The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-14

body reacts upon the mind. They are dwell
ling together here on earth, and they are
not as rule altogether independent of each
other.
John Calvin's theology has been depres-
sing and discouraging. and / do not doubt
that one cause at least was that John Cal
vim was a thin, emaciated theologian, who
ate but one meal day. / don't want any
man with a disordered stomach to make
theology for me. any more than 1 want
dyspeptic physician to attend me when
am sick. The worlds ills are not to be
cured by dyspeptic doctors; the worlds
theology ought to be made by full-blooded
men who are able to eat three meals day
and sleep ten hours out Of the twenty-four.
The first thing therefore should be to cor
rect the disordered stomach and get back
to normal healthy sleeping.
g Another cause of worry Is the habit
of hurrying. modern writer states the
case none too strongly when he says, How
quickly we Americans exhaust life! With
what painting haste we pursue everything!
Every man you meet seems to be late for
an appointment. Hurry is stamped in the
wrinkles of the American face We speed
our machinery to the utmost, stretch the
silver cord of life until it snaps, go at high
pressure till the boiler bursts. We have
actually changed the type Of our diseases
to suit our changed constitution. Instead
of the lingering maladies of our fathers we
drop down and die of heart disease or
apoplexy. Even death has adopted our ter
rible gait"
Let a man start out at breakneck speed
in the morning, pushing and driving and
hurying as If it were a matter of life and
TO {ct, vi<y foc hpfO
noon, and he will generally end by work
ing himself into fever of anxiety and
harassng care before night; and the man
who has pursued this mad, rushing, whirl-
ing method of life for fifteen or twenty
years will find himself thoroughly disQuali-
fed for the normal enjoyment of life
thenceforward.
g. Another cause of worry is practical
atheism. Men believe in God in their the
cries, but not in their hearts. AS if there
were no God in the world, as if no promises
had ever been made, they have taken
everything out of the Almightys hands into
their own hands, made their own plans,
and then are in daily fear lest they come
to grief.
Last year, on starting for England, I
bought what was practically a letter of
credit, with the assurance that at certain
points like London, Paris, Glasgow and
Belfast, l could upon presentation of the
drafts, draw the money needed. 1 did not
for moment doubt that they would carry
me any whittier in Europe. Why not treat
the Almighty and His promises with at
least as much confidence ard respect as I
would grant to the pape. drafts of the
American Express Company? The Almighty
has been issuing letters of credit worth a
thousand times more than the whole Amer
lean Express Company put together, and
from the foundation of the world not one
Of them has ever gone to protest. And yet
men go quaking through the world with
fear, morbid with apprehension, questioning
the goodness of God, doubtful of His provi-
dence dark and grim with anxiety, in APP
parent fear that the Almighty will not be
as good as His word. 1 don't know any
milder term for this than practical atheism.
". But finally what is the cure? 1 might
strike the whole thing off at a word and
say simply, remove the cause and the cure
will take care of itself, but let me suggest
two or three things which ought to be of
practical usefulness
1. Cultivate the habit of smiling in the
face of adversely. Do not allow events to
be colored by your fears, but by your hopes.
A pitcher gives a base on balls. No soon
er is the mistake made than the earnest
first baseman's CHEEKY voice rings out:
Never mind, Charlie; We'll get him on
double play!" No one can doubt that there
is a world of strength in these CHEEKY
"never minds.'' A thousand things are hap
pening all the time and hundred cpportu-
mites every day in which to put l. crac-
tice our ''never-mind' philosophy.
q Don't hurry too much. i do no mean
by this that a man is never to york fast.
A train is not necessarily hurryils When it
is going forty miles an hour if it's limit is
eighty. There's a difference between hur-
rying and working rapidly. You instant
ly recognize 1t in the air of a nan. One is
feverish, ftful, fretful, unreStful. He seems
to be working up to the limit of his powers,
has no reserve strength. You know perfect
ly well that he is borrowing from the flu
little calm, a spirit of restfulness in mans
soul. If you want to stop worrying also
stop hurrying.
g. And, lastly, believe in God Almighty
you belong to Him, that, come what WILL
He will take care of you. friend of mine
derives great comfort from his simple little
speech which she makes to nerSeif-'God is
here. will trust Him." And it is a good
sreech for any one to make to himself
Hiram Golf, with great good sense, puts
it this way: with the Lord God there
amt no contingencies. No unforeseen acct
dent ever happens in the region of the
throne. When He promises to do anything
go round with the feelin' that He can't
meet his obligations, why, you don't under
stand who you are dealin' with-thats all.