News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1899-12-27

and Ye Shall Rejoice in all that Ye Pu
Your Hand Unto, Yeand Your Households
First Step in the Direction of True Re
igion.
And We shall rejoice in All that ye
put your hand unto, We and your
ds.-Deuteronomy, xii, Z.
1t is just as much our duly to enjoy
life as it is to work or sleep. 1t is
therefore very important that we
should so arrange our lives that they
viii furnish the largest amount of en-
joyment.
l do not say that any one can Dc
perfectly happy all the time, ior no
part of our discipline is more needed
by the soul than that which comes
from the trials and disappointments
and even the profound sorrows through
which we are forced to pass.
One may even say that he who has
never wept does not know the value
of laughter, and that he who has not
toiled along the hot and dusty road
does not appreciate the bliss of sitting
under the friendly branches Of tree,
with a cool spring bubbling at his feet,
for short period of rest.
It is only when we are deprived of
blessing that we discover IT'S worth,
and he alone is grateful in its posses
sion who knows what it is to get on
without it,
I have heard an aged saint say that
no man >can rightly define the word
he ven until he stands by new made
grave.
do not ignore the serious or Sol
emn side of life, but assure you that
if you add to the gloom by gloomy
thoughts you not only make mistake
so far as your own comfort is con-
cerned. but you are to that extent ir-
religious. On the other hand, when
you preserve a cheerful attitude, when
you brighten your life by dwelling on
the good things you have, rather than
on those you wish you had and make
| yourself as happy as your clrcum-
stances allow, you are in the proper
frame of mind to receive religious
truth, you are in accord with the eter-
nal plan and have taken the first step
in the direction of true religion.
So long as you regard your environ
ment as all wrong and untitled to YOU,
s. long as you find fault because you
! think you are not where you ou9ht to
be, just so long do you bar the way
| to n higher level and chain yourself to
a dungeon floor. The angels, with
their soothing and encouraging influ-
ence. can no more reach you than the
sunshine can get through a window
which vor have deliberately brckod
Up had aim st said that human soul
| can so surround Itself with an atmos-
phere of Giscontent and doubt that the
Lord Himself cannot effect an en-
trance, while what is injurious because
it is evil is as much at home as d
| poisonous plant that thrives on miasm.
If you long for the light you will go
to the spot where the light can reach
you but it is foolish to declare that
there is no light when you sit in a
dark corner where only ghcstly shad-
ows dwell.
There are very few lives in which a
degree If happiness may not be found
if it is sought for But We must not
forget that we must work to be happy.
lust S we work to be rich. If we want
wealth we fix our minds upon it. we
know that if we can discover its hid
ing place our dreams will be real ed.
We plan to get it, and have sufficient
confidence in ourselves to keep us on
the alert. No opportunity escapes us,
ana we mgke the most of every one
that presents itself.
I cannos see why this principe
eh~u'd not be applied to religion, Meth
err can I see why it should not be
equally successful. We go to get
riches. but we expect happiness and
contentment to come to lis. We
work for fame, for social influence,
fer all worldly oodihtmthgfrwyid nc
for all worldly good things, but it sell
dom occurs to- us that we must als2
work foe that mental and spiritual
condition in which life is experienced
at its best. And yet man-that is
the law as | understand it--sh0uld be
as keen in his search for peace Of mind
for resignation, for self-control as he
IS for dolars, and should begin the
task in the conviction that God wants
him to be happy rather than mser-
able, and has so made the universe and
arranged our environment that we
may spend contented years in his
lower sphere and be ioyfully raised tC
a higher lever after death.
cannot conceive f a religion which
does not tighten human burdens. dc
not believe that God ever spoke a word
in the way of revelation which wa
not intended to make the soul serene
and happy If we do not interpret this
Bible after this fashion, then we mis-
interpret it, It is a closed book to us
and we have not learned to read it.
Never look on the dark side viii
dark feelings in your heart, TO yor
thereby make the darkness darker still
Look at it from the convic ior hal
God is overhead, conviction Wi il
like the lantern which the traveller
carries in the night time, and you viii
find reason to rejoice even when Il