The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1903-09-18


bearing his lot IN gloomy and sullen ST.
lence. and bearing IL IN a way that makes
YOU feel he is none the better Tor having
| 10 so II. Paul is the man whose suEerings
and losses YOU can plainly see are the
explanation of ais buoyant and courageous
! spirit. His lot. disagreeable and difficult
as II is, he accepts, not as the other man,
with bitterness and resentment, but IN that
spirit of faith and obedience that God
has right 10 expect from all HIS ehii'
| dren.
know there are some 10 whom this will
sound strange aud perhaps impossible. and
l know they are conscientious and religious
peopS. They accept II as fact that men
| must expect 10 bc suddenly halted IN lite,
| . l.. like Simon of Cvrene. made 10 bear
| some hsNy and humiliating cross, and they
endeavor to Toe stout hearted and brave
under the ordeal, but II is always and only
disagreeahle and unfortunate cireum.
| stance in their lives; and they resent II and
hate il as did simon; and that is all. They
never seem 10 find the source OF strength
and happiness in their cross Now, Is u
| true that the Paul attitude and the Paul
spirit are possible Possible TO the aver
| age man, l meany Or do they require the
Paul conversion and the Paul visions! 10
II true that the Paul spirit is possible IN
ordinary life. or must one have hrst caught
a glimpse of the third heaven! 1 ask you
| 10 ponder this query, IN the hope that we
may clearly see and be convinced that 1t
is no unattainab,e principle Tor any man,
| anywhere in this world.
Here are two Young men-classmates at
college. or shopmates, II You please, IN the
s"me office or factory The one is about
as dlligcnt as the other and about as sue.
cessful Nevertheless, there rs marked
difference. The one finds study or busl-
ness as the case may be, irksome ana
slavish. Il neither inspires nor develops
him. He simply does what he does be-
cause he ought to or must, and his whole
life Is nothing more than stolid persist
enee lacking the hoartlness and the hope
fulness of the other. The other man is no
better scholar, no better workman or busi-
ness man, but he is contrast, notwith.
| standing. Whether II is study or business,
| he finds his Joy and inspiration in what he
does, and does what he does from spirit
OF love. There are the same restraints,
the same burdens upon both. but the one
! exults IN them and Is developed 10y them,
where as the other is full OF resentment.
! and is in no way benefited. While the one
| - full of enthusiasm and anticipation. the
other is heartless and crushed. The one Is
Paul. the other is Simon
| People used 10 wonder why George vii.
liam Curtis. the distinguished and gifted
editor OF Harper's Magazine, entered the
lecture field. He was known 10 have
lucrative position and considerable IN.
come from his writings; and 50 II seemed
strange To many people that he should
take up lecturing with its inconvenience
and risks. Some were inclined TO regard
him as mercenary. but on his death the
explanation appeared. Years before. 80 10
is said, Mr.. Curtis had engaged IN bus'..
ness enterprise with friend which proved
unfortunate for both. IL was in order to
meet all the Obligations incurred bv the
firm which bore his name that Dccessitated
hls goin- on those extended lecture tours;
and Mr.. Curtis lived long enough to retire
from the lecture platform and that, too.
after he had paid every dollar Of indebted
ness. with interest. Some might say that
is suporhuous honesty, and vet many men
there are TO-DAY who would DO this very
thing Mr. Curtis did. and as a matter OF
fact the number Of men who have done
so in the past is not small Indeed. there
| are men living IL our midst who are striv.
ing TO do this self same thing. But all
men do not manifest the same spirit in
this otherwise noble task. One man will
act rs II he were bond slave. and while
he il faithful 10 his duty. does IL in a
cheerless. heartless manner, apparently
finding nothing IN his hard experience To
rejoice in or be thankful for. He goes
about his task az Simon bore the cross 9.
cursing the luck that brought him To the
hour. and full of bitterness and resentment
on accor & of IL. Wlthou' heart or in'
spiration. and without comfort or Joy, he
takes up his cross and trudgcs toward
Calvary On the other hand, there are
men to whom these heavy tasks become an
inspiration and n source OF strength who
arc finding their happiness and their de-
! vclopment in carrying the cross, hap.
pincss and n dcvclopmcnt that tney would
: otherwise never have known.
if you and ] are To have the P"ul spirit
: OF courage and conteDtmont even while
we stagger under the heavy cross, IL can
only be- by the way Of the Paul attitude
toward God and the Paul relationship TO
Jesus Christ. This ~ the same Paul who
wrote, We are children of I and II
children then heirs: cirs al God and Joint
heirs with Christi the same Paul who
wrote. "All things works together for
good 10 them who love God" Aftcrward
Simon Of Cyrene understood the cross Of
Christ. and then he became a Paul Though
the authorities turned him out Of the syn.
agogue as dcflcd though he and his family
became ostraciscd, u maiterod little 10
them. since they could clearly see how
great n good had come TO them IN the form
! OF misfortune.
And do we not see how true this IL of
many people about usy DO we not see that
mother and that the new and heavy re-
sponsbility 10 others were just what they
needed 10 round out their characters and
10 fiji their careers with force and
strength
And whatever may he the form Of the
weight Of the cross lad upon us ~ this
life nv friends let US remember these
two things. That IL is Dossible. like Paul.
the apostle. 20 find the inspiration and joy
OF our lives ~ the cross and further. that
Il must be 20 II our attitude toward God
is one 81 faith and obedience and our
relationship to Jesus that OF loyal and