Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1916-01-12

Now as 1 journey I came to City
called Boston, says Safed, the sage of
the Advance, and l walked on a great
Highway called Bacon Street, hard by
the Common. And as l walked ] saw
men Looking Upward, and / also look
ed. And behold, a man Descending
out Of the Sky. And looked to see
him rescend upon the Common, and
he descended not there, but the wind
blew him afar, and at a great height
so that-he flew over the Dome of the
State House, which is the Gilded Hub
of the Universe. And my heart was
disturbed within me, and / said 10,
this Aviator hath descended out of an
Aeroplane, and he intends to come
down upon the Common, where there
is Grass, and the wind hath carried
him far beyond, and he will alight
where there are Houses, and where
streets are Narrow, and it may be he
will be dashed to Pieces. And the
Parachute wherewith he descended
Swelled out in the Wind, and sailed
afar. And many people ran to be at
the spot where he should descend.
And ran not, for / liked not to look
on men dashed to pieces.
But he Descended in safety, albeit
in a Narrow Street, and among peo-
pie about three thousand in number,
and nothing harmed him, for the
Parachute held Safely and he did not
dash his foot against the Stones of
Granite wherewith the street is paved.
Now when heard that he had des-
cended in safety l was glad, for it is
good to know that man may be
master of the Elements, and may
conquer the Air as he may conquer
Land and Sea. Yet was | glad thnt
/ was not in his place.
And meditated about many things.
| thought Of the Peril which man
assumeth who elevateth himself above
his fellow men; and how readily it
may hap that his elevation above
them shall be the Occasion whereby
he Loses Fellowship with them. For
behold how Feeble we all were, and
Powerless to Help, while he chung
there above the head of the Multitude,
ard we could do nothing, yea, though
he had fallen at our very feet. Even
so there be souls so Isolate that,
amid the throng, yet sail they apart
| from the Concerns Of other mems
lives, and they are seen in peril, but
no man can help.
And | prayed my God that while
He shall keep my head up, and my
face ever toward the sky, yet may
be kept in Sympathy with Common
Life, and with my feet planted firmly
on the Earth. And though this be
not so CONSPICUOUS, yet may 1t be
Safer.
Yea, and l remember that in some
sort God hath lifted me above many
of the conditions of life of the multi
tude, so that toll not with my hands
in brick or mortar, nor in the tilling
of the soil; and prayed Him for a
Humble heart.
Yea, and | considered again how
perilous is the Situation of him who,
either by his Own Vanity or the will
of God, is elevated in any wise above
his fellows. And prayed to my God
that in so far as the Office of the
Ministry Constitutes such an eleva-
tiop, God would guard me therein
That might not use it for vain Flights
of Oratory, nor sail in my Preaching
above the Heads of the People, Meth
err seek to make them Admire my
Agility, but rather that He would
Bear me up, lest / dash my foot
against Stone, and provide for me 9
Good Place to Alight.
All this l considered when / be-
held the man in the Parachute, and
resolved that / would write these
meditations for the benefit of such
Of my Brethren as might be in need
thereof.
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