On the other hand, all deep experience of the purifying power of Christ upon character will show itself in conduct.  It is all very well for people to profess that they have received the forgiveness of sins and the inner sanctification of God’s Spirit.  If you have, let us see it, and let us see it in the commonest, pettiest affairs of daily life.  The communication between the inmost experience and the outermost conduct is such as that if there be any real revolution deep down, it will manifest itself in the daily life.  I make all allowance for the loss of power in transmission, for the loss of power in friction.  I am glad to believe that you and I, and all our imperfect brethren, are a great deal better in heart than we ever manage to show ourselves to be in life.  Thank God for the consolation that may come out of that thought—­but notwithstanding I press on you my point that, making all such allowance, and setting up no impossible standard of absolute identity between duty and conduct in this present life, yet, on the whole, if we are Christian people with any deep central experience of the cleansing power and influence of Christ and His grace, we shall show it in life and in conduct.  Or, to put it into the graphic and plain image of my text, If we are light we shall shine.

III.  Again, and very briefly, this obligation of giving light is still further enforced by the thought that that was Christ’s very purpose in all that He has done with us and for us.

The homely figure here implies that He has not kindled the lamp to put it under the bushel, but that His purpose in lighting it was that it might give light.  God has made us partakers of His grace, and has given to us to be light in the Lord, for this among other purposes, that we should impart that light to others.  No creature is so small that it has not the right to expect that its happiness and welfare shall be regarded by God as an end in His dealings with it; but no creature is so great that it has the right to expect that its happiness or well-being shall be regarded by God and itself as God’s only end in His dealings with it.  He gives us His grace, His pardon, His love, the quickening of His Spirit by our union with Jesus Christ; He gives us our knowledge of Him, and our likeness to Him—­what for?  ’For my own salvation, for my happiness and well-being,’ you say.  Certainly, blessed be His name for His love and goodness!  But is that all His purpose?  Paul did not think so when he said, ’God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined into our hearts that we might give to others the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.’  And Christ did not think so when He said, ’Men do not light a candle and put it under a bushel, but that it may give light to all that are in the house.’  ’Heaven doth with us as we with torches do:  not light them for themselves.’  The purpose of God is that we may shine.  The lamp is kindled not to illumine itself, but that it may ’give light to all that are in the house.’