1912 Watch Tower - A2Z.org

light of the world. This our Lord intimated would betrue when He said to His disciples on one occasion, "Yeare the light of the world."--Matt. 5:14.As there are various ways by which a light may beextinguished, so there are different means by which thislight of the Holy Spirit may be quenched in us. A lightwill go out if the supply of oil or gas which feeds it becut off, or if the oxygen of the air be shut off from it,whether because the supply is exhausted or becausesomething is placed over the light to extinguish it. So itis with us. The light of the Spirit may be permitted todie out for want of replenishing, or it may be quenchedby contact with some outside force.In order to have the Holy Spirit in large measure, wemust keep near to the Lord; for if we get away fromHim, the light will go out. If we neglect the privilegeof prayer or of study of the Scriptures or of fellowshipwith the Lord through failure to think of Him, the illuminationof the Spirit will grow dim. On the other hand,it will become brighter in proportion to our realizationof our own imperfections and to the degree of our consecrationto the Lord. This we manifest by the zeal withwhich we study His will as expressed in His Word, andwith which we practice that will in the affairs of life.These are the means by which we may supply the oil tokeep our light burning brightly. But while we are endeavoringto do this, we must see to it that we do notR5129 : page 344come into contact with anything which will tend toextinguish the flame of sacred love in our hearts.The world, the flesh and the Devil are all in oppositionto the light of the Holy Spirit. To whatever extentthey are brought into contact with the light, to thatextent they smother it. If the spirit of worldliness comeinto our hearts, it will extinguish the light of the HolySpirit. If the spirit of selfishness or of thoughtlessnessenter our hearts, it will cause the light to grow dim andfinally to die out. Weariness in well-doing will producethe same result. If we indulge in pleasures of the flesh,these will tend to quench the Spirit. Sinful pleasuresshould, of course, be shunned by everybody. But thereare pleasures which are not sinful and which are properenough for the natural man. Yet to whatever extent theconsecrated indulge in these and thus gratify the longingsof the flesh, proportionately the new nature willsuffer.Christian fellowship is thought to be one of the verybest aids to maintaining the light of the Spirit. Yet evenin this there is a danger-line which is not always recognizedand which, if crossed, will produce the oppositeeffect. A visit to the seashore and a bath in the oceanmay in some cases be very profitable; but in others itmay be carried to such an extent that it becomes dangerousto the new nature. Those who become weary in