Charlevoix county herald., 1904-10-22
In Joy and in Sorrow.

Is any among you afflicted. let MN
pray; is any merry, let him sing psalms
st. James, W, IL.
We have here a panacea, recipe
for all distempers of mind and spirit,
q maxim of universal application,
restraint alike upon undue grief and
unwise joy.
as any afflicted, let him pray"
There is no other remedy. Other
things may soothe; prayer alone can
heal. To think. to reason. to receive
the sympathy of others, these things
may quiet little the outward pain,
but only prayer can touch the seat or
the disease. Prayer communes with
God, it lifts the soul to God, it warns
the cold heart and lights up the dark
one, it solves the doubts, it dispels
mists, it reconciles to God.
But as there are many who, at
times at least, are not conscious OF
any special trial, the apostle provides
for 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
ly implies that some men under some
conditions have right to be merry.
Religion does not counsel perpetual
gloom or sadness. 1t recognizes that
it's subjects are differently constitut-
ed and 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 to every
character 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 it's place,
it tells those who are glad as we'll as
those who are sorrowful what they
ought to do. rs any merry, let him
sing psalms" That is, let him praise
God. Let him direct his song of jub-
lice to the skies lest his joy, not be-
ing understood nor rightly used, over
whelm his soul. Happiness is afilic-
ton unless we keep God in view.
Prosperity is full of danger. Left to
itself it elates one unduly. 1t makes
him less strong to bear adversely
when it comes in turl. 1t is an in
jury and not an advantage unless with
| it and for it he blesses God and, in
spirit at least, sings psalms. AS pray
er is the resource of the heavy heart
ed, So in equal degree, should thanks
giving be of the light hearted. Well
is it if in our sorrows We turn to
God. But better 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 up
on our lives; that without them the
experiences of this mortal state have
an effect on us utterly disproportioned
| to their importance; that they alone
bind us to God and unite our temper
al interests with those that are eter-
nal. Depend upon it, disorders and
disturbances of the mind, little or
great, come largely from the want of
Worship and, serene, unruflled spirit
can always be attained by communion
with God. Place all your interests,
Their, in His care. Do well your work,
use we'll 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 tribulation and in all time of
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 sor-
row and your JOY. Oh, afflicted one,
pray! Oh, merry one, sing psalms!
| Henry M. Barbour