Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1889-12-14
Sunday ReaaiHs,
EDITED BY REV. F. l.. LEEPER.
Depression After Elation.

There are reasons of triumph. One
has done some great thing. He is
full of eXultation and joy. He is
upon the mount. Soon reaction
sets in. The animating force vanish
es, and gloom and dependency sue
coed. Samson was all enthusiasm
and ecstacy upon his slaughter of the
Philstines with the jaw-bone Of an
ass. Shortly afterwards he became
faint, low-spirited and Responding.
Elijah with a sublime courage faced
the cruel Ahab and his priests and
his court and the people. He called
down fire from Heaven. He Knocked
the priests of Baal upon their impo-
tence. He stood alone for the true
God. He slew the false prophets.
He brought down the rain and stay
ed the ravages of the famine. 1t is
natural to think that one so trium-
plant would never become depress-
ed, yet few days after, when Jeze-
bel heard of his doings, and in her
wrath, sent a messenger to tell him
that on the morrow he should die,
he Immediately fled for his life. Fa-
tigued, hungry and alone, he entered
a dreary wilderness, sat down under
juniper tree and sadly bemoaned
his fate, and said, ut is enough now,
o Lord, take away my life, for | am
not better than my fathers" David,
Nehemiah, Peter, Paul and other
worthless had their elevated expert
ences which, in turn, gave place to
melancholy moods. So have had all
Christians since their day. In fact,
it is the lot of all successful men; not
only in religious, but in secular af.
fairs. We know something of this
experience. 1t often happens that
we are elated one moment, and de-
pressed the next; one day all bright.
hess, the following all sadness; one
day active and vigorous, the succeed
ing dull and gloomy; one day full o
life, and the next wishing we were
dead.
In part, this experience is the effec
Of nervous reaction. Persons, if o
an eXcitable temperament, "oscilatt
between the extremes OF ecstacy anC
despair" They are capable of sus
tanned action, and develop marvel
lous powers of endurance and of &C
complishment under given circum
stances; but let the occasion pass, anC
they rush in the opposite direction.
While this experience, in a meas
ure, is due to the physical condition
yet in accounting for it moral cOnsid
erations must be taken into account
We become too confident; we indulg
too many and large expectations; W
attempt too much; we forget that W
cannot always keep up the heroi
pitch; we strive after the unattain
able. Hence, disappointments an,
dependency.
1t is well for us to learn that we can
not continually live in ecstatic frame
or states of mind. Some one ha
said, "the career of the Hottest soul
is not che unbroken epic; even thi
has its seamy side, its stale and VI
profitable moments" We need tn
discipline of a varied condition. Th
natural tendency is to be self-assertiv
and vain-glorious when we are at on
best. God sees that we need tn
humbling process; training where
by trustful submission to his will ma
be brought out and strengthened, an
his name glori1ed. While, then, W
should be thankful when we EMO
the sunshine Of success, temporal an
spiritual, we should also see, whe
the cloud intervenes, wise purpos
Thus we can draw from the mingle
dispensatiOns of God the lesson
faith in a loving Benefactor and R,
Ter, abiding patiently and contiden
Iy the divine will in all occurrence
Presbyterian.
Parents and Children.
The lessons which are now bein