Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-06-21
FOLLOWING THE PArrERN,
BY Rev. Nehemiah Boynton, /

ny Ncf' NCHcHldH OOtntOHs ~. u.
See that thou make al these things
according to the patterns showed to thee
In the ount.-Hebrews viii. 5.
If we could have been present with
those superstitious, half-tutored children
of Israel, as they stood at the base of
that beautiful mountain of antiquity and
watched the enveloping cloud which re
ceived Moses ont of their sight, am sure
that We should have certainly failed OF
the larger satisfaction of that significant
event. Their eyes were holden: they did
not see the larger part; they did not see
at all. 1t is possible that we at this pres
ent day are better able to estimate the
value of the vision upon that wonderful
occasion than were the children of Israel
themselves. For it is possible. is it not
To be SO close to an event as TO lose the
perspective of it. and in losing the per-
spective fail of the larger significance?
However much there may be of OBJ
security. then, which gathers round our
knowledge of this great event in Old
Testament history, Of one thing we may
be very sure. that Moses during those
forty days was not spending the major
part OF his time in committing TO memory
dimensions in feet and inches of the tab
ernacle which was to he built to the nom
or Of God; nor was he concerned very
largely in copying certain plans which
had been revealed to him there
The song is always the singers soul to
begin with Writing the score is a mat
ter of incident. The scheme is in the
architects mind. Drawing it ont upon
paper is purely a matter of detail. Moses
in the mount saw with clear &c the
great and mighty ideal, meditatcd upon
il until il became part and parcel of mis-
nober self.
What was that ideal? 1t was this:
That the heavenly Father would have
an earthly tabernacle; that if he were TO
have an earthly tabernacle. it must be
free-will offering of the children who
loved him. and if the children who loved
him were to make free-will offering I'M
to him, that Offering must represent those
children at their best, it must be the best
IN material-gold, silver, precious stones,
linen tne and purple. 1t must be the
very best in proportion, there must be
nothing angular about it. 1t must be the
best In ornamentation. 1t seems to me
that 1t is keen suggestion that although
this tabernacle was to be built fer God
and have its home in the wilderness, it
must be ornamented. God loves beauti-
full things
Now, Moses was q man with like pas
sions as ourselves and with like powers
as WELL and the only way in which God
could communicate with Moses was Ivy
and through those powers in Moses which
were most like God. Moses had a spir-
itual eye. through which he could see
God. So have you. Moses had a spirit
ual ear, by virtue of which he could hear
God. So have you. Moses had not a
single power for seeing and hearing and
kpewing God which is not essentially rep
resented in your life and mine; and il
Moses, in his vision of God, could catch
the sense of a high and holy ideal which
in its working out should represent Is
rael at its best. So you and | personally,
in our visions of God. can catch a sight
of the high and holy ideal which he
CherisheS for our lives and can have
grace TO begin to build our tabernacle
in the wilderness OF our life for him.
which shall represent these poor lives Of
ours absolutely at their best in material
for God, best in proportion for God, best
in workmanship for God, best in orna-
mentation for God.
That is the simple message of to-day
that just as the pattern was revealed I'M
10 Moses in the mount, by virtue of which
he was to make all things, so the pattern
may be revealed to you and to me for our
little lives, IN order flat in every respect
we may make those lives according to the
pattern which has been shown unto MS in
the mount Of our nearest approach to
God.
If we are to hold this fact just for
little while before our minds, the very
thing which suggests itself is so common
place that we do not discern the real pow
er Of it. namely, that God is all the while
and everywhere working by plan.
We see this truth as we look out into
Gods beautiful world. 1t is very evil
dent anywhere for man who will look
10 see it. There can not, by any posi-
bility, be such thing as one little twin
King star running wild in the blue iirma-
ment, else all Gods plan for the universe
would be in jeopardy; there can not, by
any possibility, be such thing as one
little violet blooming independently in and
Of itself in some wilderness Of the world
without. by virtue of that fact Gods
great plans for his great universe being
in jeopardy.
If God has plan. II Gods plan is in
elusive, it follows that Gods plan for the
human life may be known. You may
know what Gods purpose is for your
life, and then be able to do all things ac-
cordng TO the pattern shown unto you
OF course. we understand that no man
ever entirely and wholly apprchends the
plans of God. Ii requires a whole uni
verse 10 display these plans to begin
with; but if one may not completely un-
derstand the entire plan Of God for his
day, for his generation, for his universe
he still may catch glimpse Of the plan
Of God for his own life
II it is true that God has plan, If it
is true that that plan is inclusive OF
your life and Of my own, it is also trac
that those will know most of the plan
Of God who are most continually in his
presence. HE that followeth me shall
not walk in darkness" IF any man
will do his will, he shall know" And
" herever there is man who dwellg in