The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1902-02-07


est disaster possible unless it be the
loss of the mind. Those wondrous
seven muscles that turn the eye up
or down, to right or left or around.
No one but God could have created
the retina. If we have ever apprecl-
ated what God did when he gave US
two eyes, it was when we saw others
with obliterated vision. Alas, that
only through the privation of others
we came to a realization of our own
blessing! If you had harp in hand
and swept all the strings of graft
tude, you would have struck this,
which is one of the most dulcet of the
ten strings.
Further, there are many who never
recognize how much God gives them
when He gives them sleep. Insomnia
is calamity wider known in our land
than in any other. By midlife vast
multitudes have their nerves so over
wrought that slumber has to be coaXed,
and many are the victims of choral
and morphine. Sleeplessness is an
American disorder. If it has not
y
seven or eight hours without waking
if for that length of time in every "a
hours you can be free of all care and
worriment and your nerves are re-
turned and your limbs escape from all
fatigue and the rising sun finds you
a new man, body, mind and soul-you
have an advantage that ought to be
-, nd
lation. The French fnancier, almost
wealthy enough to purchase king
dom. but the victim of insomnia, wrote:
"No slumber to be bought in any mar
ket." He was right Sleep is gra-
tuity from Him who never sleeps. oh.
the felicities of slumber! Let all who
have this real benefaction celebrat tie it.
That is one of the sweetest strings in
all the instrument of ten strings.
Further, celebrate on the fnstru-
ment of ten strings our illumined
nights. They spread their tents over
us, and some of us hardly go out to
look at them. During the nights 9th
er worlds come in sight. The author
of my text chimed the silver bells in
the tower of the midnight heavens,
saying: when / consider the heav-
ems, the work of Thy fingers; the
moon and the stars, which Thou hast
ordained, what is man that Thou art
mindful of him?" We thank God for
the day; we ought also to thank Him
for the night. Worlds on worlds in
sight of the naked eye, but more
worlds revealed by telescope. At
least one night in his lifetime every
man ought to go into astronomical
observatory and see what has been
done by the great World Builder.
Thank God for lunar and stellar il
Elimination!
Another string of this instrument
now touch-friendships deep and
abiding, by which l refer to those
people who, when good or bad motive
may be ascribed to you, ascribe the
good; those concerning whom you do
not wonder which side they will take
when you are under discussion; those
who would more gladly serve you
than serve themselves; those to
whom you can tell everything with
out reserve; those who are first in
your home by person or by telegram
when you have trouble. Oh, what a
blessing to have plenty of friends!
Aye, if you have only one good friend,
you are blessed in that glad posses
sion. With one such friend you can
defy the world. But he must be a
tried friend. You cannot tell who are
your real friends till disasters come.
As long as you collect vast dividends
and have health jocund and popular
ity unbounded you will have crowds
of seeming friends, hut let bank
ruptcy and invalidism and defama-
ton come, and the number of your
friends will be 05 per cent. Off If
you have been through some great
crisis and you have one friend left,
thank God and celebrate it on the
sweetest harpstring.
"While all this is So" says some
one, there are so many things that
others have which l have not" l re-
ply, it is not what we get, but what
we are, that decides our happiness.
With the bare necessities of life
many are unspeakably happy, while
others with all the luxuries are i'm
presentations of misery. In the Ro-
man empire there was no man more
wretched than the Nero who ruled it.
The porticos of his palace were a
mile long. A statue of him in silver
and gold 1870 feet high stood in the
vestibule. The walls of his palace
were mother of pearl and ivory. The
ceiling was arranged to shower flow
ers and pour perfumes upon the
guests. His wardrobe was so large
that he never wore a garment twice.
his mules were shod in silver. He
fished with hooks of gold. A thou
sand carriages accompanied him
when he travelled. His crown was
worth S5OO,O 900. He had everything
but happiness. That never came.
Your heart right, all is right; your
heart wrong, all is wrong.
But we must tighten the cords of
our harp and retune it while we cele-
brate Gospel advantages. The high
est style of civilization the world has
ever seen is American civilization,
anu IL IL Oullt out VI INC hospel OF
pardon and good morals. That Cos
pei rocked our cradle, apd it will
epitaph our grave. 1t soothes our
sorrows, brightens our hopes, in
spires our courage, forgives our sins
and saves our souls. 1t takes a man
who is all wrong and makes him all
right. What that Gospel has done for
you and me is a story that we can
never fully tell. What it has done
for the world and will yet do for the
nations Il will talre the thnnannd