The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1879-11-28

profound observer, who had rare power If
concentrating the results of much obserya.
ton, experience and reflection into one
short pithy and well-balanced sentence.
Perhaps, too n great many Of them NAV
have been sentences, that, condensinr
what we may call a universal experience
passed from mouth to mouth for genera
tons, getting the corners rubbed of, until.
having assumed a thoroughly compact and
rounded form, they were adopted by the
inspired man, and placed in the imperlsha-
bic record of scripture, Some of them pre-.
sent at first sight a profound religious
significance, as when it is said The name
ofthe Lord is a strong tower, the righteous
| runneth into ii ana is safe. A great many of
them however, appear to have their chief, if
not theiRonly bearing upon our present life,
and our present and perishing occupations
and relationships. They commend them.
| selves rather as the results of the highest
worldly wisdom than Of strictly religious
thought. For instance, when we read,
1.-THE legs of of the lame are not equal, sois
a parable in the mouth of FOOLS we see
how exactly it fits those who are very
ambitious IN the use of figuratve language
without the mental training or the native
common sense, to have the ditfereat parts
keep pace and harmonic with each other.
We feel that we have received a valuable
warning as to what we shall attempt in
discourse or in writing
When We are told (xxv., 19) that conf
dence i'll an unfaithful man in time of
trouble is like broken tooth and foot out
of joint we realize that we are reading af
ter man who has had, in more ways than
one, some painful experiences in which we
also can sympathize with him. These are apt
to be undsr-vaued by some Christian read.
ers, as relating to temporal and earthly,
rather than spiritual and immortal interests.
Perhaps, however, we err in drawing too
sharp a distinction between these two
aspects ofour lives we ought rather to real
lie that thoughtfulness and wisdomin man
aging our worldly matters are enioined
In scripture, and that gentle and courteous
bearing is among the Christian graces.
Therefore, if we regard this saying of
solomon as referring merely to our present
happiness and the happiness We give others
by being cheerful it is not to be sighted as
thing of small consequence.
The other passages, from the Psalm and
from the Epistle, put the duty of cheerful
ness on the highest religious grounds. 1t
was marked feature in the life of the
early Christians. 1t was finely exhibited by
Paul and Silas when they prayed and |
sang praises in the dungeon at midnight.
Reasons were given why the Christian
should be cheerful, and tine following
methods of keeping up happy disposition
were named
BY maintaining, first humble spirit
which will see our merces as greater and |
our trials as less than we merit
@ A self-forgetting spirit which finds
happiness in making Others happy.
3. A diligent and faithful spirit, that
finds no time for idle complaints.
A. A spirit that honors God, by recog-
nizing and trusting His providence
.. A prayerful spirit, that commits all
to Him and receives His peace.
6. A thankful spirit, that looks at the
bright rather than the dark side of our lot
T. A heayenward. looking spirit, that
bears trials cheerfully, by penetrating be-