The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1919-02-27

ways precede the
creation of material form. In hours
of vision upon mountain peaks Of
thought we see life as it should be, and
then go down into the valley Of prac-
teal everyday life to patiently arrange
the gathered materials of duty accord
ing to the pattern seen in the mount.
All True Patterns From God.
Moses got his pattern for the tab
ernacle from God. 1t was planned to
spiritualize the thought and worship
Of an enslaved race. But all true pat
terms for life come from God, and only
as we have vision of Christ in the soil
tude of holy meditation shall we know
how to shape our lives.
If character is to be built cathedral
like in proportions and beauty, it cam
not be done extemporaneously. The
boy must have vision Of his future
manhood and be ready to make any
sacrifice Of boyish frivolities to attain
that manhood of sobriety, sincerity and
efficiency. The forward look gives
steadiness to life. The man who digs
a foundation with no thought but Of
his shovel and the clay, may become
shiftless and lazy, but he who has in
his heart vision Of the completed
home, with its atmosphere Of love and
friendship, works with inspiration.
Hence the difference between the men,
tai attitude Of a Michael Angelo to-
ward block of marble and the atti-
tude of common lapidary toward the
same stone. To the one the days Ia
Dor means but a piece Of silver, or
the food and drink 1t will buy. To
the other there Is an angel within the
stone, awaiting liberation, and its place
Of honor in a cathedral niche.
The Temple Of Service.
The social, commercial and civil life
of man is of such Importance, and has
such lofty ends in the economy of God
as to need the divine plan for its pat
tern. The human soul is made to
know God and to share all his moral
beauty. All the present material ex-
istence, with its struggle for bread
and pleasure, is as the transient, mod
ern scaffolding beneath the rising
man society is to be brotherhood, IL
Illustrating the Joy and blessedness Of
the divine family. The worlds trade
and commerce are to be Gods method
of distributing his bounties to all his
children. Civil institutions are to re-
fleet Gods righteousness, and to bring
the harmony Of his truth into public
affairs. The church Is spiritual tenn
pie in which every redeemed soul Is
living stone, in perfect line Of adj
justment with the corner stone, Jesus
Christ, glowing with the light Of holt
ness, and with others constituting a
spiritual sanctuary In which the sacri-
fee Of praise and service is offered to
God. For such life man cannot fur
nish his own plan. The history of
weary centuries in pagan lands reveals
mans incapacity for producing ideals.
Only as human life approaches the
Bible ideal can there be the righteous
ness of peace and the peace of right
eousness for which the world waits.
The Essentials Of Life Building.
Vision, memory and fidelity are the
essentials of the true life.
Moses could not have received the
pattern without waiting in the solitude
with God. Only on the heights and In
the quietness could the vision Of his
holy task come to his soul. We, too,
must heed Gods invitation for holy fell
lowship, and provide for hours of medi-
tation when he can speak to us. The
failure of most lives is the failure to
receive vision. LIES cares and pleas
ures hold back from the mount of rev.
elation.
Vision must be followed by memory.
The pattern seen in the mount must be
carried In the heart, and Its lines
translated into the structure OF the
plain. Every day life to glorify God
must be effort in the light Of holy
memory. The vows made when we
were In trouble, and the better life
planned amid Affections, must be paid
and lived If we follow the method of
Moses in dealing with the pattern In
the mount.
To vision and memory must be add
ed fidelity. The difficulty of builders
today is to find contractors who will
in all points follow specifications.
Christ, the divine architect, has fur
nished the blue prints for our charac-
ter building. Our highest thought
should be that no shadow of disap-
pointment shall sadden his face as our
temple of character and service is
viewed.