The Tupelo journal., 1902-09-05
SOUL BREATHING ROOM.
The Inner Life Needs . Large Place
In Which to Expansions
Simple Suggestions.

~ wv hAAA a
large place. He had been beset by en-
emies and had been compelled, per-
haps, to hide away in a ave and keep
in narrow quarters. And SO, when
his enemies were overthrow and he
was permitted to go u at will on the
mountain or in the valley, toll freely
in the open fields or in the town, to
breathe the air of liberty with zone to
make him afraid, he would, because OF
his past experience, have a new n
of appreciation of the largeness OF an
unfettered, uncramped life.
I saw a mar recently who, after liv-
ing for many years in the heart of the
city, had moved out into the suburbs,
where he had a little ground about
with a chance for a garden and a few
apple trees, and | asked him why he
liked being out there so much better,
and he replied: "Oh, / have a chance
to turn round and to breathe"
The soul as well as the body needs
breathing-room. And to give it a
chance to breathe well we must not
crowd it too closely with worldly
things that canneverfurnisha an atmos-
phere for it. The supreme folly of the
rich mar described by Jesus, whom
God named Fool" was that he under
took to feed his soul on the kind of
goods which he could stow away in the
barn. Many people are making the
m mistake now. They crowd their
lives so full of work and pleasure which
appeal only to the temporary life that
they smother the soul to death.
There are some simple things which
help to give breathing-room to the
soul. One of them is Bible-reading.
The best soul atmosphere in the world
is hal which clings about the word OF
God. We have a great deal to say now
about condensed foods. And we have
exhibitions occasionally showing the
marvellous power of liquid air. There
is more condensed spiritual atmos-
phere, if / may so speak, in the word
of God than anywhere else in the world.
There are breezes stored up in the
Psalms which a man may feel on the
inner brow if he gives himself up to
them for but a few moments. The va
ter of life springs fresh and cool and
inspiring from many a mountain range
of Bible prophecy. The fragrance of
wild flowers, the charm of water lilies,
may be breathed from the sayings of
Jesus, and from the incidents of low
ing self-sacrifce and transformed liv-
ing which n finds in the stories of
early Christianity in the New Tesla
ment. If one will give a certain amount
of time every day to reverent reading
of the Bible, the soul will have a chance
to breathe.
Prayer is another source of spiritual
atmosphere. Quiet contemplation of
the Divine existence, of Gods nearness,
of His loving care, the breathing out
to Him Thanksgiving for past mercies
and present joys and the expression
of the longings and desires of ones in
ner self are soul-breathings. Espe.
cially is this true of secret prayer. To
go alone into the closet and shut the
door, separating ones self from
troublesome thoughts, of money, and
perplexing problems on ~expediency in
daily living and turning to God. seek
ing His guidance, opening the. heart
and pouring out it's confidence in
loving trust to the Divine Friend is
for the souls breathing like going
out of some smoky city, where the
air hangs low with fumes of oil and
the dust of traffic, into the open
nn,1nfry yUhara tho hrooth IF fho
fields and the woods sweetens the
clear atmosphere through which the
eyes look up to the stars.
Another way through which the
soul finds breathing-room is in do.
ing good to others. Jesus kept His
soul wholesome and sweet during His
earthly pilgrimage not only by much
prayer and communion with God, but
by going about doing good. Day by
day He had the satisfaction of know
ing that His deeds were blessing
others, and so His SOU breathed con.
stantly this atmosphere of helpful.
ness and blessing.
No man can have a wholesome,
healthy, happy spiritual nature I'M
less he gives the soul breathing
room in unselfshly doing good deeds
to his fellow-men. Many a man who
has been selfish and fretful, unhap.
py, spiritually diseased, has had his
life transformed into joyous spiritual
health by being led into fellowship
with Christ while bringing blessings
to others.
DR.. Arthur Brooke points out how
we'll Dickens pictures this in his
Christmas carol. At the beginning
of the story we have a portrait of
Scrooge, a tight-isted man, hard as
a grindstone, sharp as a flint, from
which no steel had ever struck out
generous fire; secret and self-con-
tanned and solitary as an oyster. No.
body ever stopped him in the street
to say with happy look: "How are
your" Even the beggar never i'm
plored him for aims; no child ever
looked up in his face to ask him the
time of day. He was rich, but dis
NAL, morose and blue. He had never
done good to any one. He had
planned and toiled only for himself;
but he was visited by three ghosts
the ghost of the past. the ghost of
the present and the ghost of the fu-
ture-and they taught him a lesson.
He became a good friend, a good
employer and a good man and
opened his heart and purse to others.
His soul began to breathe and hap
piness and beauty blossomed in the
life that had been desolate and bar