The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1885-05-07

'The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; ;
but the word of our God shall stand for
ever."-Isaiah, 41-S.
This truth is as great now as in the
days of the Prophet Isaiah. The seasons
come and go; vegetation springs up, with
ers, and dies; man is born into existence,
and no matter how great the life, must
go, after time, and return to earth after
the manner of the seasons and their veg
citation. Thus may go on the great plan
of human life, in all its details, for ages.
The earth may change, to some extent,
but the great power which Ordains these
things, and shapes the course of human
events, is unchanged. The word of Cod
His promises to them that seek Him
aright-is unchanged. Amid all the
changing and decaying scenes of Time,
the word of God stands as a monument
of Truth, indestructible, enduring for all
Eternity.
The same Holy Spirit which spoke peace
to the heart Of Isaiah, is waiting and
anxious to speak sweet peace and conso-
lation to every heart that will open it's
door to His voice and presence. One of
the strongest lines of defense of Gods
word--did it need any defense from frail
mankind-is,the great fact that through
all the changeful ages, this, of all things
written, has remained unchanged.
A young life blooms into the world with
all the beauty of rare flower upon the
stem of Time, shedding a rich fragrance
about it, and by its daily life and beauty,
lifting up the soul and refining the man.
hood. How can such beauty fade? How
can such ennobling influence perish? We
make up our mind that the consummation
of mortal ambition has been attained in
that life, and that it can only live on, pos
sibly acquiring added charms. Yet we
are, rudely it may seem, brought to the
realization that this life is but tender
grass in the field of Time, that it withers,
and fades, and dies. The mere passing
away of good life may affect the mind
and heart to the extent, sometimes, of
doubling whether all things do not fade,
and if they are not, after all, founded up
on vague uncertainties. Then comes the
sober second thought-the realization
that it is but the grass whitening, the
flower fading-the material matter decay
ing, while above and beyond it all, the
word of the Lord stands as the beacon
light, forever, pointing the weary and al
most wrecked soul to a haven of rest, and
joy. and peace.
Seek in vain to comfort the mother
whose idolized child has been torn from
her heart by the ruthless hand of death.
Your kind offices, your weak attempt at
framing words of consolation, are hollow
mockery that only serves to intensity her
anguish and cause the wounded heart to
bleed afresh. The light and life of the
home has gone out; the childish laughter
which sounded to her fond fancy like
Heavens music, has passed from earth;
each poor, little, unheeded toy or trinket,
looms up as a glaring and horrid reminder
of the loved and lost. Seek not to com
fort that mother by pious suggestions.
Let the suffering heart endure, for time,
the degree of mortal anguish into which
it has been so suddenly plunged. After
the paroxysm of grief shall have been to
some extent exhausted, the grand truth of
Divine Grace presents itself to the mind
in such force as to admit of no disbelief
The flower has faded and fallen from the
parent-stem, but the great truth upon
which is founded all hope of blest immor-
tality still endures, and upon this the
poor aching heart may cling with some
thing of the gloom of despair, until at
last the light of Divine Love is turned
upon mortal anguish, and brings a meas
ure of joy to the aching heart.
Go not to the husband who has just
lain away in the pitiless earth the faithful
campanion of his joys and sorrows, with
soft speeches and honeyed words of con-
ISOLATION. You do not know how to advise
or console him, because you are not endur
ing the anguish, the heart-torture, that
he endures. You are not in true, intelli-
gent sympathy with him, nor can you be
until you, too, have been called upon to
undergo his measure of anguish. But
you may recite to him, in bold manly
or womanly sympathy, the language
of the Prophet, "the grass wither-
eth, the flower fadeth; but the word of
our God shall stand forever" Thus the
heart-which would otherwise spurn
your offers of consolation-may be
brought at least to a consideration of the
sublime truth that the word, and majesty,
and glory of our God remain unchanged,
though the grass and flowers pass away
from earthly scenes. From the fading
and decaying material beauty, one may
lift the eyes to the contemplation of
ituo fu oh foI 0f
Weare affected greatly by our surround
ings, and our impressions are the result
of contemplation of the scenes among
which we are placed. We see the grass
whitening, and the flower fading, but be-
yond these material facts we are not
prone to look. Yet inst beyond the bor-
ders of our doubts, and fears, and griefs,
there stands forth the Christians hope,
the word of our God, pointing the way to
that blessed eternity where the flowers
do not fade, and the grass does not with
er. Through all the trials, and tempta-
tions, and griefs, and disappointments of
earth when the skies seem overcast and
the future unpromising, we should bow
as at the foot of the cross, lift the heart
and soul to the Throne of Grace, and ask
and receive that supply of Divine Grace
which shall enable US to understand, more
fully, the wise plans of the Ruler of the
Universe, land to elevate our lives and
characters above the contemplation of
the merely temporal failures. What
though the grass withereth, and the flow
er fadeth? The word of our God shall
stand forever.
Fostoria, Ohio, now comes to the front
with Skating Rink elopement. A girl
named Mabel West, sixteen years of age.
attempted a couple of weeks ago to run
away with the professor" of Roller Skat-
! i1acr InI,,o. St:a,lco hut tho AI:.rchal of