The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1885-04-09

| ana many snail pause TO view
| So terribly, fear fully true.
FIRESIDE SERMONS!
"Gather yourselves together, and hear.
ye sons of1Jacob; and hearken unto Israel
your father."-Gen. 49-2.
Israel, when he heard that his son Jo-
seph, so long mourned as dead, was alive
safe, and man Of considerable note in
Egypt, resolved to go down and visit him,
and when the long-lost son sent convey
ances after the father, he took his depar-
ture with light heart, for he was getting
old, and was extremely anxious to meet
his favorite child once more. Israel and
all his household went down to Egypt,
and were introduced by Joseph to Phara-
oh, the King, who received them with
great kindness, and requested Joseph to
select for them good location in the land
of Egypt, and to select one of their num-
Der as ruler over the Kings cattle. ia
cob lived happily in Egypt for seventeen
years, and died at the age of one hundred
and forty-seven years.
When he began to realize at last that
| the time of his death was drawing near,
he called together his sons to receive his
parting blessing. With his great clear
ness of vision, he set forth the peculiar
traits of character of each. When he had
Hr1ic ho6 IniC hn i'm
self in bed, and yielded up the eghost."
The boys were all there. Simeon and
Levi, the cruel, were there; Judah, the
Lion, was there; Dan, the Serpent, was
there; Joseph, the fruitful bough, was
there; Issachar, ''the strong ass" was
there-all the tribes were represented.
These boys like those of other families,
were persons of widely different traits of
character, and although the father was
old, and doubtless inirm with age, yet
when that life went out, the best friend
and instructor the boys had on earth de-
parted. This death-bed scene is not new
one. Scarcely man passes away, in the
full consciousness of his Surroun dingS,
who does not earnestly desire to leave his
parting blessing and advice to the mem
bers of his household. And it has been
discovered to the sorrow of many young
man, that after disregarding the instruc-
tions of dying father, and giving way
to his own inclinations, that when he re-
ally needed friend, as the result of his
own folly, death had removed the only
one who seemed to take an interest in
him Tho aduiao Of fathnr. ic fn bo
despised or unheeded.
A young man starts out in life with the
idea that there must be little difference
in the arrangement of human affairs, and
therefore regards the advice of dying
father as contemplate in the extreme
a sickening sentimentality, as it were
He desires to show the Improvement of
the species, the advancement in human
intellectually. If, like the good young
man Joseph, he has the love and power
of the Divine Father with him, it is well,
and he will do nothing foolish; but if he
should be so unwise as to rely upon his
own conceit for success, there will be
wise as sorrowful.
We observe young man who lays his
plans for building a house. The father,
who feels an abiding interest in all his
acts, takes him gently to one side and
whispers these words of admonition:
"My son, be sure you build not beyond
your means. A neat substantial struc-
ture, paid for, is far better than gilded,
fanciful structure for which you may
never be able to pay" There is conflict
of views at once. The "old man"-"the
Guv'ner"- old fogy," would slap to-
gether an insignificant cheap structure,
simply because he could pay for it, and
have little money left with which to
furnish it. But the young, active mind
can beat that. He begins upon an extern
sive scale; he uses the finest materials;
he employs the most expensive architects;
but during the progress of the work the
old gentleman, disheartened at his sons
wayWardness and lack of perception,
sickens and dies; his last advice is to cut
down in the size and expense of the build
ing; the son hears but heeds not. The
structure goes up in all the pomp and dis
play of a first-class mansion. He puts in
d Udy-WIuuOW, u0 pulS Ou d ulduSdTu
roof; and, as a grand, finishing stroke, he
puts mortgage over the whole thing.
Time rolls on, and the claims of the paper
outstanding against him are beginning to
close in upon the mansion and he is COM
pletely, hOpelessly involved. In this eX-
tremity he would naturally turn to the
father for advice, but he whose advice
had been spurned is gone. He is now, in
the midst of misfortune, left to rely in re-
ality upon that conceit which held him
aloof from his fathers advice and bless
ing.
Thus it is with the Father who so low
ed the world that he gave his only son as
a sacrifice for the sins of men. With more
solemnity and pathos than Jacob display
ed in calling his children about his bed
side, He is calling His children, constant
ly, to Him for advice and blessing. But
the order of things is changed to some ex-
tent. He is not going to die and leave
us-we are destined to die and either
leave Him, or go to Him. as we elect. He
appeals to us all, day by day-He is ever
appealing. He knoweth all our infirmi-
ties-all our peculiarities, and in full
knowledge of these he points out for us
the path of duty and safety. He makes
no gloomy forebodings with regard to any