Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1886-09-04

'N'Ep 'b't ''D 'CR's
in the Lord rs. iv. 81. The follow
Ing is an extract:
1T was a pleasure TO meet glad peo-
pie in whatever walk of life they were
encountered. 1t was agreeable 10 have
jolly, good-tempered people about 10
dispcl the gloom of morbidness or i'll
nature. The cordially with which
glad people were welcomed showed of
itself that gladness was the exception
rather than the rule, and gladness in
the world was in truth n rare thing.
Some people might be Supremacy glad
at some time, but it lasted only a short
while. 1t was soon over, dispelled by
the black clouds of the past, which
memory called up, or riven asunder by
present pain and suffering. In some
cases gladness came too late to bring
perfect happiness. Such being the ease
what was it which inter fered with our
gladness and happiness. To sum it
up, it was sin and its consequences
which prevented spontaneous, univer-
sal, and lasting Joy. Sin of one sort
or another was responsible for our feel
ings. If the latter were out OF the way
we might be glad, but then to destroy
feeling sin must be cradicated.
The gladness of which the psalmist
sang was not the fools laughter nor
the testers mirth. 1t was rather the
trusting happiness of the child. who,
without feeling or the haunting stings
of memory, was unconscious of sin and
its consequences. The wisdom of CEN
turtles had failed to advance any object
in which man could be forever glad
save God. There WAS nothing cl +. in
which there was lasting joy. "ia
winc-cup snarkled, hut the headache
followed it,. The sense of sin and guilt
was in every worldly pleasure. Graft
i~ication was only transient, and lis cf-
fleets were rs invariably certain TO re-
suit n that the world existed. pru-
dence and economy was but the cloak Of
coyctousAess; minding ones own bust
ness was merely the outer shell OF sell
lishness and harshncos OF heart, and
dignity and sclf-respcct concealed pride
.IlIl NGiIllN. was lIlt NONllE IliliI WIG
spent his Substance in riotOuS living
happy? Was the man who gathered
together land and tcncmentt and
boarded wealth prepared 70 say that
his pursuits broug It Joy and pleasure?
What proportion of the measure Of real
gladness did this life, with all the sor-
rows and disappointments, fill, any
uo,.o thsnlntn1y nnt nnn hn,..f an,nnn
al the people the world contained could
truthfully say that he was truly happy.
Men were apt to believe that the dogma
Of future punishment stood in the way
of happiness, but anyone familiar with
human nature knew better. For cX-
ample. the drunkard believed that ii
t God did not afliN Il penalty TO his in
dul"ence he would be unhampered by
fear of consequences, and, drinking rs
much as he chose, he would be happy.
I On the contrary. remove III tho posi-
bilities Of headache. bad stomach. OF
! punishment in the future, and lct man
], drink to his hearts contcut, safety and
wcariness would soon do for him what
p all the teachings OF damnation could
= not. Religious dogma would merely
c predict Z hell in the future: safety
would give it him in the present. To
r insure happiness under such circum-
stances every law OF human life rs it
G now existed must be changed, and the
devil the creator Of man after his own
im,gc instead of after Gods.
\ God hath given to man a set Of saws,
: left unspoken no promise for those who
t obeyed them. but He went further and
announced what He would do if they
Q should be broken, so that " man could
| plead ignorance Of the penalty as an
! excuse. As one OF His laws, He re
quired that men should be glad unto
Him; that what they did, they should
do %joyously, not s~ullenly nor sulkily,
f but with a suuuy heart and gladness,
o 1t took away nj The a~greeablencss Of
4 obcdient allegiance when it was grant
| ed grudgingly, and God made i Il test
, OF mans genuine confirmation Of His
laws that it should be performed glad
ly. 1t was an infinite cause Of JOY that
. God was the sovereign. and that IIe
was u holy and merciiul God, for if the
Creator Of the universe. welding as he
did such absolute power. were an IN
holy God and exercised His sovereign
/, ty without mercy, better were it foI
man had he never been born. Whe,
I one looked ri the way things were go
ing in the world. how people
thought more of the number
of manufacturers than the c|!arac-
ter Of the men who promoted
them; when one reflected on the sci
fishness of the flesh, the iuccseant con
nict between capital and labor, and the
, display Of ~self-interest among the rich
and those in high places. one might for
\ moment be tempted TO wonder OF not
God was sovereign and whether He
meant in due time to set all things
right. Such misgivings. however. were
unnecessary, for God would not 70
about setting things ~right-iie was do
ing it now. He had always been do.
ing it. He could s|carcel note even
The fall Of y sparrow and not 50 shape
the world rs 10 brin" il ont in The und
according To 4 pre-conceiycd plan. He
wanted 10 hc glad her for the sovor-