At the Door

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In Holman Hunt’s great picture, called “The Light of the World,” we see One with a patient, gentle face, standing at a door which is ivy-covered, as if long closed. He is girt with the priestly breastplate. He bears in His hand the lamp of truth. He stands and knocks. There is no answer, and He still stands and knocks. His eye tells of love; His face beams with yearning. You look closely, and you perceive that there is no knob or latch on the outside of the door. It can be opened only from within.
Do you not see the meaning? The Spirit of God comes to your heart’s door and knocks. He stands there while storms gather and break upon His unsheltered head, while the sun declines, and night comes on with its chills and its heavy dews. He waits and knocks, but you must open the door yourself. The only latch is inside.
—J. R. Miller

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