The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-09-29
THE SECRET OF CONFINEMENT.

THE SECRET OF CONFINEMENT.
The true secret of contentment is in
ones conviction that the place he is now
in is his place for now; that the work he
is now doing is the work that now needs
doing, and that he ought to do now;
that he is better situated, at the present
moment, for effort or for endurance that
shall tend to his own highest good, and
to the good of the persons and of the
interests dearest to him, than would be
possible elsewhere in all the universe;
that. in fact, his present sphere, his
present opportunities and his present
possessions are those which above all
others he ought to desire, and which he
would desire, if he only knew enough
about them and their tendings. Such
conviction as this may have its ap-
proach on lower sphere, but in its full
ness it is possible only to him who is a
faith-filled child of God, assured that
his Father has assigned him to his place
and duty, and has permitted to him his
possessions and surroundings, in unfail-
ing wisdom and in limitless love. There
is measure of contentment to the good
soldier at his post of regularly assigned
service; to the earnest worker who
comes and goes at the direction of his
employer, or at the dictates of his own
hopes or judgment; and to the unselfsh
seeker of the welfare of those whom he
loves, so long as he is sure that his
labors or his privations are promotive
of their happiness; but there is always
a recognized limit to the wisdom of
ones earthly commander or employer.
and of ones self; and as soon as one
reaches out beyond limits he has dis
content. Contentment is the keeping
within limits. Only when one feels
that He who directs him and directs
for him has no limits of either wisdom
or love in this directing, can he be
"Shut up
In measureless content"
Only then can he have no possible
cause for discomfort or doubt.
If we have not faith in God as our
God; if we do not believe that God loves
us and guards us, and makes all things
work together for good to us as His
loved ones; then, indeed, it is hard for
us to be contented; and it ought to be.
Discomfort is our duty while in this
state; and a change of state is the only
secret of possible contentment to us.
But if we are Gods loved ones, through
faith in His Son; if we believe that God
has taken us into His family circle, and
into the scope of His providential plans
for the universe; then, certainly, we
may be sure that He rules and overrules
in all things for our welfare; and that
He is now doing for us better than we
could possibly do or desire for ourselves.
Our observations and experiences in
life are sufficient to show us that if we
were to choose for ourselves in our lot
or our possessions or our surroundings
we should probably choose to our own
harm. We know that nothing would
be worse for a little child than to be
permitted to have it's own way; that the
child would be as likely to take an open
razor as harmless toy, and liable to
swallow poison rather than nourishing
food when both were before it. The
hope of child is in parental control
within wise limitations. A child of God
needs like control within the limita-
tions which only God can now fix wise
ly; and consciousness of this truth
tends to the child of Gods content
ment.
If, indeed, we are not contented in
one sphere or lot, as Gods children,
we should not be likely to be in anoth-
er. The spirit of self confidence on the
one hand, and of distrust of God on the
other, which would make us unwilling
to accept Gods orderings and Gods
limitations as Enthusiastically wisest and
best, in the place where we now are,
would surely bring a like result in any
other place to which God could assign
us. Archbishop Whately said, that, as
q rule, it was harder to live within a |
large income than small one; or, in
other words, that to the man who had
not learned how to bring his expend-
itures within his income while it was
of moderate size, temptations to extrav-
agance would increase more rapidly |
than his income, as that was extended. |
And so it may be said of the man who |
has not learned to accept Gods order
ing as wise and loving in the humber
sphere of his duty and privilege; the
wider and the fuller the field which God
assigns to him, the larger the sweep of |
his cravings beyond. He who does not
have contentment in poverty, or in sick
ness, or in solitariness, or in hardships,
when this is his lot in life, would not |
have contentment in wealth, or in |
health, or in society, or in ease and
luxury, were he newly called to this
condition. And as matter of fact it |
is evident that there is more of real
in this world where there |
is seemingly least occasion for it. and
more of discomfort where there is |
apparent excuse for it. He |
who is not contented where God puts |
him on earth would be discontinued in |
Heaven; and discomfort would make q |
hell of Heaven-Or earth.
But being cOntented with ones pres
emit lot and sphere for the present does
not preclude the possibility of desiring