Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1909-11-25

near enough to be seen, we go sneak
ing into our chamber, we tremble, we
pray, we fret ourselves until our faces
are pale, our breath Is short, and our
step is feeble; we rush out over the
moat, and hasten away, to hide In the
forests and amid the rocks and the
fields In the towards country because
we have fretted ourselves. Fret not
myself. There are too many evil
doors in the world" How can we alb
stain? Is there a remedy Is 1t real
Is 1t something that each one Of us
can get--the power to be brave, to
stand fearlessly, to worry not, to have
cheerful faces, to sing when the
enemy is coming? 1t can be done. In
10000 cases it has been done. When
we ask the reason why God command
ed us In this beautiful psalm not to
fret ourselves, the answer Is simply
common sense, and 1t amounts to say
ing that we can be our own worst
enemies. Usually that is so. 1t Is the
sins that we voluntarily commit that
weakens us. We surrender the fort
ress by fretting ourselves into the In
ability to defend 1t any longer. God
commands us to preserve this temple
Of God, the body; to preserve this
agency of God, the mind; to preserve
this most valuable of all Gods treas
ures, pure, human soul. We have
need Of every possible force. There
is need for all we could know. all the
evenneBs of temperament that we
could command at all times. and we
are weak sinners before God because
we have sinned against ourselves In
frettlng ourselves.
How often have men and women
destroyed their physical health by
foolish, sinful habits? They are their
own worst enemies. When the time
comes from them to be courageous,
there Is cowardice. When the time
comes for them to remember, they
have broken down their memory;
when the time comes for them to
fight, they are too weak to hold
spear or sword, and when the time
comes for them to get strength by
sleep, they are too nervous to any
longer sleep. They have destroyed
themselves, committed suicide.
Unfit for Life's Battle.
We destroy our own fortunes and
the fortunes of other people by weak
ening our powers and our influence
by fretting ourselves unnecessarily.
How it units us for the battle of life!
l have seen two nurses at bedside,
one with trembling hands and over
wrought nerves, and the other going
quietly and carefully about her tasks.
l have seen physicians at the dissect-
ing table, one with trembling fingers,
and the other cool and calm. The
young surgeon, beginning his first
case, will feel so unnerved by his
anxiety that he will be almost unfit
ted for his task, where the slightest
deviation of knife will destroy life.
So God says, Fret not myself"
We can do almost anything if we
have the ability to keep ourselves
from fretting. We are told in the
scriptures that if we cease from wor-
rying, we can have the peace of God
that passeth all understanding. But
nothing but divine help will enable us
to reach that condition. You have a
great days work tomorrow, and If
you are going to do it properly you
must sleep in peace tonight. You say
it is impossible. 1t is not impossible.
A young woman failed in her ex-
aminations at the university last year.
The report that came to me was so
bad. that | said there was no use for
that woman to go to school. The pro-
lessor said she was not bad scholar
in class, but she was her own worst
enemy. When examination time
came, instead of going to bed, resting
for the work, she would study half the
night, and then find herself unable to
sleep, waking up and finding herself
weak, so that 1t was impossible for
her to get her mind down to real. hard
work. and to show herself in her true
light. But there is a power above US
all to enable US to get control Of our
selves, and to rest, and obtain the
peace Of God. o. what peace that Is
to be anxious for nothing, but by
prayer making known our requests to
God, and then the peace Of God that
passeth all understanding shall keep
our hearts and minds through Christ
Jesus.
l have tried thus rudely and hastily
to lead you forward to the rainbow Of
promise at the end of this command,
Fret not myself" God says we are
to commit ourselves to him. Then
comes the promise, viz Thou wilt
keep him in perfect peace whose
mind is stayed on thee. Russell H.
Conwell, In The Standard.