The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-09-07
CHEERFUL RELIGION.
1t Can Throw Ray of Sunlight Into tn
Darkest Corner.

1t Can Throw n Ray of Sunlight Into the
Darkest Corner.
Religion is the science of happiness
1t does for an ordinary enjoyment just
what the sun does for green applet
colors, ripens and sweetens it. 1t
teaches the secret of finding the beauti-
full hooks and corners of life. When
sorrows come-and to whose heart do
they not come?-it enables you to do
what the bee does to the nettle-get
honey out of it. The rude boy grasps
the nettle in his reckless hand, and
thousand thorns, each one sharper than
the finest needle, resent the insult. The
tiny bee works its way among the deli
cately-tinted petals, and, diving down
to the root of things, comes back laden
with sweetness
Well, if you ask some people what
sorrow means, they shudder, shake
their heads, and get at once into the
attitude of rebellion. Every tear they
have shed has helped to petrify the
heart. Every piece of hard work they
have been compelled to do has simply
laid up in their souls sort of grudge
against the Almighty. Every mis-
fortune they have had, every disap-
pointment, has put them farther away
from God. They can be very grateful
as long as they have their own way in
everything. If their neighbors get on
and they do not, then God is partial; if
they get on finely, and their neighbors
do not, then they can see why people
should be philosophic about these
things, and they are surprised that Mr..
Nextdoor does not recognize the ways
of Providence. Indeed, have found
that most people discover providences
in the lives of others with the greatest
ease, and recognize those in their own
lives with the almost difficulty.
Now, to my mind, one of the magic
influences of religion is its ability to
throw ray OF sunlight into the very
darkest corner, and to extract from the
bitterest experience just wee drop of
sweetness. The cheerful endurance of
the true Christian proves conclusively
that he is serving good master, one
who, though he sometimes demands
great sacrifices, and many tears, does it
through no caprice, and especially
through no ignorance or misjudgment
of the case, but who sometimes drives
you through the mires of the bog,
where your clothes get soiled, and
where your hands and face are SCARED
with the wounds of the briers because
in that way only can you reach the
higher ground, and get the more ex-
tended view.
l have seen mother bury child,
and then, as by physical effort, push
Heaven away from her. She re-
preached Christ with such bitterness of
heart, and such skeptical accusations,
that He has apparently melted away
from her sight altogether, and left her
alone with grief, the larger share of
which He would willingly have borne;
and | have seen another use a sorrow
like two long, strong arms, with which
she has seemed to get hold of Heaven
anu vi uN ~ ioNn W l. Dt ROOu
Christ has come to her, has appeared
to her in vision, and brought the holy
angels with Him, and taught her to
look through her tears into the very
streets of the celestial.
Some people, when they repeat the
Lords prayer, change one of the inn
portant personal pronouns and say, if
not with their lips, at least with their
hearts, my will be done.
There is no cause for hanging your
harp on the willow because you can not
have your own way, Play on, play on,
my friend. You can not always touch
the strings with happy fingers. 1t is
sometimes impossible to make any mu-
sic, except that of the minor key; but
to throw your harp away because God
asks you for sad song once in awhile
is neither kind nor grateful.
/ believe that nothing ever happens
to man from which he can not get
some comfort. People seldom look fol-
it, but God certainly hides spark OF
| Joy in every sorrow Don't brood over
your misery as though you were the
most ill-used man in the world, but stil
yourself, look on all sides of youl
wretchedness, and, my word for it, you
will find somewhere crack or Granny
where joy or hope is hidden.
l often think of that soldier who wa.
struck down on the field of battle. Gen
tie hands of comrades carried him t.
the rear. The attendant surgeon probet
the wound. The poor fellow looked a
the ragged door which the bullet hat
left open. and then said:
"Well, that's nice hole in my leg
isn't it?" Now, that will get me fur
Tough of few weeks, and that is JUS
what my wife wants. | guess that wa,
lucky bullet, after all"
Why can't we all look at things il
that light? If there were any good re
sulting from a grumbling spirit, tina
would be another thing But one only
succeeds in making himself unhappy
and in setting other peoples teeth OF
edge.
like the answer which the boy CAV,
when he was asked why he was 81
cheerful, and never fretted at disap
pointments.
Il think that God" he said. ''whel
lie made me of the dust, must have pu
J q little srSA, H."