The record-union., 1898-11-22
hand, and we will give them permission

suddenly, for its suggests the ten thou
sand things people fret about or may
fret about If they choose. If you want
TO grumble you can easily find some
body or something TO grumble at or
about. I am told that at the stations
on the Russian railroads a grumblers s
book is kept where passengers may
write down their grievances against tae
road. 1t would be we'll for every man
or woman to keep a grumbler's book,
and write in it every night the things
they fretted over or grumbled about
during the day. At the end of the year
they should be compelled to read the
book through in order TO see what mis-
cradle, whining, complaining creatures
they have been.
If an invisible phonograph could fol-
low you around all day and catch every
sharp word and snarlry tone, and un-
wind it all in your ear at night, what
a sweet lullaby song it would be. for
you.
Let me specify some thingsyou should
not fret about In the first place, don't
fret over the mistakes and follies and
sins Of your life. Many people make
to-day gloomy by importing into it the
They fret and worry over something
they did or did not do years ago. They
say if I had only known this, or If |
had only done that, how different 1t
would be with me now. OF course, it
would, but at the same time you did
not know it, or you did not do it, or
you did do it, and 1t is all over now,
and you cannot change or mend 1t by
fretting. The past is done and cannot
be undone. Remember the wise words
of the woman of Tekoah to David. He
was fretting and worrying over the
mistakes and follies of his administra-
tion She told him that the past sins
and wrongs and follies of a mans life
were like water split on the ground that
could not be gathered up again. What
are we to do, then? Do this. Take the
wrong deed, the foolish act of Christ's ;
cross Confess it all to God frankly
and fully. Make a clean breast of all
your follies and wrongs and sins. And
Gods promise to you is, your sins will
be blotted out. In the Gospel of His
grace, He says, "Your sins and iniqui-
ties will I remember no more forever"
Go, then, to Christ, thy Savior, and get
the wrong deed and sinful thought blot
ted out of Gods book and memory.
Hear Him say, tThy sins are forgiven"
then go and sin no more. Live better
in the future. Don't waste time and
energy fretting over the past, when
God has said He has forgiven you.
If at times you do recall the past
years of folly and sin, let the memory
of them be a cause of thanksgiving to
God for having blotted them out, and
an incentive to increased watchfulness
and prayerfulness in the future.
Don't fret because of what people say
about you. We all need this exhortation.
We are more or less sensitive to what
people think and say about US. Unjust
and unkind words sting and burn US.
The stab of a venomous tongue is more
painful than the thrust of a poisonous
dagger. A cruel criticism will blight
and gloom sensitive soul for years.
1t is easy to say don't fret but
what are we to do? Do this: Study to
show thyself approved unto God. Be
more sensitive to what God thinks of
you than to what man thinks of you.
If you have Gods approval you can
stand up and face the denunciations of
the most malignant If your ways
please God you can be indifferent as to
to whether they please men or not.
Take care of your character. God will
take care of your reputation. The
whisper of an approving conscience
should be worth more to you than the
thunderous applause of a universe. It
was said of James Russell Lowell that
when he knew his public duty, he turn
ed within and not without. HE listen
ed not for the roar of the majority IN
the street, but for the still small voice
in his own breast" Let the crowd hiss
or hurrah, go you on straightforward
in the path of duty. When the death
sentence was passed on Bruno, his
quiet reply was, TT may be that you
are more afraid to deliver this judg
ment than I am to receive it," He
lived on the mountain nights, where
storms of calumny could not touch him.
Don't fret over the past joys of your
life. Once you had youth and health
and wealth. Life was a bright glad
summer song, but there came a mist
and a binding rain, and life has never
been the same. Disaster followed dis
aster like waves pushing shoreward
Health declined, business failed, death
in the hour of his sorrow, you cried out
call these things are against me-" We
cannot ignore the fact that bitter re-
verses come into our lives soon or late.
There is a skeleton in every house, a
sorrow in every heart, vacant chair
at every fireside.
These reverses come. They come
thick and fast sometimes. The con-
trast of past success and present fail
ure, of past joy and present woe, inten-
sifies the sense of loss. The memory
of past brightness makes the present
gloom darker still. Dante somewhere
says that in the hour Of grief there is
no greater woe than to recall the hap
py days of yore. Tennyson is quoted
to the effect that Sorrows crown Of
sorrow is remembering happy things" !"
This is an unchristian use of memory.
Memory was not given to darken life,
but to brighten it. Think of Christ's
use Of memory. do this" He said, ''in
remembrance of Me-" / am going
away, but memory will recall me- When
you meet around the table, thing of the
days we walked together over the hills
of Palestine. Recall my words and re-
joice.
I will not mourn because loved ones
have passed on and left me lonely. 'Tis
true there is a great ache in the heart
at times when we long for 1.-The touch
: of a vanished hand and the sound of a
voice that is still" But will not COM
plain. I will do this, will make mem-
ory brighten my present by bringing
into it the joys Of my past. The ten
der grace of a day that is dead" shall
come back to me. will look again
into the dear faces held in memory. I