A MAGNIFICENT LAMP

Northern Advocate, 16 July 1938, Page 2 (Supplement)

A MAGNIFICENT LAMP

The Sabbath Hour

Being a sermon preached by Rev. C. Cannell Hoskin in Trinity Congregational Church, Whangarei.

Text: ‘‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."— Psalms 119:105. N- O ONE can deny truthfully that there are dark clouds in the world today. There arc clouds of war and jealousy, poverty and unemployment, ignorance and irreligion. These clouds darken all life, ft is good, therefore, that wc have a magnificent lamp for use when our paths arc obscured by the darkness. That light, of course, is the Bible. Wherever its beneficent rays are cast, and lived in, a better life follows. T.—First of all. let us think of those whose duly it is to take the Lamp of Lite into- dark places. Robert Louis Stevenson has a delightful pociai about a boy watching for the lamplighter:— “My lea is nearly ready and the sun has left the sky: it’s time to take the window to see Leerfc going by: For every night at tea-time and before you take ycur seat. With lantern and with ladder he comes posting up the street." Tile poem goes on to tell us how the boy plans !o be a lamplighter,

"But i. when 1 am stronger and can choose what I'm to do. O [..eerie. Til go round at night, and light the lamps with you!" Every missionary, every colporteur, and contributor, and helper in spreading the Scriptures is a lamplighter. The colporteurs, in particular, are the men who move from place to place lighting lamps in all countries. They go round in the dark, lighting many a lamp. Unflinchingly, under modern conditions of almost unparalleled difficulties. they go on . They have to fight militant atheism and religious fanaticism. But the work goes on. Nearly a thousand colporteurs are saying to Jesus: "I'll go round at night and light the lamps with you." So in all corners of the world they are found, bringing the Iffiht of the Bible

into many a dark place. In war-torn Spain, in distressed China, in Japan, everywhere, the Magnificent Lamp is shedding its benign rays because of the labours of these devoted men.

II. —So the light is doing its inspired work. During the Coronation of King George VI many of the famous ated. Places like Buckingham Palace buildings in London were illuminwere clearly revealed in the dark. Now, it is the task of the British and Foreign Bible Society to illuminate tiie dark places of the world with the light of the Bible. Very faithfully this society is “flood-lighting" the world.

The latest figures available are for the year 1936. During that year. 1,040,025 copies of the Bible were distributed; 1,246 743 New Testaments were placed in the world; in addition. 9,057,180 portions of Scripture were also distributed. When we remember that other organisations arc also distributing the Bible, we have reason to thank God that such a wonderful work is going on. The world may be dark with many clouds but the Magnificent Lamp is still in demand. It is lighting many a dark path and troubled heart.

Even in New Zealand a quiet but effective work is going on. Perhaps not many people realise that in this country the Scriptures are circulated in no less than twenty-five different languages. Of course, you can obtain the Bible in Maori, and there are Gaelic. Rumanian and Norwegian translations amongst others. Through the Bible House in Wellington a total of 31.000 copies were circulated in 1936.

Some years ago a scheme was inaugurated for placing a Bible in every hotel bedroom in this country. The scheme is nearly carried through. In most hotels the traveller will find a copy of the Bible in his rc-om. Many expressions of appreciation have been received, m some cases from people who had not read a Bible for years. Even cases of conversion have been reported. Thrilling stories could be told of, the work of carrying the Magnificent

Lamp through this and other countries. Suffice it to say that the work is going on despite many difficulties. 111. —Now, it is obvious that this great work cannot be done for nothing. It costs money, and help must be appealed for. The appeal isn’t to the selfish but to those whose hearts are warm with Christian love. You will remember that Scrooge was asked for help for the peer. '‘What shall I put you down for?” “Nothing!” “You wish to be anonymous?” “I wish to be left alone,” said Scrooge. He was a selfish miser. But the Christian delights in giving to the of the Lord. A work like that of disseminating the Bible appeals to us. So I ask a blunt question: “Is the work of the British and Foreign Bible Society worth supporting?” Of course it is! “Can wc, wnose souls are lighted With wisdom from on high. Can we to men benighted The lamp of life deny?" Surely the answer must be that wc shall use the Bible regularly that it may be a light unto our own paths. Wc must answer, too, that everything in our power we will do to give this Magnificent Lamp to others. And as we and others use the Bible, our lives cannot help but be changed, and all the world will benefit by it, (With acknowledgment to the annual report of the British and Foreign Bible Society.)