Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1858-07-24

o'"''' ~'A""J PSOPlO ha'o Bob Jne lQoa
that to be contented is a Christian duty. =
Because ST. Paul had learned to be conlcnt
with whatever allotment of Providence.
people think they ought to follow his ex.
ample yet it was this same apostle who
was for forgetting those things which were
behind, and pressing towards those which
we're before. He thus showed that be was
contented with the sphere in which Proyi
dence had given him the privilege Of exer.
cislng his dtscontent aud that was an en-.
tirely rational view Of the subject. We ore
TO be content 10 take things as they come.
/ and better ourselves as soon as possible.
/ Discomfort is IN our opinion. the stimu.
lus to all true progress and as progress
and development are the law Of The race
and the destiny, discomfort is necessarily
the very condition and root of the promised
millsnnial glory. 1t is from sense Of I'M
satisfied desire, unattained ambition, nn.
achieved excellence, and nnpossessed good,
that all those movements spring which make
this world the theater Of enterprise, actvi-
ty aud achievement. The bachelor discon-
tented, pays court TO the maid, and the
maid, discontentcd. gives her hand to the
bachelor, and out Of the discomfort Of each
grows their mutual happiness The scholar,
discontented with the poverty of his acqui-
sitions, spends bis years in study, and builds
a secure fame upon the basis Of his diseon-
tent. The poor man, yearuing for wealth
devotes himself to its accumulation. until,
from bis dlscontent. he wrests the blessings
he eogets. Discomfort, wo' king among the
sluggish forces Of the SOUL is the great agi-
fAr frnn Il.
moral universe, and it is perfectly safe to
predict that there will be no improvement
beyond that period of earthly history when
men cease TO be discontented. A contenI-
ed people never yet aciaeved great deeds.
Conteutment, in the popularity accepted
meaning Of the word, is the very grave of
national prosperity
Discomfort is the great leveler Of humani-
| ty. As men look around, they see what
appears TO be great partiality ia the alot-
meuts of Providence Que man has a roble
form and face, and health flows in all his
veins another is stunted in frame. and
ugly in face, aud weak in all his vital forces.
One woman is beautiful wearing the face
and the grace Of an angel another is
clumsy, nattractiye-perhaps repulsive.--
Que man is rich, and another Is poor one
man lives in palace, and dresses in purple
and fine linen, and fares sumptuously every
day another begs bread at bis gate, and
70 thankful to his dogs for On operation ia
natural surgery. With one, everything
goes prosperously with another adverse
fortune il the rule. Thus everything looks
Rueycn The platform of Gods providence
does not appear to be smooth and equable
affair at all. Yet. into the heart of each
man and woman God has put the sentiment !
of discomfort, SO that the handsome man is |
no happier than the homely, the beautiful |
woman is often more unhappy than the
plain and more humble woman, the rich !
man knows that riches have no power to |
satisfy, and the poor man wishes he had a |
chance to find out the same thing expert I
mentally. We entered q princely house |
recently, and congratulated the owner on
bis possession. "Don't long for a large
house" said he, :" it will kill you.with SER
wants, and be trouble to you always,-
The happiest year ever spent in my life
was in house so small that we lived out
of doors half of the time" Thus the real
enjoyment of life is more evenly distributed
than we have been accustomed TO believe,
and these diyersties in human life aud lot
are allowed to exist in order to keep the
spirit of discomfort well stirred up, and
stimulate in every direction to the attain
ment Of higher good, and the development
to the process which leads 20 it,
But discomfort may be misued and abused,
as well as any other of the blessings Of |
Providence. The individual who is not |
stimulated to action by this spur, but sits
still, aud let's it gall his sides, while be
whines over the pain and the loss of blood
doesn't know how To take the thing at alt
Discomfort, in such a case as this, becomes
q curse A slave who lies upon the ground
and refuses to obey the boot and the thong
OF the overseer, may be acting upon his in
diyidual right but he cannot expect to es-
cape without Aayed back and brace Of
broken ribs. II he will get up, and 60 10
work, he will escape bis troubles. If dis
content is received by any man as an essen
tial curse, il will be an essential curse TO |
him but if it be received as an Indication |
on the part Of his nature Of uneasiness in |
the presence or prospect Of unattained good. |
and he be stimulated TO effort for its attain.
ment, it becomes a blessing. God and |
BbeR ~1AOANg otlA Ni1~OHtCub Atulu1s - buS L
coutriTanee for leading the human race to |
its high home This is the way the shcp- |
herd brings bis sheep to the fold He goes |
before, with peck Of beans under bis arm,
and two or three dogs behind to nip at the
heels Of the laggard animals. and thus by
calling and driving, the flock is folded at
last
Therefore. blessed be disco1teHfI Itis
burr under che tail of progress thong
on the back Of aziness, Gre Of shaViags
under the belly Of luxury, spur 10 The side
OF improvement, dog at the heels OF re-
form, goad in the rump Of enterprise,
stomach-ache. TO be relieved by action, a
man without discomfort in his heart Is very
much worse OF than a man without music,
for while the latter may be ht for treasoDs,
stratagems aDd spoils. the former Is not ct
for those things at all. Ha isn'e up TO
them. Out Of our diseonient spring the
fairest blossoms Of oar hope aod forth
from these blossoms hoats she fragrance Of
onr lives. II may seem an unkindly soil,
but il has its analogies in nature. The
trailing arbutue grows green from the ore
vice CT rock. and kIossOIts bv the side Of