Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-04-29

enough 70 stir up envy. malice. fear snd
hatred enough IN his heart. until ~
his own confession Hannah WAS utterly
miserable.
No, contentment does not retard real
progress, but it does Danish unreason-
able greed from the heart.
Let us learn that contentment
is an art. Paul said, have learned
This beautiful disposition must be ac-
quired by practice. 1t must be learned
and it cannot be acquired at a single
bound. We must serve our apprentice
ship to it as to any other art
Ut is not science to be
theoretically mastered, but an
art to be practically obtained. Paul
had learned to be independent OF ex-
ternal circumstances. I am glad that
he said he larned to be content. That
is encouraging to the rest of us. There
is not person in this house tonight
who cannot learn to be content; you
can overcome the habit of worry. Hen
ry Vincent gives the following rules for
overcoming worry:
4. Realize that worrying is an en-
envy which destroys your happiness
Realize that it has never done, and
never can do, the least good. 1t wastes
vitality and impairs the mental facul-
ties. Therefore. attack it definitely as
something to be overcome.
%. Cultivate the spirit of gratitude
for daily mercies.
Ills better far. ard wise- tco,
To fold your worries all away,
And live life of trust each day.
Disconnected people never see any
thing to be thankful for. They always
see the dark side of every question
They always want to live some place
else than where they are living. AL
ways wanting something they cannot
get. They always speak of the good old
days and lament the present degener-
acy. Bewail the hard times in bust
ness, the corruption in politics and the
wordliness and declining faith in the
church. Always talking Of the bad
weather. In the pleasant circumstances
and the happiest hour always finding
something disagreeable. Oh, how much
it would help matters if they would
only thank God each day for the bless
ings they do receive. The Buffalo
Christian Advocate relates an incident
in real life which reveals the cure of
discomfort and misery.
There is a certain old lady who lives
in little old house, with a very little
in it to make her comfortable. She is
rather deaf and she cannot see very
we'll either. Her hands are feet are all
out of shape and full of pain because
of rheumatism. But in spite of all this
you will find her full of sunshine and
as CHEEKY as robin in June, and it
does one good to see her. l found out
one day what keeps her so cheerful.
When / was a child she said, my
mother taught me every morning before
I got up to thank God for every good
thing that / could think of which He
had given me--for a comfortable bed,
for my breakfast. for my pleasant home,
for my friends, for my life spared from
day to day, for all my blessings, call
ing each by name. So | began every
day with heart full of praise to God.
This is cure for discomfort.
Disconnected people always see things
in a different light from the way that
contented people see them. Two boys
went to gather grapes. The one was
happy because they found grapes. The
other was unhappy because the grapes
had seeds in them. Two men, being
convalescent, were asked how they
were One said, Il am better to-day"
The other said, 81 was worse yester-
day." When it rains, one man says:
This will make mud" another. This
will lay the dust" Two boys examin-
ing a bush, one observed that 1t had
thorn, the other that it had a rose. Il
am glad that live" says one man. Il
am sorry that l must die" said an
other. Il am glad" says one, that 1t
is no worse Il am sorry" says an
other, that it is no better" And so it
goes all through life on every question.
Yes, contentment is an art. Paul learn
ed to be content. so must we learn it.
The world is what we make it. For
ward, then, Forward in the power of
faith; forward in the power of truth;
forward in the power of friendship; for
ward in the power of hope; forward in
the power of Cod
III. Lastly what was the secret OF
Paul's contentment? In the thirteenth
verse of this chapter he tells us: II can
do all things through Christ, which
strengthens me-" 1t is only in Christ
that the Christian is self-sufficient His
presence gives strength to do and suf-
fer all things. This is what true re-
ligion gives to every one who possesses