The New York herald., 1874-10-19
Many-Sided Views Of Religious Faith
and Christian Duty.
pR. vlsYoN ON TIE PERFECT MAN.
Goodness and Happiness Inseparable Science
RetoDciled with Faith.
LESSON OF THE FADING LEAF.
LYRIC HALL.
Mr.. o. b. Frothingham ON Goodness
and Happiness, ~

An0 AoppinesS.
Yesterday the Rev. U. b. rockingham delivered
N eloquent discourse on goodness and happiness
showing the two to be inseparable. Previous to
the sermon ne read extracts from the scandina.
Wan Scripture and from the Apocryphal Book Of
Wisdom. He then said-Wisdom Is represented
IN Proverbs as holding in her right hand
length OF days. and in her left hand glory an1
honor. The description goes on to speak OF wis
dom S being incomparably beautiful. She says OF
hersels "My delight is the delight OF men," Nay, she
says more "My delight Is in the Lord" These are
strong words, but no stronger than can be quoted
page after page from the old Bible which so many
think gloomy, but which really is the most Joyous
book In the world. But the association OF good
ness and happiness Ia found In all Scriptures,
literature, poetry and fiction. There are different
stages OF the close association of goodness and
happiness. the idea first appears IN this form
shat happiness Is the reward OF goodness; next,
that happiness and goodness are linked together;
the next stage goes further still, and makes hap
pness the evidence Of goodness, SO that people are
to be good IN order TO be happy. LET US live
Hd na9G 0Ss as s IS
sharn OF all poetry and literature, 1t is secuted
practca , ME; co. Moses los oOr ,Or his goodness
the cross. Paul. ior mis- goodness, was scourged,
banished and hDally beheaccd. John, Tor his
goodness was plunged into caldron Of boiling
oil. Peter, Tor his goodness aid his head under the
axe. Savonaroa, for his goodness. was burned at
the stake. Sir thomas Moore, one OF the best men
In the world, died, in the reign OF Henry WILL for
his virtue Mazzinl for ms goodness was made
m exile and hunted over Europe. The honest
politician ls for his honesty, likely to lose his eec
ton. 1t is tne currens morality on the street that
overmucn righteousness does not pay. Here we
travel together, contrasted with the idea that
goodness sa ana happiness a travel apart. Religion
BE HOLY OR HAPPY.
BE holy and go to heaven; be nappy and so to the
happiness wilt come hereafter; but II good
ness ana happiness 10 not go together here why
should We lhlnk they will hereafter WHAT is good
mere is good there. Let us. then, look into this
matter; and IN order to form any reasonable
opinion we must define terms. What is goodness?
Is asceticlsms Is ow, Close prlm dispositions
II so, We Will give UP she case; ior happiness cam
not follow on that kind OF goodness What do we
mean Dy m DO we mean 1a5 Spit WnGa
not happiness, because 1t brings the heart nearer
the divine, but taxes 1t away from the human.
HAPPINESS IS PURELY HUMAN.
What Is goodnessY What Is it else tnan simple
between ones disposition and the Iacts thar CIR
cumstances weave around hlms This, then, IS
goodness. Now what Is napplnesss Most people,
when the word happiness is spoken, think Of
pleasure. 1t is anything but that. Pleasure and
happiness scarcely ever correspond. What Is
nerves; but 1t Is incidental. occasional TRANSIENT
and is always followed by reactloD. People talk OF
pleasure, tut lie OF pleasure lie OF eating
nothing but Ice cream and fancy cakes, and drink
ing nothing but champagne! Pleasure Is the sauce
Df life, not the peel and Deer. What Is
happinessY There three things necessary
to happiness, health competency and good con-
science. Which OF these three things come at
haphazard? Does good health? 1t IS the hardest
thing to get ana to keep. Does competency come
by accident? IL seems so sometimes; but take
tie world over and the thing .enOugh" IS gained
only the severest terms. Does q goou con-
science come by chance? Was there ever man
lived who said that? 1t seems easy enough to be
good in youth wnen one knows nothing; but as
we grow o little older we see how duplicated the
world s, and see what hosts of temptations lurk
In every path, and how delicious the temptations
are. Then one begins to'realize that good con-
science does not come so easily. Happiness, ike
goodness, comes from perfect conformity
plness do 60 together. ii you are good you
Ii the good man is not happy he Is not good lie
may be an Evangelical christian OF the most ap-
proved style; but some where there is vital con.
ditlon he has not met. Happiness is the test of
goodness; 1t is the test Of plety. religion that
don't make men happy is selfcondemned; reli.
gon that makes hall the world lear nell cannot be
true religion; religion that brings forward its
best man, saint and shows him as narrow,
downcast person, who is afraid to look you IN the
eye, Who prays God be mercllul instead OF God be
praised, cannot be true religion.
Do you ask, then, which we are to seek-goOd.
ness or happiness Choose for yourself It de-
pends on temperament which is easier for you.
II by the way OF goodness lake that door; II by
the way or happiness take that door. They both
lead into the same beautiful world.