Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1894-02-23

Bolivar, Clarkson, Robert Raikes,
a Harlan Page, who had 125 Sabbath
scholars, eighty-four of whom became
Christians and six of them ministers
of the gospel
With gratitude. and penitence, and
worship, ] mention the grandest life
that was ever lived. That ship of
light was launched from the heavens
nearly 1860 years ago, angelic hosts
chanting, and from the celestial
wharves the ship sprang into the
toughest sea that ever tossed. Its
pillows were made up of the wrath of
men and devils, Herodic and Sanhedri-
mic prosecutions stirring the deep
with RED wrath, and all the hurricanes
of woe smote it, until on the rocks of
Golgotha that life struck with n re-
sound of agony that appalled, the
earth and the heavens. But in the
wake of that life what a phosphores-
cence of smiles on the cheek of souls
pardoned and lives reformed. and
nations redeemed. The millennium
itself is only one roll of that irradiated
wave of gladness and benediction. In
said of him, "He maketh a path TO
shine after him"
But can not look upon that lumin-
osity that follows ships without real
izing how fond the Lord is of life.
That fire of the deep is life myriads of
creatures all a-swim, and a-play, and
a-romp in parks of marine beauty laid
out, and parterred, and roseated, and
blossomed by omnipotence. What is
the use of those creatures called
by the naturalists. ''crustaceans"
and "copepods," not more than
one out of hundreds of billions of
which are ever seen by human eye?
God created them for the same reason
that he creates flowers in places where
no human foot ever makes them trem-
BILE, and no human nostril ever inhales
their redolence, and no human eye
ever sees their charm. In the botanical
world they prove that God loves flow
ers, as in the marine world the phos-
phori prove that he loves life, and he
loves life in play, life in brilliancy of
gladnesS, life in eexuberance.
A
loves our life if we fulfill our mission as
fully as the phosphori fulfill theirs.
The Son of God came that we might
have life, and have it more abund-
antly." But l am glad to tell you
that our God is not the God sometimes
described as harsh critic at the head
of the universe, or an infinite scold;
Cd hat l. hot
than weddings; or God that prefers
tears to laughter, an omnipotent Nero,
ferocious Mana Sahib; but the love
lest being in the universe, loving
flowers, and life, and play, whether of
phosphori in the wake of the Majestic,
or of the human race keeping Holt
day
But, mark you, that the phosphores-
cence has glow that the night mon.
opolizes, and | ask you not only what
kind of influence you are going to
leave in the world as you pass through
it, but what light are you going to
throw across the worlds night OF sin
and sorrow? People who are sailing
on smooth sea and at noon do not need
much sympathy, but what are you go
ing to do for people in the night of
misfortune? viii you drop on them
shadow, or will you kindle for them
| phosphorescence? At this moment
there are more people crying than
laughing; more people on the round
world this moment hungry than we'll
| fed; more households bcrcft than
homes unbrolIen. What are you
gong to do about it? Well"
says yonder soul. Il would like to do
something toward illunining the
great ocean of human wretchedness.
but can not do much" Can you do
as much as one OF the phosphori in the
middle of the Atlantic ocean crea-
lures smaller than the point Of sharp
pin? 20, yes" you say. Then do
| that Shine Stand before tho look.
ing glass and experiment to see if you
can not get that scowl off your fore
head: that peevish look out OF your
lips Have at least one bright ribbon
in your bonnet. Embroider at least
one white cord somewhere in the
midnight of your apparel, Do not
any longer impersonatc a funeral!
Shine! Do say something cheer
full about society, and about the
world. Put few drops OF heaven into
your disposition. Once in awhile sub
stitute a sweet orange for sour
lemon Remember chat pessimism is
blasphemy, and that optimism is Chris
tianity. Throw some light on the
night ocean. Ifyou can not be Ian
tern swinging in the rigging, be one OF
the tiny phosphori back of the keel
Shine! Let your light so shine be.
fore men that others seeing your good
works may glorify your Father which
is in heaven" Make one person happy
every day and do that for twenty
years and you will have made seven
thousand three hundred happy, You
know man who has lost all
his property by an unfortunate
investment, or by putting his
name on the back of friends
note? After you have taken "A brief
nap, which every man and woman is
pntitlad 70 On n Supdou aftarnaon 80