The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1863-10-20

hadst gwen UP all hopes OF better tAi"gs
Hast thou forgotten days which thou wouIdst
fai. have converted INTO long nights, that thou
highest sleep away the c uSciousncss OF tiny
misery But these have gone by thou hast
been very happy since thea, hast enjoyed ma
ny pleasant hours, and canst now smile at ny
former dependency. Well, then, take courage
t~r the future also. \ time will come when
thou wilt almost have forgotten tAy present
difficulties and thou wilt look back with shame
at the Encouragement ana depression under
which thou art now laboGDg.
How often dids thou no. Think thai no one
could save thee, that no cue could help thee.
And few days or weeks went by the Invis-
Die hand Of Providence ruled over thee he
while, circumstances altered impercepsbly,
OeDetactors Known 10 thee or perhaps phllan-
thropiss never before heard Of by thee, came
forward to assist thee, because God had touched
their hearts; persons, Of whom thou hadst new
er thought, became thy friends 4; proposals were
made 10 thee which thou wouidst never have
drealnt OF thy self, aud wAich thou cauldst new
er have expected various little events, quite
unlooked.f0r, drew thee out OF thy painful
position, and it was as ii the sun came out
slowly from lhe dispensing clouds, which until
then had shed gloom around thee. Soc, God
had not left thee, nor torsaken tdee. lie is
faithful beyond all others, aud his promises
never fail. He who has been SO kind to ,hce
in tho past, Will be equally SO to thy dear
ones 10 the future. He will be SO 10 the whole
human race, and to every individUa child OF
man, in thousands years TO come as il the
present day.
The unfortunate are naturally SuperS,ltlous.
All ordinary meaus Of extricating themselves
from their difficulties seeming closed to them,
they would taio penetrate nto the realm of
the unknown ny the help OF magic, and extort
its secrets from the silent future. They are
not ashamed of making the most irrational at.
tempts to accomplish this object though their
reason cannot fail to reprove them. They
have recourse to fortune telling they cndeav-
or to extract knowledge from the accidental
play OF things which have no connection what
soevcr with their life and fortunes. They con-
suit all kinds Of signs, and draw thence con-
illusions as to tho fulflment or non fuIi }ment
of their wishes. They deude themselves, fire.
queuty even consciously, and corrupt their
hearts and their understandings by their folly.
Never degrade myself by belief in for
tune-telng, aud he Interpretation Of signs.
When thou lcsest thy faith in Gods wisdom,
and his fatherIy love, thou Iosest thyselt,
Reason protests against my giving myself up
to self-deIusion in this contemplate way for
the false hopes which are grounded on these
supposed prognoslics OF what is to come to
pass, frequently lead to mistaken and foolish
acts, which, instead Of securing happiness, on
the contrary, destroy ali hope Of it. The
word Of God seriously torbids all irrational en-
deavors to look into the future and the will
Of the Almighty cannot be set aside by such
! utilities nor his laws be broken. And it is
the will of God, ard the divine law of the
world, that the future shall be hidden from
the sight OF man God has so ordained it
with loving-kindness, that We may, trusting in
him, and without thought Of the trials that
may be in store for u.s. accept and enjoy the
present moment and that, leaving all else to
him, we may hold fast by his invisible hand,
which will lead US through the darkness
" axe, therefore, no thought for the morrow
saith Jesus, with benevolent wisdom " Take
no thought for the morrow, for the morrow
shall take thought for the things OF itself"
Matt. vi "a
Anxiety about the future cannot be relieved
by such superstitous decisions as have allud-
ed to, but only by faith in the ail-rullng hand
of Providence, which ordaineth al things for
the best and by thine own prudent ondeav-
ors to remedy or diminish the evils under
which thop art suffering. Put thy shoulder
to the Wheel and help to promote thine own
wel-beiug.
First, reflect maturely in solitude on the
present state OF thy circumstances. But let
it be when thou art capable Of seeking out
and examining with perfect camness all the
sources OF thy misiortunes.
Thou wilt then find, either that thou hast
brought them on myself by imprudencc, by
some fault or by thy passionate temperament,
or else that they have been caused by circum-
stances over which thou hast 10 control what
ever.
If thou 6ndost that thou art not thyseif to
blame, then there is so much the less reasou
to despair Of being able to improve thy con
ditioU for thou art then suffering .nnoceutly-
aud God is the friend and protector Of the mi
nocent. What thou losest on one side he will
give thee compensation for on tue other side
For every paDg that thou sutferest here, Joy
vii be held il store for those elsewhere. Even