Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

-Bible (NewTestament)
St Matthew 5:14^16.

Either what womanhaving ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep thehouse, and seek diligently till she find it? And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

-Bible (NewTestament)
St Luke15:8^10.

It is burning a farthing candle at Dover, to shew light at Calais.

-Johnson, Samuel known as Dr Johnson
  Summarizing the influence of the plays of  Thomas Sheridan upon English literature, 28  Jul. Quoted in  James Boswell The Life of Samuel Johnson (1791), vol.1.

Be of good comfort Master Ridley, and play the man.We shall this day light such a candle by God's grace in England, as (I trust) shall never be put out.

-Latimer, Hugh
  Spoken to Nicholas Ridley, as they waited together to be burned at the stake,16 Oct. Quoted in Foxe Acts and Monuments (1563).

Countries that have soldiers in charge seem, more often than not, to be the ones where democracy is but a flickering candle sitting in an open window with a forecast of rain.

-MacKenzie, Lewis W
  Letter about his retirement, in The Globe and Mail, 21  Jan.

Persons grouped around a fire or candle for warmth or light are less able to pursue independent thoughts, or even tasks, than people supplied with electric light. In the same way, the social and educational patterns latent in automation are those of self-employment and artistic autonomy.

-McLuhan, (Herbert) Marshall
  Understanding Media, ch.33.

Hissensuality has all drifted intosexual vanity, delight for being the candletothemoths, with a dash of intellectual curiosity to give flavour to his tickled vanity† His incompleteness as a thinker, his shallow and vulgar view of many human relationshipsöthe lack of a sterner kind of humour which would show him the dreariness of his farce and the total absence of proportion and inadequateness in some of his ideasöall these defects came largely from the flippant and worthless self- complacency brought about by the worship of rather second-rate women.

-Webb, (Martha) Beatrice ne¤  e Potter
  Of George Bernard Shaw. Diary entry, 8 May.