The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1901-06-07


From the same place that man got
his cheerfulneSs | can get mine. WHY
art thou cast down. q my soul, and
why art thou disquieted within me
Hope thou in God. for l shall vet
praise him who is the health of my
counteDance and my Cod +"
Again, is your talent that of wit or
humor? Use il for God. Much of tho
worlds wit is damaging Most of sat
ire has a sting in it, Much of carica-
ture is malevolent. Much of smart re-
tort is vitriolic. In order to say smart
things how many will sacrifice the
feelings of others The sword they
carry is keen. and il is employed 10
thrust and lacerate. But few men in
all the world and in all the churches
realize that If Wit is bestowed il is
given them for useful. for improving,
for healthful purposes. Ii we all had
more of it and knew how 20 use il
Alright. how much il would improve
our Christian conversation and prayer
meeting talk and sermon. Robert
South and Rowland Hill and Jeremy
Dow and George Nhitefield used their
wit and their humor to gather great
audiences and then lead them into the
kingdom of God. l'rivolity IS repulsive
in religious discussion, but like the
humor of Job when he said to his in
solcnt critics: NO doubt but yc are
the people, and wisdom shall die with
YOU" and like the humor of the
prophet Eli iah. who told the Baalites
to pray louder, as their god was out
hunting or on an excursion or in such
loud conversation that he could not
hear them. | like the sarcasm of
Christ when He told the Self-right-
they needed no help; The whole need
not a physician. but tihat they are
sick" or when in mirthful hyperpole
he arraigns the hypocritical teachers
of His day who were so particular
about little things and careless about
big things, saving: "Ye blind guides
that strain at gnat and swallow a
camel" and the Bible is all ablaze with
epigram, words surprisingly put and
phraseology that must have made the
audiences of Paul and Christ nudge
each other and exchange glances and
smile and then appropriate the tire
mcndous truths of the Gospel. There
are some evils you can laugh down
easier than you can preacl' down. The
question is always being asked, why
do not more people go to church,
prayer meeting and other religious
meetings? | will tel! you. We of the
pulpit and the pew are so dull they
cannot stand it. But when we ask
why people do not go to church we ask
a misleading question. More people
go now To church than ever in the
worlds history. and the reason is in
all our denominations there is new
race of ministers stepping into the
pulpits which are not the apostles OF
humdrum. Sure enough. we want in
the Lords army the heavy artillery,
but we want also more men who, like
Burns. farmer at Gettysburg. took a
musket and went out on his own ac-
count TO do a little shooting different
from the other soldiers. The church
of God is dying of the proprieties.
Or is your talent an opportunity to
set good example? One person do
ing right under adverse circunsta
will accomplish more than many trea-
tiscs about what is right. The census
has never been takcn of lovely old
folks. Most of us, ii we have not such
I. g
our memory such 4 saint We went
to those old people with all our trou
bles. They were perpetual evaDgtl
lists, by their soothing words. by their
hOpefulnesS Of spirit. an inexpressiblC
help. cannot see how Heaven coult
make them any lovelier than they are
or were. But there are exceptions
There is n daughter in that family
whose father is impatient and Tn,
mother querulous. The passage OF
many years does not always improv,
the disposition. and there are a ercal
many disagreeabIe old folks. Some Of
them forget that they were young
themselves. and they become untidy
in their habits and wonder how, wheI
their asthma or rheumatism is so bad
other people can laugh or sing and 60
on as they do. The daughter in that
family bears all the peevishness an,
unreasonable behavior of scnilit,
without answering back or making
any kind OF complaint. IL YOU Shout,
ask her what her FIVE talents are OF
her one talent is. She would answer
that she has no talent at all. Greatl,
mistaken is she. Her one talent is Il
forbear and treat the childishness oi
the old as well as she treats the child
ishness of the young. She is no mu
stefan. and besides there may not be q
piano in the house. She cannot skill
fully swing croquet mallet or goIi
stick Indeed, she seems shut up tc
see what she can do with iadle anc
a broom and brush and other house
hold implements. She is the person.
fication of patience. and her reward
will be as long as Heaven. Indeed
much of her reward may be given OF
earth. She is in a rough college, from
which she may after awhile gradual,
into brightest domesticity. She is I
heroine, though at present she may
receive nothing but scolding and de
probation. Her one talent of pa
thence under trial Will do more gooC
than many morocco covered sermon.
on patience preached to-day from thu
tasseled cushion of the pulpit.