Charlevoix county herald., 1904-12-17
The MESSAGE the World Wants.

shall be glad for them. and the desert
shall rejoice and blossom as the rose
Isaiah was a poet. His pictures
were figurative, but always thrilling
Often he excites our interest by con-
trast, as here; first he describes the
doom of Edom then brightens the en-
tire view with the gladness of better
day; so from eerie gloom the prospect
passes to hope and cheer.
That is the message the world
wants. The continuous thread run
ming through history is kindness and
goodness and cheers life. Things that
are bitter and acrid and dark abound
too much. The struggle has ever
! been to clear the wilderness, to popu-
late the solitary places, to irrigate ana
| make fruitful the desert.
The Heavenly Father Is rare gar
dener, and the best friend OF men;
what He plants blossoms and yields
| richly. We look for the anemone and
the rose, for waters in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert, for springs
in a thirsty land, and grass and YER
dure where sand and waste were be-
fore. and we are not disappointed. The
wilderness and the solitary place are
glad for them. So Jesus at Nazareth
said he was anointed to preach glad
tidings to bind up the broken hearted,
to comfort all that mourn, to repair
the desolation.
What is done to replevin the ground
is being done to benefit and improve
men. who are dearer to God than the
ground and it's fruits; and il there be
, Joy when a sand waste or jungle is re-
claimed, there will be rejoicing when
> the life of any of us is filled with
9 goodness and moved by mercy that
droppeth as the gentle rain from
heaven: when notes Of unkindliness
and sharp edged prejudice and Ill
: omened thoughts and FESTIVE and IL
:, trusive self-seeking, which forgets
= alike both God and man, are weeded
:, out and we become like trees, which
y are the planting of the Lord, tall
stately, strong, fruitful.
A pretty legend tells how when Je
sus left the tomb on the resurrectlor
morning flowers sprung up in the patti
IL behind Him, and this is true in a bet
r, ter way than the legend tells, for iron
IS His influence more fragrant things
MS than flowers have sprung-forbear
ance. consideration, thoughtfulness
Mt gentleness. These are the roses tina
grace character and render associa
tons happy A garden OF such blos
or SONS will go far toward redeeming
II waste place.
The Prophet describes scene
he "parched" ground and all over 1t
the mark of desolation. This illu
in, trates the forbidding and sordid an
,,s unwholesome elements Of existence
the things that poison and hurt an
-. despoil us, and that go to make III
sterile and dreary and hard for OF
lon ers to live. A single garden sp'
we helps to beautify an otherwise u
slightly district, as sometimes mere
Iu' q window flower box cheers stifiir
tenement. or a bit of park gladdeI
III II the dirty city; and much more does
genial and goodly life scatter su
ion shine everywhere.
Gladness and Joy are to dispose
the desolation. Men are to grow bette
TO catch the spirit of Jesus; to
moved by his maSterlui io'o a"'
fee from every sneaking sin; to put dov
the whelming of self; to be fitted
49,, to the gentleness and sweetness
asst Jesus; to be steadied at the We
points Of all our infirmities, and
"' have His light conferred upon the da
lest disc of our consciousness; to drs
=, ever nearer His cloudless present
Good people-actively breathing a
doing good-breathing the atmosphe
nm. of God and healthful with the Wig
po- which that imparts' ana oy 'ne iose
ON God within them, are to rid the VOL
of its meanness and irritations a
.om guile and so the Lord God will eau
inc Righteousness and praise to spri
nm forth before all nations.-Rob'
of Bruce Clark.