The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1873-02-20
MERRY SAINTS.
BIZ PROFESSOR WILLIAM MATHEWS, oF THE
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO.

deaths head ana q cross.bones or any other
naenasnro moYV Wien will the old theolog-
ical idea that m0rtals are sent here as to
place of sore chastisement and modification,
be rooted from our minds? We are not liv-
ing in the middle ages nor can we be made
to believe that the sect of Flagellants, who
dashed themselves during the day till the
blood ran into their shoes, and who sang pen-
itential songs all night in cold rooms in mid
winter.-or any of the other old saints the
longitude of whose faces SO tar exceeded the
latitude,-had the true secret of piety.
"True goodness Is cheerful as the day."
wrote Cowper, himself lugubrious enough;
and even the founder of our faith, by direct.
ing us whsn we faint to annoint our eounte-
nanees, and not to seem to fast, enioins
certain liveliness of face. 1t has been said
that all great, whole-hearted peoples have
been lively and bustling, noisy almost, in
their progress, pushing, energetic, broad in
shoulder, strong in lung, loud in voice, of
free, brave color, bold look, and bright eyes.
They are the cheerful people in the world
Active deers, noble liyers-strong to labor,
sure to conquer,
and soon outstrip in their course the gloomy
and tie respondent. An hilarious elasticity
of nature is surely one of the most invalua-
3 bic qualities man can have; why, then
should not the faculty of being merry,-of
finding an eager pleasure il all sorts of OBJ.
jects and pursuits,-be trained and encour-
= aged? And why should the man who goes
eo1o ;0r
be thought to show q deeper sense of the
worth of life, and to Ebe making more of his
abilities than the elastic man? We would
not see the pious man with a perpetual
broad grin on his face, for the pious are
J. thoughtful, and thoughtfulness cannot en-.
s dure to be long while yoked with laugh
8 ter holding both its sides - yet there is q
7 harmless mirth, as old Fuller calls it,-in
n the middle zone between frantic merrImsnt
and the indigo blues (which the devout man
" will find no hindrance to the cultivation oil
his religious feelings, while it is the best cor
dial for his spirits.
S II was maxim Of Bishop Elphinstone, an
! eminent Scotch saint, that when any one sits
4 in company, and any merry thought comes
a into his head, be ought to give utterance to
it Immediately, so that all present may be
benefited. Sydney Smith, when q poor,
: struggling curate at Foston-le-C Clay, a dreary
d out-of-the-way place, wrote; ~ am re-
= solved to likegit, and to reconcile myself to
+ it; which is more manly than to fancy my
self above it, and to send up complaints BY
the post as being thrown away, or being des
J laIa -
Ii spirit, he said his prayers, Nmade his jokes
cheered and helped his neighbors, and on fine
G mornings used to draw. up the blinds of his
little parlor, open the window, and "glorify
the room," as he called the act, with sun
shine. Yet this was nothing to the sunshine
> that flooded his heart:and lighted up his face
and so buoyant was he in spirit that wher
his physical strength twas nearly exhausted
e that, just before he died, he playfully de
scribed his condition by saying, 81 feel Sc
weak, both in body and mind, that verify
believe if knife were put into my hand, ]
should not have strength or energy enough to
r stick it into dissenter."
+ more striking example was Robert Hall
who could indulge in merry jests and pun.
: gent sayings even when suffering from sharp
1 pain. "Mr. Hail. said some one to him
81 understand you are going to marry Miss
Q 90 " l marry Miss - l would sf
! soon marry Beezebub's eldest dsugh liter, and
go home and live with the old folks" To
solemn brother who rebuked him for his vi
< vacity, he replied You carry your non
: sense into the pulpit; l keep mine OUT
Even when stricken with mental hallucina
ton, he did not lose his relish for jest. Whel
8 a stereotyped condoler called on him at The
B asylum, and asked, IN q whining tone
"What brought you here, Mr.. Hall?" he sig
y nfcantly touched bis head and replied
q "What'll never bring you, sir too much
e brain, sir too much brain ~ Thomas
: Paine, writing against the Bible, he charac
4 lied as " q mouse nbbling at the wing of ar
archangel." DR.. Gills Commentary was "e
continent of mud - the writings of Over
{ g valley of dry BONES" When We think o
+ the dreadful agonies that racked Mr.. Hall
t powerful frame, we cannot wonder that b.
G thought of heaven chiefly as place of rest
nor that his experience was sometimes cloud
&, ed by storms and darkness, just az many o
his majestic sermons are tinged by tn
shades and terrors that grew upon his grea
soul but it is marvel to which we can find
!. nothing more wondrous in the whole library
Z of brave anecdote, that, after tossing and
Q wrthing upon the rug before the fire, tn
b only place in which he could get ease, h
. could start up liYid with exhaustion, ant
Q with the sweat of anguish on his brow, T.
N proclaim without murmur from his pulpit
the MESSAGE of God to a Loaf world WI snf