The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1889-08-15
What Our Christian Lives Should Be.

The above is the title to the following
essay, which was read at Union Chapel
on Children's Day, August 4th, by Miss
Stella Mercer, which will be found to con-
tain much to think calmly about:
In all Christian lands we are taught
by the Bible that Christ is the Savior of
all, and especially of those who believe
in His holy name and obey His com.
mands. Then we should let Christ and
our own conscience be our Christian
landmarks. There is in human nature
a strong craving after the same visibility
and tangibility in heavenly things that
exist among the earthly. We are our
selves visible and tangible, and all ma.
terial objects and interests about us are
SO, and we naturally desire that the OBJ
jects of our lives should partake Of the
same characteristics, forgetting that 'The
things that are seen are temporal, while
things that are not seen are eternal"
For it has been true for 1900 years that
the heaven DER head, wrapped in un.
broken silence, looks down with SEEM
ing Indifference upon the struggling
masses beneath, while the earth in slug
gish muteness gives no sign Of sympathy
to our Christian lives. It is true that
from out the clear blue depths above no
glimpse of God or heaven hath ever been
vouchsafed to man since Jesus assembled,
and St. John, the divine, closed up all
outward visions at Patmos. Then our
lives should have the love and unselfish.
ness of Christ engrafted in them. True
Christian love does not work for reward
on earth, or think about reflex influences
and personal returns.
For the moment these ideas predomi-
nate it ceases to be Christian love. AS
Christ said, "If we love those that love
us, what reward have we? Do not
even the publicans the same?" If we
do good to our friends only, what do we
more than others? Then we should
have in our lives the true Christian love
which leads us to initiate God, who sends
His rain upon the just and the unjust,
expecting no return in the words OF
Paul, "It sutfereth long and is kind it
envieth not it vaunteth not itself, and
is not puffed up; it seeketh not its own,
is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
hopeth all things and endureth all
things" that God may be honorQd and
souls benefited and saved by our living
upon the earth. When in our Christian
lives we are beset by temptation and the
tongue OF the slanderer and backbiter is
hurled at US, we should remember the
prayer of Christ upon the cross-"Fath.
or, forgive them, for they know not what
they do" As Christ hung there nailed
to the cross, he suffered intensely, un.
justly and innocently and II there is
anything that will make the human
spirit irritable, it is to suffer unjustly.
Yet, looking down upon His cruel and
stony-hearted executioners, instead of
upbraiding them, He tenderly prays for
them. We should remember this in our
Christian lives upon earth, and although
we are storm-beaten and tempest-tossed
DER life's sea, we should ever keep this
prayer uppermost in our thoughts. Now
Christ asks of us who would be His fol.
lowers, not love that equals His, but
that which resembles 1t; not love OF
the same strength, but OF the same kind.
A pearl Of due will net hold the sun, but
1t can hold spark OF its light. A child
by the sea trying to catch the crystal