The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1878-05-30
WHOLE NO. 1914.
From the Chronicle and Examiner.1
Taking Things as They Are.

LOU Will Send your shatt higher, by do
ing So than if you aimed at any more ig-
noble object; but if you aim at the sun,
| overlooking the resistance of the atnos-
| phere, the feebleness of your own arm,
| the tendency of rising bodies to fall to
the point from which they started-if
you aim at the sun really expecting to
| MT the sun, you are very likely to be
disappointed. And a great many reli-
glous marksmen, we have noticed, seem
to expect to hit the sun; and when, af-
ter half dozen strenuous efforts, they
have notably failed, give over the con-
test altogether instead of selecting some
lower object which, with due care and
effort, their shafts might effectively
reach. good many of us have vet to
learn "how much the half is greater than
the whole" how wise it is to be practi-
cally content with the next best thing.
when the very best thing is, by circum-
stances and conditions beyond our con-
troll, out of our reach.
do you expect your labors to be
blessed to the conversion of any of those
boys Z Sunday school teacher who had
volunteered to take charge of one of the
very worst classes we have ever seen was
once asked. ~ hope so" was her mod
est reply, "but 1t will be something if l
can help to keep them out of States
prison. Did she labor less earnestly,
less patiently, less faithfully because her
ideal was what some might call an igno-
bic one2 Not bit of it. Without linn
ltlng the woodworking power of Gods
Spirit she took account of the hinder
ances which inherited tendencies to evil.
ignorance, brutality and sinful surround
lngs were likely to throw in the way of
the Spirits workings; and was prepared
to rejoice If years of painful selfsacrifice
were crowned even with seemingly hum
BILE results. She was a wise Christian
worker, say we-wiser, by far, than some
who in estimating the probable force of
agencies that they set in motion, make
no account whatever of the imperfecton
OF human machinery and the necessarily
detective nature of human material.
But this principle has more apt and
pertinent application to the estimates
which the world-and even the church
sometimes puts upon the results of re-
ligious work. 1t seems to be forgotten
just here, far too often, that the worker
is conditioned bv the material in which
he works. and that, rightly to estimate
his success or failure, we must take the
nature of that material into account
Yet is not this, which is palpably true of
every other kind of work, true of reli-
gious work as we'll? Nay is it Motive
speak with all reverence-true even of
the handiwork of the Divine Craftsman
We are told of Gods ancient people that
they limited the Holy One of Israel"
They limited him subjectively, cherish
ing inadequate ideas of his wisdom, pow
er and love, is perhaps the first mean
ing Of the passage But does not this
subjective limitation become, at once an
objective limitation? So it would seem,
certainly, from the statement that our
Savior, when on earth, did not many
mighty works in a certain place because
of their unbelief" There is, at least, an
effective limiting, or conditioning, of the
Divine Worker by the ms teral on which
he has to work. And if there, why not
elsewhere? Not that Omnipotence is
necessarily thus conditioned or limited.
Not that it might not, if it would, break
down every barrier that hinders its tri-
umphant working. But that God has
determined to treat US as moral and ac-
countable beings, whose will he may
mould and sway by motives, but must
not control by overmastering force
To apply all this to the point that we
are endeavoring to make. The efforts of
human workers for Christ-and even the
grace of that life-giving Spirit with which
it is their highest glory to cooperate
take human nature as they find it and
make the most they can of it. Regener-
alton, even, does not result in an entirely
new man, with all inherited tendenc cies
to evil eradicated-all sinful passions
and appetites transformed, at once and
forever, into holy affections. 1t simply
imparts the little leaven which is ulti-
mately to leaven the whole lump; kim
dies the light that shineth more and
more unto the perfect day; implants the
seed from which is to spring first the
blade, then the ear, and after that the
full corn in the ear. How rapidly the
leaven will work, the light strengthen,
the seed germinate, depends in no slight
degree on the nature, habits, training
and surroundings of the man who is the
subject of renewing grace. And hence,
in viewing some wilful, erratic, worldly
minded disciples-to whom censorious
judgment would deny any participation
in the grace of Christ-we are some
times, knowing their nature and train
ing, led to exelaim: What magnificent
results of religious effort there are herel
what a glorious triumph Of redeeming
grace Crooked and feeble enough the
Christian disciple may be-often ready to
halt-often bringing reproach upon the
Masters name; but that is not through
any defect in the Christian work ex-
pended upon him; that is not to be at
tributed to any weakness or inefficiency
in the grace of Christ, but to the tre-
mendous obstacles which the grace of
Christ has, in his case, TO overcome-to
the miserab!y defective material that it
has to work upon. What would the man
be, with his nature, his tendencies, his
if he were not Christian?
we gratefully ask, thanking God more
for the one wayward, stumbling disciple
that repenteth, than for the ninety-and-
nine staid and stable Christians who
hardly know, in comparison, what temp
tation means.
A gentleman from Yorkshire stopping
at London hotel entered into conver-
sation with one of the gentlemen staying
there asking questions about the sights
of the city. After few minutes CONVEX
sation, the latter drew his cigar-case, say
ing to the Yorkshireman, "Will you take
a cigar, sir ?" "Well, l don't mind if l
do, was the reply. The cigar was passed
to him, also the one which he was smok-
ing for the purpose of giving a light. He
placed the cigar first handed
him in his pocket, and took his knife
and cut off that end of the lighted one
that had been in the mouth OF his gener-
Gus friend, and commenced smoking,
saying: at isn't often that man from
the country meets as clever fellow in
the city as you are"
Dr. VIM II. Brisbane, the veteran abo-
litionist, died at Arena, Wisconsin, the
hon OF bo no Of II 10 was