Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1865-01-27

OF tins eKtelinnt frame of mindN SAYS Addison. ri
not only easy in his thoughts, but perfect naste
Of all the powers and faculties of his soul; his ina
gination IA always clear, and his judgment undisturb
ed; his temper is even and unru1ed whether in &C
ton or N solitude. He comes with a relish to al
those goods which nature has provided for him. take
all the pleasures Of the creation which are poure,
about HIM and does not feel the full weight of thos
evils which may befaIl him."
The Christian owes it to his felloc men 10 b.
cheerful. Amidst all the trials and disappointment
and anxietles and sufferings which pertain TO thi
earthly existence, and which tend to sbroud the sou
in distressngg gloomness, they have need at all time
to see lights in the world, Ito see those who's
faces constantly beam with heavenly glory WHO'S
looks andwords and deeds are a good medicm,
which never fails to give peace troubled spirit
And do yoh not think that if each one ofthe Lord
disciples were thus to pass the days of his pilgrimage
if his presence in the social circle, at the bedside
the sick at the cottage of the poor, in the hallso
learning, and at the mart of business were hailed
bright snpbeam which difuses joy and gladness; if
in TRUTH his path were the path of the just, which
fsas the shining light, shineth more and more unto
the perfect day, our blessed religion would be well
commended to the world, and the triumphs of the
cross become glorious? 1t is the excellent remark
Of Archbishop Usher If good people would but
make their goodness agreeable, and SMILE insteadof
frowning, in their virtue how many would they win
to the goodcause
The Christian owes it to the Lord to be habtuaIly
| cheerful His example must be copied, his wall
obeyed. You know the record of the Saviour life,
how that he spake unto the man sick of palsy, and
to the terrified disciples tossed upon the Sea
of Gailee, and to the little band weeping in pros
pect of their Lords departure from the world, and
to others troubled and sorrowfu and his words were
ever the salne-''Be of good cheer ''Be of good
cheer. Then is it not the duty of every Christian
to endeavor to attain that spiritual state in which he
win be capabeof receiving and doing the greatest
amount Of good? We are assured that such is his
duty and we believe that cheerfulness is an exalted
frame Of mind, arising from and resting upon firm
faith, astrohg love, steadfast hope, and a good
conscience, "a state well pleasing to our Divine
Master. aa
Perhaps nothing has greater tendency to cast
gloom over The spirit, than disease The minds
pathizes with the body as much as the body with the
mind. Their union is so intimate, SO delicate, so
sensitive, that what affects the one necessarily af
mines the oilers condition. If the mind is joyful,
its emotion is betrayed by the expression ofthe body
"a merry heart maketh cheerful countenance. n
But if the body IS injured, or the physical system
derancets. Dc mirsaat-epee a,ffers and forthwith
droops into Sadness 1t becomes, therefore, your
Christian duty if yoH have health to study the laws
of your physical being to compel yourself both to
labor and to rest to avoid unnecessary risks or ex
posure to abstain from injurious indugenees, to be-
prudent, temperate, chaste, and by every proper
means to try to preserve what's SO essential to your
spiritual comfort If you have lost this boon strive
to regain it. Think not speak not, all the while
about your malady, Suppress means and complaints;
they are always dsagreeable to Others they can neE
er be beneficial to you. Count your mercies and not
Your miseries. Try upon your body the stimuleus
of cheerful spirit 1t may not insure your recoyet
ry, but it viii certainly produce pleasant alleyai
ton. "a merry heart doeth good like a medicine;
but broken spirit drieth the bones'' nd
Another cause of detection is idleness. Employ
ment is essential to our spiritual as well as our
physical well-being. And it is only when we are
engaged every day in some useful task, some enteri
prise of business, some sportiye recreation, some
work Of taste, some acqsition of learning, or some
deed of charity somthing that viii call into action
the hands, or the head, or the heart lit is only
when so doing that we have any right to- expect
health or happiness. An idle body is Death easi7
est prey anidle brain is either ''the Devils work
shop or ''the slough of Despond 7 s.They that
do nothing" says Mason ''are in the ready way to
do worse than nothing. 1t was not for nothing that
we were called out of nothing" Our Blessed Sa-
viour went about doing good. And you should
do likewise, if you profess to be his follower. If
you have nothing to do for yourself, do something
for others. When you cease to be idle you may ex-
pect to be cheerful. - ed
The want Of cheerfulness is often owing to the
neglect Of duty. A man may be in his counting
room when he ought to be in his closet He may
be looking over his ledger when he ought to be
searching the Scriptures. He may be at political
meeting when he ought to be at the meeting for
prayer. What he does may be right enough when
it is done at proper time but when worldly bus
mess excludes or nterferes with the performance Of
religious duty, then it becomes wrong; and in such
case the Christian spirit is soon prostrated I'M
der the severe scourgings Of an offended consci
ence. Again, man may fulfill one duty and at the
same time slight another more important He may
act after the manner of the Pharisees, who paid
''tithe of mint and anise and eummin,' while they
''omitted the weightier matters of the law Judge
ment, mercy, and faith Matt. 1928. The moral
effect in this case will be the same in the other
Conscious of his fault, the man feels depressed,
and manifests bis feeling by his moody silence or
querulous speech. Doubtless, you pray to be kept
free from this melancholy and disagreeable state,
even though it were to last for single day. The
E. 4
duty and perform it well, and heart filed with
cheerfulness viii be your sweet rewapl Il
When envy pushes out conter,taent from the soul,
eheefulness goes with it. We sometimes complain
and feel diseontented when see others living in
more eommodious and elegant dwellings better
clad more sHmptously fed, possessed Of higher
refinement of mind or manners or occupying a
more exalted position than ourselves; but if we