The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1914-06-18
z>SATURDAY
&AR NIGHT
/ SERMONS
BY
MAlmuW .puRyEQl
THE HOUSE OF HAPPINESS.

Matt. v.
Here is the first summer schoOi-n0t
Emerson's little school of philosophy
OH the hillside at Concord nor Mother
Chautaugua by the lake. but inland
from the west shore of the sea of Cali
lee was the worlds greatest school
house. 1t is the middle of Christ,s
ministry, the summer Of % A. ID He
had just appointed his twelve disci-
pies. and the multitudes were docking
to be fed, like the pigeons ut st.
Marks. 1.-The common people heard
him gladly" see the crowds sitting
with their legs doubled under them.
the Master on an elevation Of Hattim.
his eyes and face glowing. He has
spent a whole night in prayer The
sun is slanting out Of the cloudless
Syrian sky arched overhead The blue
waters of the lake simmer in the dis
lance. Way to the north the sublime
form of Mount Hermon rises to the
heavens. The magnificent harvest
fields of Esdraelon stretch off to the
south. This school has a big campus
This is not sermon: it is an instruc-
ton. The discourse opens and closes
with the word taught" Forty times
Christ is called Master. or teacher
Forty-four times the verb teach is
applied to his work Three hundred
and twenty times his followers are
called disciples" pupils. learners 1t
is worth noticing that Christ is called
the Great Teacher
Christ's School of Philosophy
This young carpenter rabbi was 60
ing to teach Il philosophy that was pos
itively revolutionary 1t was to deal
with internal conditions The beati'
tudes are more than beautiful att.
tudes. am convinced that their teach
in. is the most difficult in the whole
gospel story. 1t means nothing less
than the statement of a philosophy
that should be suited to human nature
in all times. climes and conditions,
These restless, unsatisfied folks in that
first century crowd were the same as
wander our streets and throng to So
cialist meetings every Sunday in this
twentieth century. Over this tumult OF
passions the marvellous Teacher yearns
"Poor sheep without shepherd. tired.
hungry and storm driven, | will show
you green pastures and quiet waters
Follow me- You think the proud. the
| rich, the selfish. are happy and to be
| envied? All, little do We known This
| Teacher saw that men needed a change
not in their circumstances. but in
themselves. Things outside ourselves
never have. never can. satisfy a human
soul. The kingdom of heaven is within
us-not position. but disposition, Oul
most constant error is. Get your cir
cumstances changed" Christ's first
principle is, Get yourself changed
and the things about you will change
When the torch is lighted even the
darkest crystals in the cavern vii
sparkle.
The Quest Of the Elusive.
Pleasure is animal happiness: joy j.
of a social nature; blessedness is spir
itual. That which Happens to us
makes us happy. is from without
blesSedness comes from within Hap
piness is reflected light. like the moon
] blesSedness is the SUMS rays direct
However. since we are accustomed II
it. let us use the terms interchange
ably. We always thought things AMI
change made us happy How careful
~ wrong we've all been trained! NJ
class I've met are more wretchedly I'm
happy than the .'smart set" who hay,
many things and are continually buy
ing new gowns. new automobiles. new
houses and new wives. We though
happiness consisted in escaping from
among those who must need work TO
a living and sitting among those VIII
we find they are forever seeking happi
ness in that which is not. They can
not find it, in the first place, becaus
1t isn't there; iii the second place. /
it were there they couldn't get it be
cause there is no such place. Remem
Der that homely verse
AS rule. mans fool,
4 When it's hot he wants it cool;
When it's cool he wants it hot.
i Never wanting what he's got
Always wanting what is not.
AS rule, mans fool.
Happiness is in the now. It's juice
in the is-ness, not the ought-ness. O
things. The present is nearly Away
tolerable. Our unllappiness is Dol
rowed from the regrets of yesterda
or the apprehensions of tomorrow
Fools! The past is dissolved into til
ocean of the eternities. and the fl
ture is yet Gods. The bud blooms bu
once; the rose has but an hour of pei
lection.
The Pursuit Of Happiness.
Those rare philosopher patriots, th
sisners of the Declaration, said tha
among other things men We're entitle
to were life. liberty ind the pursui
of happiness" And what pursuit
Men are sweating and scheming an
dying for it. And few there be tha
: find it. It finds you. And then onl
when you are looking for somethin
else. It's incidental-a sort of huma
byproduct. You can't buy it, nor be
1t. nor coax it. Start out to look for
and you will miss it. That is VIII
pleasure seeking is such miserabl
occupation. 1t is when you are seekin
something beyond that happiness stea
out and joins you Oh the road. I'LL
Christ the disciples on the way to En-
mans. And. queer. like youth an
health. YOU don't recognize happines
till 1t is passed. Others may see 1t an
be envious, but it's only when the ros
withers and the sun darkens that 80