The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1906-07-24
HOW TO BE PROSPEROUS AND
HAPPY.
BY Rev. j. \. Stradley.

heading of this article say: ITO
be prosperous and happy is the
great desire Of my life / believe God
has put these blessings in the reach Of
all intelligent persons, God is love
and ] do not believe that He has
placed any human being under such
conditions, that he is compelled to
live Il miserable life Of adversely and
unlappiness. If all people would live
tand do just like God tells them to do,
and like He has made it possible for
them to do, With His help which lie
constantly, and freely offers them,
they could be prosperous and happy.
| do not mean to say that persons af-
hicted and deprived Of bodily
strength can labor and prosper in bus-
mess, but if such are good people, God
will raise up friends for them, who
will supply their temporal wants, and
God will supply their spiritual wants,
land they are often among the hap
piest Of people.
Let us notice some things necessary
to prosperity and happiness:
The foundation stone of these bless
ingS is Christianity. No one can have
satisfying prosperity. or genuine hap
pinesS only in co~partnership. fellow
ship and communion With God. The
sinner hates God and God hates the
sinners sins. not the sinner. With
the sinner hating what IS purest and
best, and God hating what is vilest
and most corrupt, there can be no
happiness. The sinners vile nature
must be changed. and brought into
harmony With Gods pure nature, III
order to be happy.
To be prosperous and happy all per
sons should choose. and follow, some
honorable occupation in life. No one
has a right to live without work. God
never made a man to be an idler.
IIDp,n &c ~ r,nIt at a-.,1v So. III 4 q
one has means on which to live with
out working for himself. he ought to
work for the needy.
Each should choose an honorable
occupation. There are pursuits in life
that are ~dishonorablc and degrading.
Men may engage in them and make
money, but they viii not be happy.
They will have to endure the lashings
of a guilty conscience. They know
they are SHINING against themselves,
society n against God. This is fear
FULLY true of those gag in the
liquor traffic. A liquor maker and
dealer can make money, but they can
not be happy. Their own cOnScicnces.
Iall good people, and God are against
them.
choose an honorable calling. Stick
to it. Deal fairly with all. There is
need for faithful work.
All who will can find something to do.
II they cannot always find just what
theys would rather do, they can find
something else TO do, and they ought
TO be at 1t. Stick to your work. Thou
sands fail because they change 50
often from n occupation to another.
ana from one place to another. 1t is
true: a rolling stone gathers no
moss. But a man who sticks to any
honorable business can make a living,
II not a fortune and he can be hap
piti N1tnOlt a fortune than with it
industry is another condition of
and happiness. Many peo-
pie pretend to work but waste half of
Inelr time lounging around home,
visiting, hunting, fishing, and gadding
around generally. such will never
prosper. But the industrious man VIII
gam gradually, if not rapidly.
Economy is another essential to
prosperity and happiness. Many people
work hard. make nous to live com
loflapIy on but waste half they make,
ana are always hard run TO live. The
husband it may be, spends money
freely for tobacco. cigars, cigarettes.
WhlSkey, card playing, and many other
Things not only useless but positively
hurtful. The wife, perhaps, spends
much money for snuff, fine dressing.
extravagant eating, and pleasure par
ties Some people are much like a
COW getting to a fodder stack, instead
of standing on the ground and eating
what she wants, she will get on top Of
the stack as soon as she can, and
will trampIe under foot far more than
lSne eats. Some families waste enough
to supper another family of the same
size. DIR. Franklin said: 1T is NOT
so much what a mar makes, as what
he saves, hat enables him to prosper
in life
Farming is the most important
sure, and hopeful of all secular call
i n 0S IF FiChf11- lnra - rr8iI -.
perity and happiness. There never
was a time in the history of the conn
try when the outlook for farmers vac
50 hope1ul as now. Everything they
make for market brings a good price
So many people have left the ~ountrv |
land gone to towns. that all farm nro-
ducts are IN demand at paying prices
Rural delivery and improved roads
make country life far more desirable
than ever before. And yet, perhaps !
there never was SO much discomfort |
anu complaining among farmers as |