The Opelousas courier., 1893-02-25
Febru0rg 23d,

Ut mos DICK, says quoting, "he
righteous in all his ways, and holy i
all his works" On the whole, then
: appears, says he, that the Justice o
, God has tendency to inspire US wit
confidence and love, and joy, no les
than his mercy and benevolence. Wer
it not for this Perfection of the divin,
character, omnipotence might becom
u most terrific and tremendous attrib
ute of deity We should have no mo
tive but that of fear to stimulate us t,
obedience we should feel no securit7
against danger and distress, and the
perpetual recurrence of spectacles o
vengeance, and in the course of ages
the spacious universe might be trans
formed into an immense region of la.
nlentation, and mourning and Woe"
Conceding the power of the Deity
for it is impossible to deny it, wha
would be the condition of man what
might he hope for, were it not equally
apparent that his goodness and mercy
and love are equal to it? In our daily
Pasttime the thought rarely, if ever, oc-
ours to US, that had be so ordained, bis
i. glory might have been as perfectly
consummated by our destruction as by
our salvation-by our inevitable dam,
nation, as by our possible salvation.
He could as we'll have doomed US to
| perpetual torture, as to eternal enjoy
ment Thankful should we be that he
has made US his children
February Gath.
| Reader, did you ever reflect upon the
| innumerable blessings which our Hea-
veuly Father has bestowed upon each
and every one of us? How continuously
h.. has showered them upon US from
the dawn of cur lives to the present
moment. How many dangers we have
escaped froE1, how many times we
have beenT protected. These have
been almospas numerous as the stars
above us Think how he has provided
fos our constantly recurring wants in
every condition in life. Every inspira-
tinn of air Ito our lungf, is proof of
Gods goodness to US, and yet how
many of us think of thanking him
for his continual Hindfulness of us.
The erowffing proof OF his love is found
in the fact, that he SO loved us that he
g.tst, his son to die for us, that we may
be saved from our sinful violations of
his just law. Let us endeavor to esti-
mate the value to- US of light, air, food,
water strength, health and all the 9th
er uieans We have of enjoyment.
Each and -gety one Of these is essen
tiaI 10 our lives and happiness Let
Il. reckon that We breathe the common
air, twelve tinIts in minute. and we
see HAT each is blessing for which,
as dependant creatures We should be
thankful. Thus, during one day of "a
hours, each of us is the recipient of
4, 800 blessings from this source alone.
Taking other sources into considera-
ton, il has been estimated that we
each receive 362, $50 blessings every
hour of our lives. And yet we seldom
think Of 1t
February 25th
As the winter is source of fertility
to the earth, so are pains and affections
intended as benefits to our race.
Every pain and every bodily affiiction.
is the result of some natural laws vio-
iation Every cause is followed by it's
effect, however hidden it may appear tn
rs. We generally magnify our affiie
tions, and exaggerate the evils We are
called upon to endure. The untoward
events of the world are not always ,ts
iamentabie as we are prone to depict
them IT We could derive proper lesson
from the. visitation of Providence, W.,
might, with great uniformity realize
with the apostle, that they work ont
for ms !, far more exceeding and eternal
weight Of glory. A great poet has told
Us ii great truth i'll saying:
ssThere is some soul of goodness in things evil
Would men, observngIy, distil it oat,"
Nature rightly and perfectly under
stoasI, is in all things consistent, how
ever opposing its phenomena may ap-
pear We place the seed in the earth,
but it must undergo O change before
its germ springs up. One change fol-
lows another throughout all nature.
We have snow, showers of rain clouds
and sunshine, storms and calms, which
quickly follow eaeh other. In winter
many days are dreary, and many
bright and cheering And so it is with
our lives. One day we are we'll, an
other sick -oue ,iay cheerful and buoy
ant, ;,unther gloomy and depressed.
At one time we are prosperous, at an
other disappointed and plunged in ad'
versity These alterations and vicis-
sitnties in nature, and in our conditions,
arr Ill bnt parts of one great whole j.,
tended by cur Creator for the univer
sal good.
.