The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-10
THE VOICE OF THE PULPIT
A PLEA IN BEHALF OF CHEERFUL
NESS IN THE AFFAIRS or LIFE.
A Sermon by Rev. Charles Il. Perkins,
ID. D., of the First congregational
Church. Iowa City, Iowa.


side. continual CneefIuineSS Is a Slti OF
wisdom" "A merry man survives a sad
break"
Cervantes, through the mouth of his
faithful knight, tells the squire, Sancho.
I think all proverbs are true, for they are
drawn from experience itself" and it is
significant that the proverbs of all ma
lions abound in sayings inspiring to a
hopeful view But no one of them all may
be more truly termed a proverb-which is
defined as "a pithy expression embodying
an admitted truth and current among the
million"-than our text, 1--WE are saved by
hope"
Emerson says: There is always pre-
sumption against the truth of a gloomy
view" and Drummond affirms. ',He who
leaves hope behind cannot expect happiness
ahead, enter where he may"
But, Notwithstanding all this and the pro-
nounced tendency in human nature toward
hopefulness. nothing is easier than to fall
into the gloomy view. And one of the most
serious drawbacks to the happiness, to say
nothing OF the usefulness of many and
many a life is the depressing and dspirit-
ing influence which the ordinary experience
leaves with it. We seldom look rightly at
life at the outset Few things are more
complete than the undeceiving which awaits
the young as to the character and condi-
tons of happiness. Almost universally they
fancy it to lie in the successful attainment
of what are sometimes called worldly am
bitions"-in business prosperity, in profess
sional or scholastic ~eminence, in a fine
house. in good fat bank account. in leisure
for amusement.
1t is rather pathetic that their undeceiv
ing must come with experience The lad
whose fancy giows with visions of the hap
piness which wealth and ease bring,
achieves as a man at least enough of sue
cess to show him how empty of content
ment such triumphs may be in themselves
alone. When he has the world most at COM
mand he looks back, perhaps at pinched
boyhood, with a feeling of regret that the
free happiness of those days eludes him
now. In spite of the fact that he is raised
above care, life has developed a whole
brood of cares of which he never even
dreamed of yore and sometimes he becomes
so miserable that he is ready to vote the
world an insufferable bore, and the game of
living not worth the candle.
1t is certain that materialism never could
develop a philosophy capable of cheering
the common round of life. And this, wheth-
er in its practical form of devotion to lux
ury, or in it's philosophical form, which
teaches that there is no Immortality and no
God Luxury breeds corruption, discomfort
and disgust. Atheism breeds intellectual des
spair. Regarded as the most terrible enemy
of faith religious people have given much
time and energy to the work Of confuting
atheism. Perhaps the better policy would
be to give it its way--a free reign on a free
course. THE atheist makes merry, and is
sad" one has said. If unopposed, such a
philosophy would eventually make life
dreary that the very instincts of the soul
would rise in protest against it.
There is not only in existence a blessed
ness which nothing but the God-conviction
can enable the heart to appreciate but a
meaning in nature quality in the very air
and sunlight. Outward things are seen to
be tokens of an infinite life back of and
above them. Thus, all nature suggests
method guidance and endurance and as
man is part of nature, these matters are
seen to relate to him also. Especially does
the feeling that we dwell, as it were, en-
bosomed in the eternal give the much-need-
ed conviction of permanence assuring us
that we are not merely tenants Of a day,
but freehold jewellers in the universe for all
time.
It is the fitting of existence on it's never
pausing course that invests it with sadness.
When autumn comes and the year is near
it's end, are we quite able to repress the
sadness that reflection so naturally brings?
We are parting with a long link Of our life.
We look ahead
A few more days, few more years,
Marked cen like these by. smiles and tears,
And then the winter, cold and white;
The world is ended. closed in night.
But while all things are so swiftly pass
ing, let one but have imbedded in his life
the God-convction, and he shall discover
beneath all these vanishings an assurance
Of permanence. If life wears out, let us not
be such poor friends to our own content
ment as to think it falls into nothingness.
1t is not scientific to talk of nothngness,
anyway, for every inch of space in the
whole vast universe is packed full either OF
matter and life. or of the force in which is
the potency of matter and life You couldn't
get away from yourself If you tried; I sup
pose the most surprised people must be the
suicides, when, a moment after the bullet
or the poison has done it's work, they wake
up to find themselves more alive than ever.
Cheerfulness is the sensible and rational
posture of the mind. And If we consider
how very greatly 1t helps in the walk and
work of life, we shall account that teaching
valuable which proclaims that I'VE are
saved by hope" Yet there is very much
in life which makes against it's helpful
sway. A cloud no bigger than mans
hand will obscure the sun. A matter pro-
portionately small will turn the happiness
of a day into gloom. Human nature Is an
instrument delicately strung, and it vibrates
to every touch. The happiness or misery OF
most lives is made by faithfulness or lack
of it in the common affairs OF every day.
Really great trials do not come very often,
and when they do come people do not sell
dom have warning and time to brace and
nerve themselves for the crisis. But little
trials are always coming; and 1t is accord
ing as we meet these and carry them that
our happiness is made or marred. Cheerful
ness will enable any person to so through
unpleasant experiences with the least pos
sible friction and will replace clouds with
sunshine in the least possible time
All, but to some of us this is good deal
like saying: Money will pay all your
debts and relieve all your anxieties"
your pocketbook is empty and your bank
account exhausted. 1t is easy to be cheer
full when all matters are propltious. But
when the clouds lower the feelings lower.
and 1t seems impossible TO carry off the bur-
den happily. Not all of US are constituted
like the faithful Irish carpenter who slipped
and fell from the roof OF the house where
he was working. The fall stunned him. and
his fellow workmen gathered anxiously
around AS he opened his eyes one of them