RELIGIOUS.                           497

would go down in  darkness.  Broken loose from the embrace of that Light
with its warmth, poor man would lose his balance in all the four
worlds where he lives and moves and has being.  He would without
this Light perish physically, intellectually, morally and spiritually.
Unlike the wandering comet that swings within the gravitating grasp
of other centers, man would have no center around which to move.
Truly Christ lighteth every man that cometh into the world, and John
was the first herald of that truth under the new dispensation.       He was
not that Light, but the witness of that Light.  John was a lesser light,
that rose on the dome of the morning sky of grace, to be eclipsed by the
rising Sun of Righteousness.  Hear John's own declaration.  Ye your-
selves bear me witness, that I said I am not the Christ, but that I am
sent before him.  He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the
friend of the bridegroom, which  standeth and beareth him,  rejoiceth
greatly because of the bridegroom's voice.  Thus my joy is fulfilled.  He
must increase, but I must decrease.
  When it was told John that all men were flocking to the preaching
of Christ, he gave a most glorious testimony of the Messiah. He testi-
fies that Christ is the bridegroom, that he hath the bride (the church)
and he, John, was only a friend or a servant of the bridegroom and in
this his joy was fulfilled.  He rejoiced that he had been honored with
serving the bridegroom.  Vian, ambitious man  here learns a lesson,
that to serve Christ in any capacity should fill the soul with joy.  John
was content at this and declared, He must increase, I must decrease.
  His star is rising, mine is sinking. I am going, he is growing. The
Sun of Righteousness had begun to unbolt the gates of an universal
day of peace and righteousness John in the spirit of Elijah re-echoed
the trumpet blast of Isaiah, Arise and shine for thy light is come.
His day is breaking on a world shrouded in ignorance, superstition and
vice. I must decrease. Ordinarily this is a sad stage in a man's life.
It is the time when the fires of youth and manhood begin to burn low.
In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble and the strong
men shall bow themselves, the grinders cease because they are few, and
those that look out of the windows be darkened. And the doors shall
be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low and he
shall rise up at the voice of the bird and all the daughters of music
shall be brought  low.  Eccles. 12:3-4.  I must decrease.          There are
thousands to-day with the same spirit of John, who are not envious at
the rising youth, and growing manhood that are rushing on the stage,
prepared to do greater work. These blessed fathers and mothers do
not try to dampen the ardor of the young, but stand ready to advance
those who merit promotion. There are some who despise youthful am-
bition. I must decrease, is natrue's order and God's way of sustaining
the unbroken series of human activity. One falls, another rises. This




			

OHS/National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center Serial Collection

African Methodist Episcopal Church Review, Vol. 28, Num. 1

Volume:  28
Issue Number:  01
Date:  07/1911