Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-08-05
ELOQUENT SER MON
Rev. P. A. johnson Pleases Hear
ers With Recent Talk.
"a CITY ON A HILL CANNOT Be HID
Masterful Address Is Met With Mark
ed Interest by the Congregation
Text Was From Matthew 5: A.
Sermon Published by Request.
[From Mondays Dai!y.I

[From Mondays Dai!y.l
The following sermon recently de-
livered by Rev. p A. Johnson, pastor
of the First Congregational church, was
listened to by his hearers with great
interest. The text was from Matthew
5: IA, "A city on hill cannot be hid"
The following is portion of the SER
mon published by request:
The City on a Hill.
Students of the bible have noted that
the author of the book of Genesis
places the scene of mans early sin in
garden, while the writer of the book
OF Revelations portrays the city as the
scene of mans supreme happiness, the
place where society is to receive the
final touches of perfection. 1t was in a
garden our paradise was lost; it is in
city, coming down out of heaven and
resting upon new earth, where our
paradise is to be regained The influ-
enee of the city upon mans upward
progress has been wonderful. Where
people live apart, isolated and in soli-
tude, there is little opportunity for
vigorous intellectual and moral devel-
opment But the moment individuals
unite themselves in families, and the
families unite themselves in tribes and
tribes unite in cities, then culture be-
gins. Then came literature, art, music,
libraries, schools and churches.
The Old Cities.
The history of past centuries clus-
tiers around cities. The history of
Egypt is the history of her cities,
Thebes, Memphis, Luxon. Athens was
the incarnation of Greek life. Here liv-
ed her philosophers, sculptors, drama
lists, orators and poets. Rome, the
eternal CITY," ruled the empire of the
same name while Jerusalem, the city
of David and Soloman, was regarded
by every Jew as the city of God, the
special center of civil and religious
| life. There seems to be some justifica-
ton for the saying "as goes the city, so
goes the world"
Cannot Lie Hid.
| Our Savior must have had i'll mind
the Unreasonable influence of the city
when he spoke as he did: "A city that
| is set on hill cannot be hid" He
seems to have had in mind the good
influence which might radiate from a
city CENTER for he is speaking to his
disciples, telling them that they are
light in the world. rs it is the func-
ton of light to shine so they are to be
radiant light in the midst of the
worlds darkness. AS a city set on a
hill cannot be hid, so they, elevated in
the eyes of the world through the
grace and power given to them will
be seen. and it Is for them to deter
mine what sort of light they will re-
fleet, whether it be the light that draws
on or repels man, whether it is to add
or detract from the glory of God.
A Fascinating Story.
A city set on hill is fascinating
story. The bible glorifies the hills
Their massiveness is the symbol OF
strength and endurance. The hills are
strong. rich, perhaps, in mineral re,
sources. Their slopes are carpeted
with verdure, while rare specimens OF
flowers help to brighten the scenery
and scent the atmosphere with a sweet
fragrance.
From their tops the view is broad
and commanding. The clouds laden
with moisture come across the plains
but when they strike the hills and
mountains. they drop their wealth in
the form of gentle rain upon the parch
ed earth. No wonder the devout SOU
cried out to God "Thy mercy reaches
even unto the Clouds" There is hard
ly a single forceful illustration in the
bible drawn from the plains, while the
hills are referred to repeatedly. How
the soul of Israel tainted in the Baby
lonian captivity, because obliged tt
live away from the hills of Palestine
on the monotonous, unbroken, dead
level plains of ancient Mesopotamia
The battlement of hills which sur
rounded Jerusalem helped to make il
the ideal city to every devout Jew
and lover of the hills.
i A Beacon Light.
\ The city set on hill is usually at
tractive, partly because God and ma
ture have conspired to make it's sit
uation a beacon light, and partly be
cause other things being equal, it's in
fiuence is more potent and far reach
ing than that of the city on the plains
A city set on hill cannot be hid, it Il
beautiful for situation, it gives tont
and character to the whole adjacen
country. If God made the countr.
and man made the town, it is no les
true that the God-made country cal
be nodded or marred by the man-mad
town. The city sets the pace for othe
cities and towns in the lines of in
dustry and enterprise. It's improve
ments are marked. its good and evi
example copied. For 1t is Well know
fact that as a man carries with him
certain atmosphere as nation has it
own marked national traits. so a cit,
takes on an atmosphere peculiar t.
itself. When we stand in the presenc
of noble man we feel the noblenes
in us rising to greet his, or standing
in the presence Of a degraded life w
feel a deadening, depressing influence
So there are communities, villages
towns and cities whose intellectua
and moral atmosphere is helpful an
stimulating, and again there are town
and cities where one must brace him
self against hundred evils lest h
be drawn into the whirlpool of socia
and moral vice. These two possihil