Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1860-04-06
The True Test of Prosperity.

GA Mans life CONSISTENT not in the /
abundance of the things which he pos t
sesseth." A man is not prosperous {
because he makes money, because he is
skillful, or because he has knowledge.
That man who is happy; that man
whose mind in like well-chorded harp, !
and is responsive to enjoyment that
man who knows how to enjoy with his
intellect, with his moral sentiments,
with his taste; that man who knows how
to reap Joy from all his social atec-
tions that man who knows how to
stand strong without being debauched
by his animal passions that man VINO
knows how to regulate his physical life;
that man who has supreme use OF NM
self, all through that man who Is
happy in the broadcast way, and with
the greatest number of fountains OF en-
joyment-that man is prosperous.
On the other hand, man may be
ripe scholar and rich man, and not be
prosperous. A man may be million
aire, and yet be so miserable as to
groan and curse all night. Aman may
have all the outside things which the
world affords, and yet not be happy
man. One man may have chest full
of excellent tools, and be bungllng
workman; while another man may have
nothing but jacknife and be skill
full workman. One man may have ev-
er so many external means of enjoy
ment, and be miserable while another
man may have scarcely any external
means of enjoyment, and be happy.
You must not, therefore, argue that
man is prosperous because he has in.
huence or power, or money, or any OF
these things. Ifyou want to know who
are prosperous, find out who are happy:
You would think, to look at that bell
up in the belfry, "Oh, such bell,
lifted up so hight only needs that
some one should pull the rope to max.
it sound glcriously through the air ~
Well, pull the rope, it sounds for all
the world like tin pan 1t is cracked.
I see men in the old belfry of prosper
ity and other men are looking up at
them and saying, ooh, how happy they
must be- ~ Well, ring them, and see
how they sound. You will find them
to be good for nothing the moment you
subject them to that test.
Therefore, in constituting the declar-
ations Of Scripture, you are not to
measure man by his pocket, by what
he is worth, and say, "That man is
prosperous who has a good deal and
that man is unprosperous who has but
little" Before you can tell whether a
man is prosperous or not, you must 60
into the man himself you must see
what his secret thoughts are. l tell
you there is more Joy to many pau
per who looks at the sun and the grass
and the flowers, and listens to the birds
from the aims. house window, than there
is to many millionaire. have known
good many Of these rich men al
ways cotton to the rich !! I always make
friends with them, that l may fad out
what sort Of men they are, what kind
Of life they live, and how they enjoy
themselves. A rich man in New Y ork
was often heard to say in his bed, "Oh
God! oh God! when will it be morning.
When man has built his bed out of
hard gold, he does not sleep any easier
than he would if he had built it Of iron
Or stone. When a man builds his life
out Of metals, he has got to have me-
talic life.
I tell you mans life does not con-
sist Of the thing he possesses. 1t con-
sists in the sweetness Of his disposition,
in the delicacy Of his tastes, in the
richness of his affections, in the breadth
Of his recognition of Gods work in
everything in which mans life stands.
You may be rich and be a beast, and
you may be poor and be an angel. AL
Of human life may be at your service,
and yet you may not be able to say
that one foot is yours except that small
portion Of real estate which everybody
owns in the grave yard. You may not
have more than that, and yet be rich
and prosperous.
When, therefore, you are undertake
ing to see whether or not seeking first
the kingdom Of God and his righteous
ness will inure to your prosperity, do
not make a superficial measurement :
measure clear through into the marrow.
[ only need to say a few things in
closing and the first thing I wish to
say is this that God has put an advo-
cate for virtue and religion in every
part Of your life; and your lower ma
ture pleads for virtue as really as your
higher nature. AS in the body in re-
spect to health, so in the soul in respect
to religion. Of course the greatest
blessings Of health are experienced in
the brain, in the heart, in the stomach,
in the nerves, in these central organs :;
but there is not part that is not bet
ter for being healthy. A mans very
hair, his very nails, the parts that seem
designed to be clipped off, and that
seem to be u eless, are better for being
healthy. General health keeps every
thing-the least important things, as
we'll as the things Of the most import
ance. So it is with religion. Though
it helps chiefly the moral faculties, it
helps everything, and makes a man
better down to the very bottom Of his
nature.
Therefore, next, there is no excuse
for a mans turning away from recti-
tude for the sake of outward prosperity.
If you turn off from the beaten road.
and take circuitous route, you will
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