjoy a walk. light towards heaven, find that their ways are ways of pleasantness. Great peace have all who love God's law; and in keeping of His commandments there is great reward. On his death-bed, Matthew Henry said to an old and intimate friend, "You have been used to take notice of the sayings of dying men. This is mine-That a life spent in the service of God, and communion with Him, is the most comfortable and pleasant life that any one can live in this world." And all Christians will echo his sentiment.

It will be a healthful walk. A walk in the morning benefits us far more than a walk after sunset. It does us good to have a brisk and lively stroll before the duties of the day have wearied us; or, in order to recruit our wasting strength, when we have been working hard. We get refreshed and invigorated. The welcome breezes cool our fevered brow, and bring a tint of rose-colour into our pallid cheeks.

It is even so in the spiritual life. If we would not have a sickly and stunted religion, we must take care and walk in the light. We must gain fresh energy and elasticity by running in the way of God's commandments. How vigorous and alert does that Christian become, who is intent upon the promotion of God's glory! And especially so when he strives to promote that glory by seeking the salvation of his fellow men. The late venerable Andrew Fuller said once to a friend, "There was a period of my ministry

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when most of my people were in a very desponding state of mind. The more I tried to comfort them, the more they complained of doubts and depressions. They dragged on heavily in the way to heaven. One common lamentation met my ear, 'Ah, sir, I cannot appropriate any of the great and precious promises to myself! I looked for light, and behold darkness.' I knew not," said Mr. Fuller, " what to do, nor what to think. At this time our attention was directed to the claims of the perishing heathen in India. My people were aroused and interested. They set out with earnestness and zeal in this new path of Christian usefulness. They did what they could. And while thus engaged, the lamentations ceased. The sad became cheerful, and the desponding calm. And I, instead of having to comfort my flock, was myself comforted by them. God blessed them when they tried to be a blessing."

Yes, dear reader, it is walking in the light, it is the hearty and loving endeavour to please God, either by personal holiness, or practical benevolence, which increasingly strengthens us for His service. Our graces are developed and matured by their exercise.

It will be an attractive walk. It will be likely to induce others to join us. Marking the gladness of our demeanour, and the buoyancy of our footstep, the lazy and the loitering receive an impetus from our inspiriting example, and are led in the same direction. Careless and worldly persons, if they are keen-sighted to the failures of the Christian, are also able to appreciate his excellences; and, although they may admire a path which they do not follow, yet oftentimes they do follow it. The moral power of consistent conduct is very great. There are many Ruths, who, influenced by the sweet behaviour of a Naomi, are saying now to her, "Whither thou goest, I will go; thy people shall be my people, and thy God shall be my God." And Timothy is not the only child who is treading in the