There is a beautiful little
picture in the Old Testament in connection with the candlestick. The candle was
really a little olive-oil lamp with a wick. The wick would burn just so long,
and then turn over charred and blackened, needing to be snuffed. The Lord told
Moses to make a golden candlestick with seven lamps, and its snuffers and the
snuff-dishes of pure gold. The more I read my Bible the more I am impressed
with the importance of every word. What is there in snuffers and snuff-dishes?
Well, you see, if a lamp is going to shine brightly, it needs to be snuffed
sometimes; and if I want to burn brightly for Christ, there will be many a time
when I have to judge myself in the presence of God, or I will be just like the
burned wick which obscured the light. The priest of old was to go in and trim
the lamp and use a golden snuffer. Gold in Scripture speaks of that which is
divine, so the believer who reproves his brother is to go to him in fellowship
with God. I may be able to help my brother if I go in tenderness and grace.
What did the priest do with that snuff when he took it away? Did he scatter it
all around, get it on his white robe, and on his hands, and go around defiling
the garments of other priests? Oh, no; he was to take that dirty black snuff
and put it in a golden snuff-dish, and cover it up so that it would not defile
anybody else. That is what love does. You do not spread abroad your brother’s
failures, you just show real love, and cover them up in the presence of God.
That is love in a practical sense. "Love covers a multitude of sins"
(1 Peter 4:8 JND).

FRAGMENT. Love enables a man to
meet all trials. Should one spit in his face, this makes no difference, for
love abides because it never draws its strength from circumstances, but rides
above all circumstances.     J.N. Darby

FRAGMENT. Love is active; love
leads one to seek to serve, to delight to minister. Are you trying to serve the
people of God or are you one of those who love to be served? Some Christians
are always wanting others to do for them, and then there are Christians who are
always trying to do for others. You know which are the happier of the two. The
folk that are constantly looking for attention are never happy. They are ever
feeling hurt and slighted. But with those who are manifesting the love of
Christ how different! Someone once said to me, "I go to such and such a
place, but they are a cold lot there. I never see any love manifested,"
and I said, "Do you ever show any?" He looked at me and said,
"Well, perhaps not as much as I should." Standing right near was
another who had been to the same place, and I said, "How do you find them
down there?—a pretty cold lot?" "Why," she said, "I think
they are one of the most loving and affectionate groups of Christians I have
ever seen." She was showing love to them, and because of that she was
getting good returns. You find what you are looking for.                                                                                                                      H.A.
Ironside