St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-08-19
TRUE CONFINEMENT.
1t Is Not a Satisfaction With a
Present State.

csc state.
DR.. J. II. futile spoke at the Church
OF the Redeemer yesterday morning
from the text, For | have learned in
whatever state l am therein to be con
tent. l know how to be abased and I
know also how to abound; i'll every
thing and all things have l learned the
secret both to be filled and to be hungry,
both to abound and to be in want. l
al do all things in him that strength
eneth me."-Philippians. A portion of
his sermon, which teaches the proper
meaning of contentment, is as follows:
Among historic characters st. Paul
stands pTeeminent. He had,great learn
Ing and wide experience. He was born
and educated in Judaism and died in
Christianity. His conversion from n
to the other of these religions was only
second in Importance to the birth OF
Christ. The stream of his life, which
from the start was strong and deep. and
which suddenly changed its course,
swept on with resistless power. drawing
into its current the new thought. as it
had before drawn the old. He had
studied both sides of public feeling. He
had been both praised and prosecuted,
borne on the wave of popular favor and
cast down into the depths of disgrace.
Turning his back on the religion of his
earlier days cost him not only the loss
of old friends, but the loss of his posi-
ton and of whatever pucuniary means
he had in hand or in prospect. His later
years, at least, were years of unremit-
ting sacrifices. 1t requires no stretch Of
fancy to suppose that among his Other.re-
peated perilS he met the peril of hunger
even; that his condition was hardly bet
ter often than that of a friendless
beggar, and so we a understand
him when he says, L know
how to be abased, and l know
also how to abound in everything, and
in all things have l learned the secret
both to be filled ard to be hungry.
Trained and disciplined by all these
things, / have learned in whatsoever l
am therein to be content
paul, then, had learned what too few
of us have learned. Nothing in his wOn
derful career indicates better than this
his extraordinary faith. 1t shows thatthe
marked influence he eXerted over others
was exerted on himself. Many men
have been strong externally and weak
internally. Greater is he that ruleth
his spirit than he that taketh a city.
LET US not, however. at the outset,
mistake the meaning of this word con-
tent A right definition is important
and difficult often. 1t is difficult in this
case, but unless we find 1t our discus
sion will be unsuccessful. In the apos-
ties sense of it, certainly cOntentment
is not idleness. it Is not Indifference, 1t
is not stupidity. 1t is frequently en-
ployed in the of satisfaction. but
1t is not the same; not in the act at
least. The author did not intend to
say, I have learned to be satisfied with
any state l happen to fall into To be
satisfied is we'll nigh impossible, if it be
desirable. COntentment is difficult,
very difficult, but it is possible. Ger
tain minds are able to attain it-have
attained it.
In the first place then let me call at
tention to the close distinction which
photographers draw between content
ment and satisfaction. "COntentment,"
they say, lies in ourselves; satisfaction
is derived from external objects. One
is contented when n wishes for no
more; II is satisfied when II has OBJ
tanned what one wishes; the contented
man has always enough: the satisfied
man receives enough: a cOntented man
can never be miserable; a satisfied man
can scarcely be long happy. Content
ment is a permanent state of mind.
There is nothing let us be assured at
the start in the true Interpretation of
contentment to encourage ignorance, or
lethargy; one may for instance, read no
more books, saying he is content with
what he has read: stand at the foot of
the hill of knowledge CONTEMPLATING
himself that he has lost the wish to
climb. make his abode in poverty and
listen to no invitation for Improvement,
look out with entire uncOncern upon
the SORROWS and evils about him, never
lifting a finger to reform them-but this
is not contentment, in any fair under
standing of it, that if it is not wicked
ness. is at best only blindness, foolish
ness and selfishness.