Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-01-17
he Of Good Courage.

What you need, dear friend, is courage,
You ought to be, in fact, what MIR. Great
heart Brightly named) is in Bunyan's Pill.
grm's Progress" You are entirely too
timid and despondng. When you take
bold step forward, 10 "there is lion in
the way" and you stop and your cheek
grows pale. Go forward and you will find
the lion chained, and if not, why you can
chain him if you will. Never give way if
you are in the right path-never give way
Forward not backward lies the path of use
fulness and of honor, the path on which rests
the light of heaven. You do not need at
present the courage to die. That will be
given, if you are a child of God, when it is
needed. DO not measure your religious
state by your perfect willingness to die, or
make yourself unhappy because you shrink
from the grave. While God wants you to
live and to work, you ought not TO want to
die. 1t is a glorious thing to live, and to
try to make this barren earth a garden of
the Lord. Work here with cheerful, sing
ing heart and you will rest hereafter. The
courage, not to die bravely, but to live well
that is what you sorely need at present.
Oh, pray for that If you are in the path
of duty, and want to say and do only what
is right and good Oh, pray for courage
Pray in faith, and to you will come the an
swer from the throne which came to Joshua
of old, " As was with Moses so will | be
with thee. | will not fail thee nor forsake
thee" g So many cares you say. So you
have; but will desponding spirit enable
YOU to bear them better Some of them
you ought not to carry. They are needless,
and if YOU were a better Christian you
would not have them Others you cannot
shake off if you would, but you may have
the promise, "My grace is sufficient for
thee" That will strengthen you as the bu-
gle blast strengthens the fainting soldiers
in the hour of battle. " So many trials =
you excaim. So you have, indeed, but an
overruling Providence will cause all things
to work together for your good. Through
suffering you will find strength-you will
live, not to weep, but to rejoice that through
trials you drew near to God. I" So many
business troubles" So you have, and these
hard times are very trying. They plant
wrinkles in many face, and make many a
stout heart shake with fear. No matter,
friend DO the best you can and trust in
God. You are not in the poor-house yet
and you never will be. Bankruptcy in bust
ness is not bankruptcy in morals-at least
it will never be in your case. Lose all tins
worlds wealth if you must, but hold fast tc
your integrity. You will outride the storm
and find clear sky above you. Courage
You can but die and then-a blssful eter
nifty in heaven do right, and you can face
undismayed a frowning world. The wal
cry of the Frenchman is "glory;' the Eng
lishmans is duty" Let yours on earth b'
-" duty" Utter it with courage. "E1av'
not commanded thee? Be strong and o
a good courage" said God to Joshua "b'
not afraid, neither be thou dismayed, TO
the Lord thy God is with thee whitherso
ever thou goest." So God speaks to you thi
hour. Let duty" be your battle cry oil
earth, and when you come to die, you viii
be able to gaze into the opening heavens
and shout "glory "-MehodiN.