Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1904-08-31
l57flz 4 POPULAR
k1Y q PULPIT

7
unwise Joy.
is any afflicted, let him pray"
There is no other reaiedy. Other things
may sotthe; prayer alone can heal To
| think. to reason, to receive the symPa-
! thy of others-these things may quiet
a little the outward pain, but only
! prayer can touch the seat of the dis
ease. Prayer communes with God, it
| lifts the soul to God, it warns the cold
heart and lights up the dark one, it
solves doubts, it dispeis mists, it recon
Giles TO God.
! But as there are many who, at times
at least. are not conscious of i spe-
cial trial. the apostle provides f. them
also: rs any merry. let him sing
| psalms"
/ We may note in passing that the
apostle amid his own life of toll and
/ hardship, does not forget that some of
| his fellow men are merry, and we may
note also that his language plainly i'm
plies that some men, under some condl-
tions, have a right to be merry. Re
| liglon does not counsel perpetual gloom
or sadness. 1t recognizes that its sub
! jects are differently constituted, ana
| that each one of them has varying
moods. 1t does not expect all to be
alike. nor any to be the same at all
! times. 1t adapts itself 10 every char
acter and to every circumstance. 1t
is intended TO moderate. TO guide, to
hallow, not only grief, but joy
| And so, acknowledging that glad
ness as we'll as sorrow has its place,
it tells those who are glad as well as
those who are sorrowfu what they
ought TO do. is any merry, let him
sing psalms" That is, let him praise
! God Let him direct his song of jubilee
to the skies, lest his joy, not being
| understood nor rightly used, over
whelm his soul. Happiness is attiic-
ton unless we keep God in view. Pros
| perity is full of danger. Left to itself
| it elates one unduly. 1t makes him
| less strong to bear adversely when it
comes in turn 1t is an injury and not
an advantage unless with it and for it
/ he blesses God, and, in spirit, at least,
| sings psalms. AS prayer is the re
! source of the heavy-hearted, so, in
equal degree, should thanksgiving be
of the lighthearted, Well is it If in
our sorrows we turn to God. But bet
ter yet would it be if, as readily as the
afflicted pray, the merry would sing
/ psalms.
/ The lesson before us is that prayer
and praise are the corrective, the bal
ance. the check which we all need upon
our lives; that without them the ex-
periences of this mortal state have an
effect on US utterly disproportloned TO
! their importance: that they alone bind
| us to God and unite our temporal in
| terests with those that are eternal. De
pend upon it, disorders and disturb
ances of the mind, little or great come
from the want of worship; and a Sc
rene. unrutfled spirit can always be
attained by communion with God.
Place all your interests, then, in His
care Do we'll your work, use well
your influence, and then leave yourself
and all you love with Him. Cultivate
that nearness to Him which fits one TO
bear his lot, to fulfill his task, TO be
content. In all time of your tribula-
! ton and in all time IF your prosperity
ask Him to deliver you from the perils
! that Turk around you. Go to Him alike
| In gladness and in grief Bring Him
alike your sorrow and your joy. o,
afflicted one, pray. o. merry one, sing
psalms.