The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1885-08-06


Matt. Sd.
The great central idea of the Savior, in
preaching to the multitudes upon the
mountain, was to arouse within them a
realization of their great privileges and
opportunities under Divine Law and
Providence The idea of the free moral
agency of man is grand one, placing up
on him an important responsibility. Not
only may he work out his own salvation,
under the Providence of God, but the true
and faithful man is an example unto 9TH
ers-a light unto the world.
We see a life which drifts smoothly
along, stream of innocence and beauty,
with a careful regard for other lives, and
an earnest love for the power which
brought it into existence, shedding rays
of light upon every side, and we see the
light shining. taking that position before
the world for which it was intended. This
light does not need the constant trimming
and care necessary in some cases to keep
the lights of earth burning, but its rays
once shed abroad retain their brightness
and power forever. In the days when
Christ spake to the multitude upon the
mountain, He addressed them collectively
the people, as creation being witness
es for the Father, and dispensers of His
Divine Light. Yet, while from the null
titude there might have been shed bril-
liant rays of light, there were, amid the
vast numbers, some weak, fiickering rays,
and some charred embers that gave no
light whatever. While the aim of the
perfect light, as inferred from the Ian
guage of the text, is that it shall be a
light unto the world, it may be considered
sufficient if it shall be light unto itself.
The light which casts before itself ray
which lighteth up its pathway, enabling
it to travel in safety through the dark en-
tanglements of sinful world, is, of itself,
success. When a multitude of such
lives are travelling along, side by side, the
united brilliancy shed abroad cannot help
being great light unto the world. Yet
there must be the power of displaying the
light, or the object fails.
Once upon time there grew upon the
brink of ravine, mOrning-glory. AS
the first rays of the sun streamed through
the branches of the trees, they fell upon
the pleasant tints of the flower, washed
in the dew, and smiling in the complacen-
cy of conscious beauty. Its arms extend
ed as it clambered skyward upon its tree,
new gems of color sprang from its vine,
and all who passed paused to admire
the pretty tints of the modest flower. But
short season of admiration planted the
seeds of vanity in the heart of the blossom,
and it soon began to nod condescendingly
in the breeze to all who came that way.
One fine morning the morning-glory. un-
able to contain its weight of conceit, be-
gan boasting of it's great estate. "Iawake,"
said the flower, "at the first streak of dawn.
am the first to greet the sun; 1 rejoice
in the light and beauty of the morning;
my surroundings are glittering in their
beauty; live amid an air of happiness,
and the world admires my beauty"
Deep down amid the ferns and under
brush of the ravine, poor little violet,
hearing the boasting of the morning-glory
spake: "And T." said the violet, "am awake
with the first rays of the morning sun. 1
sleep with the quail and the lark, and
with them rejoice in the breaking of day.
Yet while they go forth to rejoice in the
beauty of the busy world about them, oft
times lighting upon your tree. and amid
your blossoms, to sing their songs of praise,
I shed my beauty all day long, in the
darkness and gloom of the valley, perhaps
my only admirers being the snake and the
toad. My surroundings are dull and
gloomy, in the extreme, but the power
which placed me here, gave me power to
shine in beauty from morning until night,
and find joy in thus quietly permitting
my radiance to shine upon and make beau
tiful the dull pathway upon which am
placed"-
The violet looked up, but the morning
glory had wilted, and was hanging, help
less and limp, in the warm rays of the sun.
Its reign of power, with all its boastful-
ness, was of few hours duration, when
its frail beauty was overcome by stronger
rays, it's tender light consumed. But the
modest violet stood fearlessly and un-
harmed amid the hottest rays of the sun,
shedding its beauty and light upon the
world around.
There are great many morning-glory
Christians in this world of ours Endow-
ed with powers of shedding light and
beauty before the world-as the multi
tudes were taught upon the mountain
they glare and boast for little time in
life's morning, then become limp and
worthless Christians for the remainder
of the day. On the other hand there are
many Christians whose lives shine with
the modesty and beauty of the violet, con-
tent with their urrOundingS-madeb beau
tiful by their own lives-and shedding
their light and glory throughout the en-
tire day. A city planted upon a hill can
not be hidden, neither can a gem of beau
ty planted in a valley be lost to the world
Many Christian life is cast among the
most gloomy and forbidding surround
ings, yet shines with beauty which prais-
es the great power which created all
things. Gods people are the light of the
world; they must not be content with Civ
ing forth rays of beauty only so long as
the surroundings are pleasant, succumb
ing to the heat of the day, but must keeI
the head and heart lifted Heavenward
throughout the entire day. The rays
should shine into the darkest and most
gloomy recesses, gladden. the by-ways OF
life, and proclaim the glory as well as the
power of God, throughout the entire day
of life. Such lives constitute the light o.
the world
'How old man is the Marquis Of
Salisbury?" asked an American o.
an Englishman on the cars, the othel
morning. "Oh! he is not an old man
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