Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1879-10-31

nClC aiA OAONSuG AlSO 10 HAAoASaOu ~
carry the truth to the heart-to fix
and fasten it there. These, OF
course, were drawn from things ia
miliar to his hearers-from home
life, from their callings in life, and
from nature, that be might bring. the
truth home more clearly, simply and
impressively to the business and
bOsoms of men.
Did he wish to show Gods provi-
Dental care of his people, and the
folly of useless fretting and anxiety
about the future-their daily bread,
he pointed to the little bird as it set
ties at evening upon the swsying
spray, folding its head under its
wing and trusting itself for the night
TO the care of the Heavenly Father
simply adding-"your Heavenly
Father feedeth them." Are We not
much better than they? Did he
wish to reproVe them for their anx-
iOus care about raiment, he pointed
to the lilies of the field. ''They
toll not, neither do they spin, and
yet say unto you, that even Solo
mon in all his glory was not array
ed ike one of these. Wherefore
if God SO clothes the grass of the
field, which to-day is, and tomorrow
is cast into the oven, shall he not
much more clothe you, oh ye of lit
tie faith?" Does he wish to impress
the thought, that there is hope for
the waywsrd and wieked-the aban.
doned eVen-he tells the touching
story of the prodigal son. A sim.
pie story and soon told, yet one of
the most beautiful and impressive
in all literature. Is he showing how
religion is to be a pervasiye power
affecting the whole nature, spirit,
manners, character-life, he COM
pares it to "the leven which a wO-
man took and hid in two measures
of meal, till the whole was levened. s"
If he would teach his diciples that
they should be ready to do any ser
vice, however menial for a fellow dis
ciple, he gives them a great object
lesson by girding himself with a
towel, and himself washing the feet
of his diciples. To him it mattered
not how homely the illustration. 1t
might be from a woman sweeping
the house, or the hen and chickens
in the barn-yard, if it would but
make the truth more simple, and fix
the thought more firmly in the heart
and life. No wonder, with such a
method of presenting trnth, the COM
mon people heard him gladly.
FinallY--the common people heard
him gladIy.-because they knew that
he illustrated in his own life, the
doctrines he preached to them.
When he spake of purity of heart,
they knew that he himself was pure.
If he spake of the great virtues of
truth, justice, honor, courage, chari-
ty, they knew that he illustrated
these in his daily life, for they saw
that he was holy, harmless, undefil-
ed and separate from sinners, and
that there was no guile found in
his mouth. A consistent and godly
life was added to the wonderful sim
plicity and viYidness of his methods
of teaching.
/, The common people, and all the
people of these days should be glad
to have their preachers make
Christ their model and examplar-
insisting upon a sincere personal
love to him as the root of all virtue
preaching the love in its deep spir-
ituality, as reaching to the thoughts
and intents of the heart, having the
bearing of the man of God in ex-
preston and manner-having heart
of sympathy for the sorrowing, a
helping hand for the poor and needy,
word of hope for the wayward and
wicked, walking humbly in the foot
steps of the Master, breathing his
spirit and manifesting his life day by
day. So pastors and people, made
perfect in his likeness, shall at last
come together in the paridise above,
where Christ is still the great teach
er, to go no more out for ever.