The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1902-05-02

profession OF religion is almost worthless.
/ The difficulty Is not IN our surroundings, but
in ourselves. Joy Is not IN things, II is
! IN Us"
met a young woman this winter in the
South who told me that she was the pos
SCISSOR Of a $1,000 violin. and with a shin
| ing face she said, You should hear the
music o! that instrument and yet IN the
hands OF very many people II would have
been Just a producer OF unharmonlous
sounds, while in the hands of this gifted
young woman II was truly marvellous. and
| all because the music was in her and the
violin was the best movement Of the ex-
preston Of that music.
When Ole Bull, the great violinist played
! in Princeton, one OF the professors asked
him If the secret of his success was in the
violin or in the bow or in himself. and he
said, The violin and the bow amount 20
| but little. / never play until / feel that
| there Is music in me that must be ex-
| pressed. and then any instrument j touch
| becomes remarkable" Many OF US are uu.
| fitted for life because we have become too
artificial have had wrong ideals and have
| tried 10 be what we never can be.
| A friend recentlv sent me that wonder
| ful little book, The Simple Life" by
| Charles Wagner, which every one would
| do well to read. To the author of this
| book | am indebted for some of the ex-
pressions used above, but in one of the
| chapters he tells US in speaking of the
| home lie, I'm the time of the Second En-.
pire, IN one of our pleasantest subprefec-
| lures Of the provinces, a little way from
sG.ne baths frequented by the Emperor,
! there was a mayor, n very worthy man,
! and intelligent, too. whose head was sud
| denly turned by the thought that his SOW
! ereign might one day descend upon his
| home. Up 10 this time he had lived in
the house of his fathers, son respectful
| l.s he 81 -
when once the allahsorbing idea of receiv.
| ing the Emperor had taken possession Of
| his brain he became another man. In this
new light what had before seemed suffi.
| cient for his needs. even enjoyable, all this
| simplicity that his ancestors had loved. APP
peared poor, ugly, ridiculous. Out OF the
| question 10 ask an Emperor 10 climb this
| wooden staircase, sit in these old arm.
| chairs, walk over such superanuated 'SEssAA11
pets. So the mayor called architect and
masons pickaxes attacked walls and de-
molished partitions, and a drawing room
was made out of all proportion 20
| the rest of the house in size aud splen-
dor. He and his family retired into close
| quarters. where people and furniture in
| commoded each other generally Then
| having emptied his purse and upset his
| household by this stroke of genius, he
awaited the royal guest. Alas, he soon
| saw the end of the empire arrive. but the
| Emperor never. The folly OF this poor
man Is not so rare. As scottish as he are
| all those who sacrifice their home life TO
the demands of the world"
| H.
What was the difficulty with Elijah?
| First his physical strength had been over
| taxed He had been iaboring under the
| highest tension, his nerves were unstrung
and he was just in the position where
| Satan could tempt him the worst There
| are many like him to-day They are in
| despair, and they need not so much a spir-
| itual physician as the presence Of a doctor
| who can tell them that their bodies must
| have rest, their nerves must be built up.
and they themselves must remember that
| their bodies are the temples of the Holy
| Ghost, and that they may sin against God
| Just as truly when they break commands
! touching the body as when they commit
sins touching the soul. Elijah needed rest,
and instead OF taking it he prayed that be
| might die.
Second. be looked away from Cod to his
| circumstances. Up TO that time he en-
| dured as seeing Him who was invisible
| then like Peter when he saw the wind that
was boisterous he began to sink. / do not
| think that any minister could preach to-
| day if he realized the iniquity that sur
rounded him, the hypocrisy in many
| hearts, the awful sins IN many lives; he
would grow faint and sick at heart, and
| all because he looked down. while IL is
| possible, on the other hand. for ANYBODY
| TO preach in the midst of all this desola-
tion if he keeps his eyes turned up, and
| the difficulty with YOU Is not that your
| power is dead, but that your eyes are fast
| ened upon the ground instead OF turned
| upward to heaven. and the cause of your
distress is not that your mother has gone
| away from your home but that YOU are
standing like Mary looking in at the tomb.
| when you ought TO be standing with up
turned face looking by faith into the very
midst of the angel company in heaven.
| What if the difficulties are great. let us
look TO God in it all.
The other day in my mail came little
| piece OF poetry from friend in England.
| which has beer singing Its way Ike a bird
of paradise through my soul all the week.
when the way seems dark and dreary,
Think of Him.
| Lest thy heart grow faint and weary,
| Think OF Him.
| For lie Inoweth all the way.
| And His strength will be thy stay;
He can cheer the darkest day,
| Think of Him.
| When some sorrow sorely presses,
Think of Him.
For through trials oft He blesses,
| Think of Him.
| He alone can understand,
| Leave it all in His dear hand;
| In His love for thee He planned,
| Think of Him.
| When some anxious care perplexes,
| Think OF Him.
| Lest thy inmost soul II vexes,
Think OF Him.
| Bring thy care and thou shalt see,
| He will bear II all for thee;
He would have thee peaceful be,
| Think Of Him"
| But there was still another difficulty
with Elijah. First, he was alone. In
| verse 3 we read that he left his servant
| the wilderness. 1t u a great mistake 10
be alone when trouble comes. Bear ye
one another's burdens, and so fulfill the
law of God, gives US a picture OF human
| fellowship, while the verse, Take my
| yoke upon you and learn OF Me- gives US
an idea of that fellowship which we may
have with Him.
John McNeiil, the great Scotch preacher
| has a fine illustration OF this point IN his
| sermon based upon / Samuel, the 27th
| chapter and the first verse, And David
| said IN his heart, j shall now perish one
| day 10y the hand OF Saul; there - nothing
! better for me than that | should speedily
escape into the land OF the Pbihstines,
/ and Saul shall despair of me, 90 seek me
any more in any coast OF Israel; so shall
escape out Of his hand" David said IN
| his heart" and John Mcneil says II
would have been well II instead Of saying
il in his heart he would have said 1t out