[From the New York Observer.]
INTERNATIONAL S. S. LESSONS.
BY REV. E. P. ROGERS.
FEBRUARY 1.
TRUE DISCIPLES.
MATT. 5 :I—l6.
GOLDEN TEXT, —"Ye are the light of the world.'
—Matt. 6:14.
Central Truth: —The blessedness of be
lievers.
More than a year had now passed since
our Lord began his public ministry. Du
ring that time he had wrought his first
miracle in Cana of Galilee: had celebrated
his lirst Passover at Jerusalem, and had
held his remarkable interview with Nie
odemus, who sought his counsel at night;
had held the striking conversation with
the woman of Samaria at Jacob's well;
had gone through many parts of Galilee;
had miraculously healed the nobleman's
son; had been rejected by the people at
Nazareth, and removed to Capernium;
had worked the miracle of the draught of
fishes, and called Peter, James, John, and
Levi, the publican, to be disciples; had
worked many other miracles, among them
that at Bethesda. and the healing of the
paryletic's hand Capernium; and had
called tjie twelve Apostles, to whom the
famous "Sermon on the Mount" was
preached.
This discourse may be called a sort of
inaugural sermon for the twelve, to whom
in company with other disciples, it was
first preached.
The place where it was delivered was a
hill a little west of the Sea of Galilee, less
than a hundred feet in heightli, with two
summits called the "horns of Hattin,"
from tfe village of Hattin, which was near
by. It had a smoothe and level spot on
the top, where a company could be easily
accomodated, and stood in the midst of a
fertile and beautiful region.
The discourse was spoken for the speci
al instruction of the twelve Apostles,
though many others probably listened to
its teachings, Our Lord had spent the
preceding night in prayer, and in the
morning he called, each by name, the
twelve humble Galileans who were to be
his companions and friends, the preach
ers of his gospel and the chief counsellors
in his kingdom.
The Church has immortalized these
men as "the glorious company of the Ap
ostles," and they well deserve such hon
orable remembrance, llut at this time
they were only a company of simple-mind
ed believers, with crude ideas of that
kingdom of which they were to be tin
leaders, and to human eyes poorly equip
ped for the great work which was now to
be committed to them. But God has al
ways chosen the foolish \ hings of the world
to t onfound the mighty, committing the
treasures of the gospels to "earthen ves
sels, that the excellency of the power"
might be his alone.
To thos°! chosen ones gathered before
him on the hill of Hattin, the Great
Teacher proceeded to address his match
less discourse. It was his first public
manifesto: the first announcement of the
principles of the new kingdom which he
was to set up 011 the earth. He declares
what are the orders of nobility in that
kingdom, aud a glance at these convinces
us that iiis kingdom is indeed "not of
this world." The blessed ones, the hou
ored ones in that kingdom, are not the
rich, the mighty, the prosperous, and the
complacent, but they are the poor, the
sorrowful, the meek, the hungering and
thirsting after goodness, the merciful,
the pure, the peacemakers, the persecu
ted for righteousness' sake.
These are not the signs of popularity
with the world. They describe character
rather than condition. They mark the de
velopment of an inward work of grace in
logicol connection and progressive stages.
1 hey set forth a style of character utterly
antagonistic to that which the world
praises. The world has its own "Beati
tudes," but they are not these. These
have in themselves their own reward.
They who possess them are not merely
promised blessedness in the future; they
are declared to be already blessed in the
present.
This "Sermon on the Mount" may be
considered as a true description and def
inition of Christian discipleship and of
the felicity of those who possess and
manifest these traits. They are said to
be "the salt of the earth" and "the light
of the world." They keep it pure and
they furnish it witli illumination.
Religion gives a healthy tone to the
moral atmosphere, and preserves society
from decay. It enlitens and adorns all
life, and makes every faithful Christian a
beneficent power among men. It is not
only the lofty or the learned who are
its best examples. "A little child, a
meek maiden, a humble laborer, may be
as true a bearer of the savor and the ra
diance of Jesus Christ, as an anointed
priest before the altar, or an ordained
preacher in the pulpit." (Dykes.)
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
1. There is a natural and logical order
in the development of true Christian
character.
A man in poor spirit, under a sense of
moral uuworthyness, will be a mourner
over his sinfulness, and such mourning
will lead to meekness. Tnis will natur
ally awaken strong desire like hunger and
thirst, after real spiritual goodness. A
sense of one's own need of mercy will
lead to a merciful spirit towards others.
Purity or sincerity of heart will naturally
follow the preceding steps, and a sense
of the blessedness of communion with
God will lead the believer to desire that
all his fellow-men shall be at peace with
God. If his efforts to promote this, sub
ject him to persecution, he is able to en
dure it and glorify God in it.
2. God has spoken to men from three
mountains, Sinai, ( Hattin and Calvary.
The utterances of each are Individually
significant, yet srangely concordant. We
are taught the majesty and purity of the
Law, the value of the Attoncment, and the
blessedness of the justified believer. Si
nai is needful for our first teaching, Cal
vary for our second lesson, and the "Ser
mon on the Mount" completes the in
struction by which "we arc made wise
unto salvation."
3. To be poor in spirit is by 110 means
to be mean in spirit.
That which is base by nature is not
made noble by religion.
4. Meekness is not cowardice.
Never be afraid to do right. "The
righcous is bold as a lion."
5. There is a hunger and thirst of the
soul as well as the body.
God can satisfy the one as well as the
other. "Man cannot live by bread alone."
Christ is "the living bread which came
down from heaven."
0. To obtain mercy we must be ready
to show mercy.
7. A pure and holy God cannot look up
on sin, save with abhorrence.
But a believing and forgivon siuner Is
permitted to see God.
8. First, purity; then, peace.
9. Those who are canonized in Christ's
kingdom must be willing to be canon
aded for Christ's kingdom. 3XB
10. Nothing is more worthless than
savorless salt, except a Christian who
has a name to live and is dead.
11. Christians are the light of the
world.
But light and lightning are not the
same thing. The llash and fulmination
of the one is a different thing from the
illumination of the other. Far sweeter
and more precious is the serene and
steady radiance of the star, than the glare
of the meteor, which blazes and startles
and passes away!
True faith leads the soul to Christ un
der every calamity.
NATHAN TIDD,
DBAI.BR IN
PITTSTON, WILKES - BARRE, AND
LOYAL SOCK COAL.
Invites the patronage of his old friends and the pub
lic generally. I shall keep a full assortment
of all sizes,
AND SHALL SBLL AT
LOWEST PRICES FOR CASH.
Yard and office, foot of Pine street, just south of
Court House.
Aug. 30 N. TIDD.
V ertical
Feed.
\susual, the Vertical Feed
Sewing Machine took First Pre
mium, at the late county Fair.
T FIGHT MIT SIGEL
i
!:
and all
I .J
HONORABLY DIBCHARU KD SOLDIKItS
will consult their own interest* ny calling at
JACOBS'
long established and well known
ONE PRICE
CLOTHING
HOUSE,
PATTON'S BLOCK,
and buy their coats, pants, vests, overcoats, shirts,
overalls, Gloves, Hose, Hats and Caps, and every
thing in the line of fine and stylish
GENTS' FURNISHING GOODS.
UDon't he deceived by persons falsely representing
themselves to be JACOBH, but come directly to my
Btore In Patton Block, Main street, near Bridge stf
aug2G H. JACOBS.
Text Booh Uniformity.
RESULT WHERE BOOKS H AVE TO
STAND ON THEIR OWtf MERIT.
At a Convention of School Directors, of
Centre County, held a Bellefonte, Decem
ber 26, 1878, pursuant to the call of H.
Meyer, Esq., County Superintendent, for
the purpose of considering the propriety
of taking measures to secure a uniformity
of the text-books used in the schools of
said county, the following action was
taken, over tifty directors being presdht
and nearly all the district in the county
being represented:
COPY OF MINUTES.
Upon motion of C. P. Stonerod, of Snow
Shoe township, the following preamble and
resolutions were adopted: n
WHEREAS: Great expense and waste, are
frequently incurred by the present and con
nstatly changing variety of text-books used in
the common schools of Centre county, there
fore, be it
Resolved , By the representative directors
here in session, that a system of text-books,
suitable, complete and uniform, be adopted in
accordance with the laws of the State,
throughout the county.
Upon motion of J. C. P. Jones, the follow
ing plan was adopted with but one dissenting
vote, to carry into effect the following pre
amble and resolutions:
First. The various publishing houses to
send samples of their hooks to each sehol
board in tne county lor examination and to
submit therewith the lowest exchange, intr -
duetory and wholesale prices, and the length
of time they will guarantee to furnish them
at. said price.
Second. No agent of any publtsliing house
to be permitted to do any work in the county,
to be either general or local agent, beyond
sending his books and terms as above stated.
Any house or agent violating this under
standing, their books to be counted ou of the
contest.
Third. The several school boards of the -
county, after examination of the various
books which may have been submitted, to
hold a meeting at which each director shall
make out a list of the hooks which he prefers
to have adopted in the county, and send it to
Henry Meyer, Esq., County* Supcrindent, at
Rebersburg, Pa., prior to the first day of
June, 1879, who shall ma i / * e
several statements so sent, and the books up
on the various branches having the ighest
number of votes or preference shall be tho
series recommended for couuty uniformity.
The County Superintendent, afier having
made the above canvaos as above, to send the
result of the same to each of the papers in the
county for publication.
W. C. HEINLE, Chairman.
J. C. P. JONES, Secretary.
The following is the result of the votes
of the Directors of Centre county, Pa., on
the uniformity of Text-books in said
county, with the number of votes cast fro
each book, under the foregoing plan and
resolutions:
READERS. No. vote.
for eacsh
New Graded 74
Independent 20
Appleton's 17
New American 12
SPELLERS.
Swinton's 83
New American 0
Independent 23
Appleton's 1
Patterson's
Sander's Union
Raub's 1
GEOGRAPHIES.
Swinton's 100
Colton's 14.
Mitchell's 10
Independent 1
Monteith's 5
HISTORIES.
Swinton's 63
Redpath's 5
Barnes' Brief 7
Butler's ri
Ouackenbos' 1
Watson's 6
V KITTEN ARITHMETIC.
Robinson's Shorter Course 67
Greenleaf's
Brook's.., _
Gilne's " 00
Boff's 12
N rook's Union , 3
Mew American 4
MENTAL ARITHMETIC.
Milne's 7
Greenleaf's 4
ALGEBRA.
Robinson's 5g
Greenleaf's j
COPY BOOKS.
Spencerian 63
Appleton's 30
Ellsworth's 10
GRAMMARS.
Kerl's 72
Swinton's 17
Clark's Brief * 15
Bullion's 1
Harvey's 20
Quaekenbos' 3
lewsmith's | 1
LANGUAGE LESSONS.
Kerl's 5
Clark's j
Harvey's 5
Morton's 5
BOOK-KEEPING.
Bryant & Stratum's 44
Folsom's A
Smith's
CIVIL GOVERNMENT.
Townsend's..* ##