The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1885-10-01
Our Evening Sermon !

"Save thyself, and come down from the
15-3O.
This language may have been consid
cred by those who made no attempt to
study the depths of the Divine plan, as
being fraught with great significance and
Importance. The Savior had encountered
unbelief, and those who envied His pow
er. He had been brought before Plate,
who, to please the people, permitted them
to have their will with him. After being
subjected to the greatest sufferings and
indignities, the dying Savior was taunted
with the remark that if He were Christ,
the King of Israel, He should descend
from the cross, save Himself, and thus
cause the present multitude to believe on
Him. This lamentable characteristic has
been handed down, unimpaired and un-
improved, unto the present day. We for
get and overlook the great fact that all
things of God work according to a plan,
and that this plan is not always revealed
to mortals.
We look at such things with physical
rather than intellectual eyes. Brother
-, of our church, is good man; he
is faithful in all the duties of his position
of member of the church, and discharges
with the utmost fidelity every trust re-
posed in him; in the everyday walks of
life, he maintains that serenity and beau
ty of the Christian character, that CLEAN
through his professions at the class-meet-
ing; he serves the Divine Master faith
fully and well. Yet he is the most un-
fortunate man, in worldly point of view,
in the entire community. In so far as
achieving any commercial success goes,
he is pinioned upon the cross. "Why
does he not come down from the cross,
and help himself?" you ask. If God an
swers the prayers of His faithful chill
dren, why does this man, who prays so
faithfully and earnestly, suffer so much
Certainly it seems that you bring his
faith down to the point of ridicule, in the
light of passing events. But the great
fact is overlooked that God does not
stand at the doors of His church, and
like patent-medicine advertiser hand
out certificates of His love and blessing
to all who saunter carelessly along, or
even to those who seek them, save it be
in accordance with the Divine will. He
answers prayer for the best good of the
soul making the earnest supplication
God evidently does not want any spir-
itual 'loafers. When He permits soul
to remain on the cross He is dealing by
that soul for the good of His cause and
Kingdom. His love and power cannot
he called down to earth as matters OF
pleasure or convenience.
Here is a man who prays, earnestly
that God will lift him down from the
cross of financial distress, it may be. Day
after day, year after year, the prayer OF
faith goes up from that soul, and the
longing heart yearns toward God. The
! eyes look toward Heaven for signs OF
success which shall lift the body above
want, and stay the faith firmly upon the
great rock. Surely if the Father wants
him to succeed, He will not permit His
faithful child to want" Yet say unto
you that that man goes hungry to pray
ers, time after time. He is faithful and
earnest, yet he cannot save himself. in g
worldly point of view. 1t is not in &C
cordance with Gods plan. All things dc
not work together harmoniously as the
Divine Ruler would have them. But
here is another man, who prays with
equal earnestness, but not greater. Yet
this man is highly successful, as the
world regards success. He enjoys il
plentiful supply the good things of thi:
world. He is never placed upon the cross
The Divine plan is carried out, in thi
case, for this man is an Industrious phys
ical as well as spiritual worker, while tn
other man is spiritual worker, but
physical loafer Thus every apparen
reverse, or sorrow, in the Christian life
has it's foundation in the wisdom of Hin
who ordains all things.
We may not understand all things
just as they are. The Creator who CAV
the pea-fowl a beautiful tail to com
pensate for the ugliness of the feet, CAV
to the giddy woman costly bonnet
light and feathery, to cover soft hea(
and to the so-called dude pair Q
enormous cuffs to hide the hands tina
never did a square days work. But tn
assertion that such things as we hav
spoken of work in accordance wit
Divine laws, or plans, must not be take
as indicating belief in foreordination-
! or, to use an old lady's homely expression
< "What is fo be aCiU beW That we do nc
t succeed as rapidly and to as great an e2
). stand in testimony against the Prov