Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1912-03-01
RELIGION AND FUN By Dr. William s. Jacobs Pastor of First Presbyterian Church,
 Houston, Texas

The world generally respects long, faced Christians, and some have the idea that they are more pious because of this. But I don't like that kind of a man. You remember the poet was once calling in his old classmates after they were old men, and after he had enumerated all, he spoke of the laughing boy, the one whom you might think was all fun, but others laughed at his good deeds, and his poor friend laughed loudest of all. believe it is true in the great poem of life, said Dr. Jacobs, that the best life is given to the man who can go through it with a smile.
 I have had some experience with this matter. When I was in college. when I needed help and encourage ment, did not go to the austere man, but to the man with the smile. It seemed could approach him easier. have had some experience along these lines since I have been in the ministry. Many men with sorrows and trouble have come to me for advice and assistance, and ! do not believe 1t was because of any profound inn pression 1 had made upon them by profound exposition, but because 1 had met them with smile, and they felt they could come. If the little bit of good 1 can do inside the church was all that 1 could do, I would resign from the ministry and take up a secu- lar calling. Preaching sermons is not the main work. The meaningless of words. Any man can say things; any man can preach. If I had nothing to do but get up sermons l could get them up by the barrel. My opportunity for real work is to go and meet peo- pie with burdens on their hearts, and to help them.
 We find out great many things about the world when we get out in it. After all, it was not the sermon on the mount, but his life in the valley and on the seashore that gives us our conception of Christ All the world is trying to get away from it's sorrow. think we have grown more and more into incorporating sorrows into our faces, voices and manners.
 What kind of memory do you wish to leave? Are you going to leave your friends happy thought that will strengthen them and comfort them after you are gone? This busi- ness of long-facedness is one-half self ishness and one-half lie. If your soul is as sorrowful as your face ap- pears, you are not content. The more see of long-faced piety, the more convinced I am that it is not genuine. l always had respect for the Methodist amen" It is sort of applause al lowed in church, which serves to en- courage the speaker and help him along. It may not be as formal as the amen of the Episcopalian or as the silence of the Presbyterian, but it Ileans something. I wish enough Methodists would join my church to furnish an amen corner I like for 1 you to respond when l talk. Some. | times I see someone nod his head and 1 see that I have met with his ap. 1 proval And then again I see another shake his head, and know he doesn't l believe it. At any rate, whether you 1 like it or not like the response as I feel we are talking and there is somc thing between us.
 There is as much religion in happi. as in sorrow. l say there is more. There should be only one kind of sor- row, and that is godly sorrow And i there is more reason for godly hap 1 piness than sorrow. After all, there is not very much to worry about in this world, if we will but keep up a smile If we only look at it in the right way every sorrow has its mean. ing. The bitterest sorrows of my life have been my greatest opportunities. They have enabled me to find myself, to see whether l was right or wrong. Christians ought not to sorrow as those with no hope. but they should rejoice. Have you ever noticed how serious sin is? Who are the people who laugh" They are the people who have down in their hearts the con. sciousness of purity and right living. The happier side of life is the tri- umphant, the other fatalistic. A long face is an indication of defeat and despair. The Christian needs no long face. The man on the way to inherit a great fortune does not stop to grieve over dime lost in the sand. So with the Christian. He ought to go laugh ing as he walks, even to the tomb making stepping stones of grave stones to higher things. If you are on the way to your inheritance, you should be happy. Next to the gift of immortality is the gift of the possi. bility c. joy.
 Some men ask, what about Gods house? Is it place for laughter and merriment? What does the church stand for? Is it a morgue, or is it a place or resurrection? l will let you answer the question. The Bible says: Make joyful noise unto the Lord. .'
 But this doesn't mean snickering in church.
 Let me impress this thought upon you. Go into the world and see how happy you can be and make it. Gods idea was to make us eternally happy and not eternaHy sorrowful
 Pleasure.