Isaiah 50:11, commentary and pictures

To kindle a fire and walk in its sparks is to make one's own light and guidance and trust it instead of trusting God and obeying His voice. To walk in it is to follow one's own course and understanding and counsel of one's own heart rather than humbly seeking God's help, Word and prayer. Lying down in sorrow is God leaving men to their choice and then judging it, so the self-chosen way brings disappointment, loss and restlessness with no safety. Against this stands the one who fears God and obeys Him, and when in darkness with no light still trusts in the Lord and stays upon Him, finding peace where self-trust brings grief. Escape comes only by ceasing from self and yielding the will, walking before God in humility and obedience until He becomes Teacher and gives true light.

Fire Sparks and Sorrow

The fire and the sparks are light and direction of one's own making, kindled when a person refuses God's light and leans on guidance invented for self instead of trusting God and obeying His voice. They are followed by walking in the glow of what has been kindled, choosing a self-devised path rather than dependence on the Lord, and the end appointed from His hand is to lie down in sorrow. That self-chosen course is reliance on one's own plans, means, and supposed independence from God, and workers who fail to depend on Him and do not obey His voice come under the same judgment. Chapter 50 is therefore to be prayerfully studied as a call to seek God's wisdom and trust Him rather than one's own understanding.

Those sparks take many forms, including human wisdom, ideas, opinions, inventions, philosophy, false teaching, bright thoughts, pride, self-righteousness, unbelief, doubts, and claims to natural perfection and human greatness. To trust human power and wisdom above the Bible and God's Word, to mix human judgment with sacred work, and to devise teachings of one's own is to be guided by self-made sparks that mislead and finally bring sorrow. What is regarded as spiritual light may be only sparks kindled by one's own thinking, for no one can rightly interpret Scripture by narrow personal light without humility and a heart set on discerning God's truth. Pride in intellectual attainments and ability, and exaltation of self as great while not under the control of the Spirit, separates the soul from God who is the source of all light and knowledge. Such plans trust human wisdom and inventions above Christ and sanctifying truth, lead away from sound Christian principles, and endanger the church.

To walk in that fire is to follow one's own course, lean to one's own understanding, take counsel of one's own heart, and make a standard of one's own instead of humbly seeking God's help, Word, providence, and prayer. It is a spirit of independence that is satisfied to live by a self-made rule, refuses accountability, and attempts to work without Christ, though without Him nothing can be done. The opposite way is to feel need of help, lean on the teachings of God's Word, acknowledge His providence, pray faithfully, hide in Christ, take His yoke of obedience and restraint, and gather divine light from the Sun of Righteousness. Then He guides the steps in wisdom and keeps interests safe for this world and the next, while the self-sufficient way reaps sorrow and disappointment. Choosing one's own way instead of seeking God's guidance, and refusing to walk in the footsteps of Jesus and learn from Him, is walking by light of one's own making.

This shall ye have of Mine hand, ye shall lie down in sorrow, means God leaves people free to their choice and then judges it, for He does not force the will but permits those who refuse restraint and resist light to live by the light they have made. That course of resistance ends in sorrow, disappointment, failure, loss, humiliation, and separation from God's work, offering no lasting safety or rest. Human inventions and claims to divine authority are contemptible beside God's holy fire, and those who side with apostasy will find their self-made light cannot justify them at the judgment, but they will be held accountable for following their own judgment instead of heeding the light and warnings given. While others willing to learn are raised up, those who reject the help and counsel God sends meet loss and sorrow. Following another's example without personal conviction ends the same way.

Coming to the Word of God with one's own ideas, prejudices, imaginations, and systems, and reading it in the light of self, blunts the edge of the sword of truth. Instead of bringing every thought and practice to be corrected and cut away by a plain Thus saith the Lord, such readers corrupt the Word because their natures rise against its requirements. They blend human teaching with Scripture until minds cannot distinguish true from false, use influence to bewilder the inexperienced, and bring perplexing confusion over matters where eternal interests are involved such as faithfulness in tithes and offerings. This shall they have of God's hand: they shall lie down in sorrow under His curse.

Trusting God in Darkness

The verse sets two ways side by side, for the one who fears the Lord and obeys the voice of His servant yet walks in darkness and has no light is told to trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God. To kindle a fire and compass oneself with sparks is to make a light of one's own and walk in it instead of so trusting, and all who do so shall have it of God's hand to lie down in sorrow. Self-trust and self-made light end in grief and shame, while humble dependence and full surrender bring peace, for the contrite and humble who see sin in the light of God's Word, repent with contrition of soul, confess and seek pardon are heard and answered through Jesus the risen living Saviour and Advocate, and God who dwells with them revives them.

The sparks are self-generated grounds for rejecting light God has given, invented ideas men call light by which they direct their thoughts, decisions, propositions and counsels after they have rejected evidence and chosen darkness rather than light. So applied, the warning falls on those who had sufficient evidence of a heaven-sent message yet through pride, unbelief and refusal to yield sought reasons to resist the Spirit of God. It falls likewise on strife among believers, where acting from one's own plans instead of obeying God's word and loving one another brings sorrow from God.

True light and understanding for the simple come by giving entrance to the Word of God, and these grand themes are to be studied in the churches rather than walking by self-made fire. To make one's own fire and surround oneself with sparks is to live as if Jesus gave no special words to enlighten and guide in difficulty, to pass on heedlessly, to fail to do His words and to fail to follow Him who is in the light. Safety is in receiving divine enlightenment, working where God works, and listening to His voice as Leader and Captain, keeping Christ as Pattern, Teacher, criterion and Sun of Righteousness. Scripture is what distinguishes His direction from self-chosen guidance, keeping men from human wisdom and self-made light, from leaving God's way and neglecting His direction, and leading them to glory only in understanding and knowing the Lord who exercises loving-kindness, judgment and righteousness in the earth.

Without Christ's continual sanctifying influence on the heart a person walks in his own ways in self-kindled light, which is to reject God's counsel and follow his own counsel to eternal ruin. That walk is seen in approving what God does not approve and disapproving what is excellent, blessing what God does not bless and condemning what God does not condemn. Those who choose that self-made light instead of obedience shall receive from God's hand the result of lying down in sorrow.

Rejecting Given Light

Those blinded by the enemy and not fully recovered from his snare cannot discern light from heaven and lean toward accepting falsehood. The evidences God has given are no evidence to them, because they blinded their own eyes by choosing darkness rather than light. They originate something they call light, mere sparks of their own kindling, and direct by it the whole tenor of their thoughts, decisions, propositions and counsels and the steps they take. Those sparks are human wisdom, the opinions of men, and devices that lead away from self-denial and consecration and make of no effect the messages sent to them. To claim to see while despising given light, to handle warnings, appeals and precious truth without taking them in, to feel rich in supposed talents and want nothing, to cling to one's own spirit and follow self-made guidance instead of trusting in the name of the Lord when walking in darkness with no light, to reject His commandments for one's own preferences and opinions and lead His people into false paths, is to live and work by common fire as if it were sacred, and its appointed end from His hand is to lie down in sorrow under His judgment.

Rejecting warnings, choosing one's own devices and resisting the Spirit turns light to darkness, so that error is called truth and truth error. Turning from God as the Source of light and wisdom to seek wisdom, light and strength from finite, erring men, putting man where God should be, acting from absence of the grace of Christ in the heart, trusting one's own heart and forms of doctrine without doing the works of Christ and glorifying His name, causes wrong decisions. Those who walk in sparks of their own kindling close their hearts to the knowledge and light sent to clear away fog, mist, doubts and darkness, keep talking from within that darkness, and walk in deception with which God has a controversy. Though given great light, precious opportunities and exceeding great and precious promises, by not making God their dependence and strength they forfeit what is sacred and valuable, the Spirit witnessing with their spirit, the putting away of sins, answered prayer and the fulfillment of the promise, for God hides His face, will not hear, and leaves them outside His love and city to sorrow and punishment from His hand. They need thorough breaking of heart, reformation, and opening of the heart to light already given in order to bear the mold of God instead of the mold of men.

Knowing the truth without living by it brings heavier guilt and condemnation because of what is known. Those who have great light and blessing, many opportunities and privileges, the light of truth, yet make no saving use of them, fail to walk in that light, to walk humbly with God and obey His orders, walk in sparks of their own kindling and will be condemned by the very privileges granted them. Upon them rests the same sentence as upon Chorazin and Bethsaida, with Capernaum sharing their accountability for light despised. In the near future it will be seen who walked humbly with God and who made the terrible mistake, for those who walk in the light receive increased light while those who refuse the light they have disappoint Christ, neglect sharing truth with others, lose what they have, and are left in darkness to lie down in sorrow.

Isaiah 50 belongs with chapters 51 through 58, and is to be read together with the whole of Isaiah 35. Together they carry the Lord's reproof to His people for disregarding reproof, accepting only the word they choose, failing thorough consecration, and neglecting though having great light to receive it with faith, follow on to know the Lord, and warn the people what is truth. Leaders in the cause, those connected with institutions, and those in high positions carrying great responsibilities are charged to study them prayerfully. They are promising words of inspiration given for encouragement of the churches and to be claimed in emergency, against reliance on human help rather than looking to and trusting in Christ, to keep faith strong when meeting those unwilling to be helped, when finding halting and disaffection among believers, and when evil angels in the form of believers work in the ranks to bring unbelief and counterwork the Spirit in meetings. Heeding them by putting away the evil of works, complaining and every evil working, coming nigh, repenting and being converted, opens understanding to further light and brings the Lord's power in conviction and conversion of souls, for ways not accepted of God must pass through reformation in the congregation.

Health Appetite and Reform

After much light has been given, to cherish wrong habits, indulge self, refuse to reform, and be determined to gratify perverted appetite at any cost brings the sure consequences of transgression. God will not miraculously save or shield from the results of such indulgence. The end is to lie down in sorrow, with suffering and continued need in body and soul. To walk in the light of one's own kindling in this sense is to rely on one's own light rather than God's guidance and to disregard His counsel about health and temperance. God does not enlighten minds nor hear the prayers of those who persist in this self-chosen course.

For gospel ministers, intemperance in eating and drinking is kindling common fire instead of sacred fire. It reveals disregard for all the warnings God has given and leaves them unable to see clearly the difference between the sacred and the common. Such indulgence in unhealthy habits of eating and drinking impairs the mind and spiritual discernment, and those who walk in the light of their own fire receive sorrow from God's hand. Deliverance requires drawing near to the Lord and humbling self before God. It requires putting away intemperance in eating and drinking, unholy passion, wickedness, and everything that corrupts flesh and spirit, so that holiness of character may be perfected in the fear of the Lord.

To walk by sparks kindled by someone else also fails, as when health reform is adopted because another did it, without understanding its principles, testing motives, building on sound principles, or acting from personal conviction. Medical work done without union with Christ is the same self-made light, for practitioners who do not trust the Lord or follow His way lack the mind of Christ and the sunlight of His righteousness. Without union with Christ and His Spirit, that course has no divine enlightenment upon it.

Ministers Institutions and Leadership

Ministers who preach from human ability while professing great light, without truth and power from heaven, walk in sparks of their own kindling and will lie down in sorrow. To live apart from Jesus, to do sacred work without His Spirit, without a burden for souls, without meekness and abiding in Christ, is to kindle a self-made fire of selfishness, self-esteem, self-exaltation, self-sufficiency and insincerity that leaves the soul open to Satan and ruled by caprice and passion. Such workers seize a triumphant spirit instead of humbly seeking the Lord, act with zeal not according to knowledge, trust their own wisdom and judgment, take glory to themselves and trust in success, and lose sight of the simplicity and holy character of the work. Their course is common fire, not sacred fire kindled at the divine altar, defiling the ministry, creating a poisonous atmosphere, afflicting others by using sacred truth in an unsanctified spirit, and rendering them unable to be led, to be used, to hear Christ's voice, to receive His counsel, or to discern Satan's devices. It brings false peace and apparent prosperity while true guidance and reproof cease to be reliable, puts responsibility on men unfitted to bear it, ends usefulness and influence where one is known, increases embarrassment, causes God to wither branches and bring human plans to nothing, and requites unjust and oppressive decisions against God's purchased possession with punishment unless grace is accepted in repentance. Recovery requires burying self, lifting up Christ, and returning with a humble heart ready to admit error and confess wrong in order to see clearer light, for without it darkness envelops the imperfect judgment where no error is a trifle and no entrance should be given to the foe.

Leaders who reject God's repeated counsel and rely on their own wisdom kindle their own fire and compass themselves about with sparks of their own making, and God leaves them to follow that self-made guidance whose outcome received from His hand is sorrow, perplexity, confusion and dearth of means. In contrast to the one who fears the Lord and, walking in darkness with no light, trusts in the name of the Lord and stays upon his God, these fire-kindlers follow their own ways and thoughts instead of God's higher ways, talking of religious liberty while practicing injustice and oppression, and are called to forsake wicked ways and unrighteous thoughts and return for mercy and abundant pardon while He may be found. Choosing human judgment, business schemes, ambition for power and progress, and worldly policy over God's instruction harms the church and renders men unfit to serve as ministers or conference presidents. Living far apart from Jesus in self-exaltation, with too little fear, love, reverence and faith in His providence, especially among those managing the publishing work who are not spiritually wise, leaves them unable to understand Satan's devices, so they adopt enemy-instigated measures that appear right and place a human mold upon the work to dishonor God's name. Taking God's work into finite hands with iron will and confederacy, concentrating the work in Battle Creek against counsel, and disregarding light repeatedly given for convenience brings the threatened lying down in sorrow.

Rejecting heaven-sent light as manifested at Minneapolis is walking in sparks of one's own kindling in blindness while the light withdraws. To walk in self-kindled sparks is to cherish firm self-complacency, pride, prejudice and unsanctified independence, to be unwilling to accept heaven-sent light and truth, to refuse to hearken when the Lord draws near to bless and heal backsliding, to be actuated by another spirit than God's Spirit, to despise His messengers and message and show contempt for His word, to repeat the rebellion of Korah, Dathan and Abiram, and to practice lightness, trifling, jesting and joking instead of setting the heart to seek God for the manifestation of His Spirit and power. Those who disbelieve the third angel's message and say in heart, spirit, words and actions that the Lord delays His coming, though placed on important business in connection with God's cause, do not have God's Spirit but are separated from Him, imbued with Satan's secret working, and walk in the light and sparks of the imaginations of their own hearts. They walk in darkness with blinded eyes, perverted judgment and obscured spiritual eyesight, unable to distinguish self-made fire from God's light, as the Jews did, joining doubters, questioners and rejecters rather than those who walk with God, shutting themselves behind unbelief, resisting piled-up evidence, and leaving themselves unable in a future crisis to receive what is from God and refuse what is from darkness. Rejecting a message from God because its messengers such as Jones or Waggoner might later fall is that same delusion of mistaking one's own judgment for God's light. Unless humbled, confessed and converted to seek healing, with pride confessed as not of God's Spirit and sin fully repented, such will lie down in sorrow, be removed from the work, and have the candlestick removed out of its place.

The same warning meets particular refusals of counsel, where following erroneous judgment as Brother Hare did in deciding to follow his own judgment rather than direction to proceed with the work is walking by self-made light ending in sorrow. Dr. Burke and Sister Gates did this by refusing counsel and reproof and not coming to the light, Kynett was warned that unless his character was transformed he would follow his own way into darkness and sorrow, and Dr. Sanderson was warned that by repeating the example of men who disregarded testimonies and trusted their own judgment he would meet that end. Fannie's secrecy, deception, wrongdoing and lovesick desire for another woman's husband was fire of her own kindling whose distress came from that course and not from her work. A. T. Jones fulfilled the pattern when he took his stand for reopening Battle Creek College against warning and then stood against the testimonies, which is refusing to walk in light God sent and walking in opposition to the Spirit's messages by following one's own judgment and plans, a false light whose results time reveals as Satan gaining his aim, souls led away, loss to one's own soul, and lying down in sorrow, whereas walking in the light as Christ is in the light makes words and works reflect light to others so none can afford careless walking. Pursuing the boat business against counsel likewise brings ruin, loss and dishonor rather than God's approval.

No church has light of itself, for all its light emanates from Christ the great central Light and Sun of Righteousness and from God's throne, and a church under woe walks in sparks of its own kindling when it tries to have light and power apart from Him. By absorbing and diffusing received light its own light burns brighter, but one who receives light and does not give it as God requires becomes a receptacle of darkness, and failure to diffuse glory to those in darkness ends in sorrow. Workers long knowing the truth and given the clear light of the closing gospel message yet walking apart from brethren kindle fire and compass themselves with sparks by seeking out peculiar theories and exalting them and thereby exalting self, taking separating positions that are not the fruit of righteousness, in which the Lord is not, and whose experience is deceptive. Such are called to change attitude, move very carefully, learn the preciousness of Christ's words, be content to keep in line with the greatest Teacher, and draw nigh to God so He will draw nigh to them.

Education Home and Conduct

In schooling the self-made fire is turning from the Light of life to a human standard of truth of one's own devising, namely human philosophy, false teaching, and science exalted above God, and this turning marked the deepest darkness of the world when the Light came as God's greatest gift to meet man's greatest need. To walk in those sparks is to pursue education by human wisdom and self-directed purpose instead of making the Lord one's wisdom, trusting talent and bright thoughts and human reasoning and scientific research when they limit God's power, and starting minds on a track of investigation guided by human imagination that cannot then be controlled. It is fatal to feel safe on that course, for it is spiritual blindness that leaves the simplicity of Bible faith in God's power, favors things that limit Him, weaves a fine sophistry that ensnares, confuses, makes crooked paths, causes falls, and leads others astray instead of guiding souls to Jesus as their only hope. This danger presses physicians and youth studying to be physicians who associate with educators in a medical institution and listen to their arguments without daily dependence on God, without daily increase in knowledge and love of the truth and growth up into Christ the living head, and without keeping pace with opening providence as the whole earth is lightened with His glory. The right course is purity of motive and of life, fixed determination to honor the Lord, welcoming His counsel, making divine philosophy the foundation, submitting to divine discipline, walking humbly and carefully before God in daily need of His grace, power, and wisdom with divine enlightenment through experimental knowledge of God and Christ, for success is not chance or destiny but comes from God who reads the heart and looks with pleasure on such surrender, through industry, perseverance, sober judgment, and shining as a light in a dark place.

Parents and teachers kindle their own sparks when they refuse to live as obedient children doing the Father's will and following His directions, disregard the light and counsel God gave for instruction of youth, and rely on their own ideas and way rather than Christ's control. For parents this is failing to work daily to outgeneral the enemy and save children from his devices, failing to open to them the precious truths of God's word and explain the reasons of faith so their young feet may be planted on the platform of truth, and neglecting obedience to truth and faithfulness as workers who honor God in the home. The light God gave is education amid nature, bringing children and youth into direct contact with nature and nature's God through cultivation of the soil, with large flower gardens and extensive lands, where simplicity and purity in lessons directly from nature lead the soul away from sin and worldly attractions toward purity, peace, and God. Walking in human-kindled light instead is following the methods of the majority of schools, occupying young minds with books of science and philosophy where skepticism is only partially concealed, with vague fanciful fairy stories, and with works on Scripture subjects mixed with fanciful human interpretations, which is seed sown in the heart growing to a plentiful harvest of infidelity seen in depravity. It also is indulging inherited and cultivated traits that harm others, with pleasant conduct controlled by circumstances and an irritated un-Christlike spirit when peace is ruffled, an influence children and pupils reflect instead of receiving Christ's lessons, so repentance, return to first love, and walking humbly with God are required.

Following human light instead of God's gives an uncertain sound and is following the path of worldlings and departing from God. It includes descending to the world's level in choosing the society of the vain and trifling and becoming charmed with unconverted men and women, planning marriage with those who have no love for God, who have lived a frivolous life without self-denial and without experience as laborers together with God, and receiving and teaching false phases of Christianity that bind souls in deception and delusion. Those who love and fear God do not do this but stand apart from such society and stand up for Jesus, and Jesus will stand up for them.

To walk in one's own fire is to reject the light of God's word and depart from a plain thus saith the Lord, rely on one's own judgment and stubbornly follow a self-chosen way and one's own opinions instead of cherishing love and yielding to the Spirit, and then be left to one's choice to lie down in sorrow by God's hand. It is tearing down others to exalt self, where zeal for truth is only zeal for one's own ideas, and self-confidence, selfishness, and stubbornness must be uprooted and self surrendered to Jesus or they bar entrance to the kingdom. Refusing one's own sparks and following the Light of Life so as to be saints on earth in order to be saints in heaven means not working for praise, not speaking words of vanity, not putting forth the finger in condemnation and oppression, and not giving censure and reproach, but diffusing light, comfort, hope, and courage to the very ones who need help. It is the opposite of indulging hereditary and cultivated traits of death-leading influence over other minds while professing to be under Christ's control, failing to feel the need of transformation and conformity to His divine likeness, and thus misrepresenting and falsifying His character with a religion controlled by circumstances, pleasant and attractive when everything pleases but false when temper is provoked, working ruin to associated souls. Young people who waste opportunities in idle pleasure instead of serving Christ and helping others walk in those sparks, with misspent days that bring no growth in grace and will confront them in judgment, and persistent indifference leads away from the kingdom.

Walking in sparks kindled by another is borrowing others' thoughts and following others' example without personal experience and without Christ in the heart and without personal trust in God, which leaves one unstable, self-deceived, lacking moral independence and settled faith and knowledge of the Spirit, following others into worldly amusements and easily shaken from faith. Such a borrowed course ends in sorrow, for each mind must exercise its own powers under God's sacred fire by personally following Christ and seeking God's will.

Deception Independence and Remedy

The self-kindled fire is living far apart from Jesus, failing to discern His voice, receive His counsel, keep His way and honor His name, and walking in its sparks is becoming self-exalted. In that exaltation people cannot understand the devices of Satan, cannot hear Christ and tell His voice from a stranger's, and fall under the adversary's influence with hard, unsympathetic hearts. Satan blinds, comes as an angel of light to divert even well-trained ability, kindles misleading influences, and prompts plans and judgments and measures that appear right and wise. Those who follow their own ideas instead of heaven's light are spiritually undiscerning, place a human mold upon the work, dishonor God, are in danger of being deceived and destroyed, and will walk in the way they devised until they lie down in sorrow. The safeguard is to walk in heaven's light, hold to truth, righteousness, equity and judgment, and remain humble, watchful, prayerful and listening to the true Shepherd, for escape requires complete surrender to the Lord.

To persist in that light is to resist truth and evidence, refuse candid investigation and humbling of heart, adhere to falsehood as truth, and suppose one follows sound reason while following another leader under a power one blindly does not know. It is to have resisted the only Spirit that could lead, enlighten and save, and then to blaspheme the most sacred influences from heaven through delegated messengers. Continuing so enters midnight darkness where rays of heavenly light cannot reach, a path of guilt with no forgiveness in this life or the life to come, not because mercy is exhausted but because pride and stubborn resistance leave no place where manifestation of the Spirit can convince.

Kindling one's own fire is impatient, rash, presumptuous independence, refusing to wait, inquire and pray at every step and creating guidance in one's own finite wisdom rather than waiting for God's direction. When tried and surrounded with difficulties and walking in darkness with no light, it refuses patiently to stay upon God, look to Him, seek counsel of Him, inquire of His Word at every step and seek Him in prayer for light and knowledge, but makes a venture and rushes ahead without knowing it is the way of the Lord. To walk in that fire is to follow human inventions and self-made plans instead of walking humbly before the Lord and trusting Him continually with all understanding according to His revealed will. It is to move blindly in one's own spirit with stubborn, unsanctified, independent will, taking one's case into one's own hands, following one's own mind irrespective of God's leadings instead of being led, controlled and harmonized by His Spirit, lacking the meek and lowly spirit of Christ. It feels qualified to choose its own path, seeks a wider sphere and greater freedom than God appoints, is ambitious for self, fails to make God counselor, wisdom, sanctification and righteousness, mistakes strong feeling for guidance, abandons the path of faith and joins those opposed to God. Such a course cannot go beyond the domain of God and will never win the crown of life, but by set purpose to carry out its own will at all hazards makes reckless moves that give enemies material against God's people, bring suffering of mind, lifelong trouble and unhappiness to self and others, forfeit His companionship, and lead to ruin unless the wrong is recognized and repented of and rejected lest it become a repeated pattern. If the Lord leads all will be well, and the safe course opposite to self-kindling is to be fully content to receive commission from above, drink deeply of the Spirit of Christ day by day, trust God unwaveringly, and be a doer of His Word in doing justice and judgment.

No one can walk alone apart from Christ without lying down in sorrow, for to walk in self-kindled sparks is to depart from the living God, refuse His way, set up idol self in the heart, and leave no room for Jesus and no room for light, love, meekness and lowliness of heart. It is to fail to appreciate and act upon the light given and be controlled instead by human influences, likes and dislikes, partiality, opinions and preferences, planning and acting for self instead of making the Lord sufficiency and strength, and being left to grope in uncertainty as one's own teacher in serious matters concerning eternal interests. It is a perilous choice between life and death, between the life that measures with the life of God and loss of eternal interest for a cheap price, and unless one dies to self, repents, is converted, cleanses the soul-temple of moral defilement and has character transformed, he will grow darker and darker until he does things he once thought impossible. Deliverance requires ceasing from self and worry, hiding self in Christ, yielding will, leaving one's own ways, seeking first the kingdom of God, drinking the water of life, and walking before Him in humility of mind, watchfulness and obedience with an eye single to His glory. Then the heart placed under the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness has selfishness and worldliness expelled as Christ shines in, and one presses closer and closer to Christ, catches His spirit, speaks His words, reflects the light beaming from Him, cultivates piety and a meek and quiet spirit through grace with human sympathy and love instead of cold aloofness, uses daily circumstances and opportunities to represent His character, and becomes a light to the world. God promises not to leave the humble and contrite in darkness but to be their Teacher, give them light and knowledge, open blind eyes, guard every step, keep close connection with the great Teacher, give the wisdom of God as safeguard so His instruction is clearly understood, and guide to unity, wisdom and life, while those who continue contrary to His will and reject His counsel become fruitless and find only sorrow and disappointment.