The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1897-08-28
STUDY TO BE QUIET.
A Strange Ambition Proposed by
Patchwork of quiet Forces.

Strange Ambition Proposed by
Patchwork OF quiet Forces.
To the restless Thessalonians, puz-
cling their minds over the future and
neglecting the common business of life
in their anxiety about the second COM
ing of Christ, Paul proposes strange
ambition. "Covet this reputation"
says he, 'to be quiet, and TO attend TO
your own accustomed employments,
commanded you" This passage con-
tains kindly warning still needed to-
day, but needed for precisely opposite
reason. The Thessalonians were too
much occupied with thoughts of Heaven
10 be worth much on earth. Most of us
have so little OF the true Heaven-life, the
"age life," that is, life of the new and
heavenly era so often spoken Of in the
Gospels, and translated eternal life"
that 1t hardly affects at all the worry
and hurry with which we zealously
pursue the paltry aims OF "the life that
now is" Strangely enough, while the
! thought OF endless destiny and sublime
reward does, in most cases, profoundly
modify our motives, IL often fails utter
" 10 bring into the ordinary perplex-
! tiles OF business and home life that
steady calm which we see In the life of
our Lord and in all truly great souls.
! Quietness OF spirit does not come
naturally; IL must be acquired. Paul
shows his usual knowledge of human
nature in the peculiar phrase, "study to
be quiet" or ''be ambitious 10 be quiet"
Probably the other admonitions are
not widely needed in our age and time.
Industry and the dignity of honest
work stand high in our scale of virtues
| in the United States. There are indeed
| young men who affect 10 despise man
| ual labor and regard some minor clerk
ship as more 20 be desired than the
work Of the mechanic. But for the most
part they are laughed at for the preju-
dice by men older and wiser. The very
! pride that some OF us take In diligence
in business Is closely allied TO the hustle
and hustle that theatens every sphere
OF existence-not only commerce and
/ manufactures, but education and re-
/ ligion as well. To he always on the GO
Is the height OF ambition. To seem 10
be on the go does almost as well for
some people. Leisure and meditation
are crowded out. If one is attempting
10 acquire mental discipline in an up-to-
date university, he is likely 10 succumb
TO the headlong impulse OF the place
and lose all sense OF scholastic leisure
| in the mad rush for credits and courses.
| Religious work shows n similar tend
! ency in some of it's phases. We are far
from being too active In missionary en-
| deavor, either at home or abroad; but
In the regular meetings OF the church,
especially In those of the young people,
there issometimesana anxiety 20 "see the
wheels go round, whether they are do
ing any work or not; n delight in ma
chinery, which In not abated even IL the
machinery rattles little. Can we not
accomplish Just as much without the
hurry and the obtrusive desire for rec
ognition? The quiet forces accom-
pllsh the most In this world, because
none of their energy Is wasted
But suppose one ~ naturally OF a
nervous, restless disposition, and finds
H. difficult 70 cultivate a quiet life, free
from worry and complaint, and undis-
turbed by the ups and downs OF the
day. Perhaps of all the remedies that
maybesuggested, none Dis more effcctual
than the forward look TO which the
Thessalonians were over much given.
| They thought too continuously OF the
wonders OF the world TO come; we sell
dom allow n vision OF the future 10
throw its quieting light across the
troubled present, as the mellow rays OF
an autumn sunset soften the outlines Of
rugged landscape, and food the feet
ing glorieS OF the leaves with n momen-
fary promise OF splendor unearthly and
abiding.
Surely the eternity that lies before us
should give not only solemnity 60 life,
but patient peace not easy 20 disturb
or destroy. Some people feel so strong
" the shortness Of life that they are In
n constant rush 10 get things done.
Others. more wisely, remember that we
have oil eternity 90 get things done, and
need concern ourselves only about get
ting them well started The ambition
20 be quiet Is certainly not the highest
OF all. The man that works and worries
n better than the man that maintains
calmness because he never undertakes
anything TO disturb II. But the fact
rcqains that Christian who has stood
on the mountain and got the true per-
speciive OF life. has no need 90 grow
restless when ne descends 90 take upthe
asks Of every day.-Chicago Standard.
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