Year: 1859

There is a kind of narrowncss into
which, i'll our everyday experience,
we are apt to fall, and against which
we should most carefully guard.
When man who is in perfect health
has wound inflicted upon him-a
wound in his foot, cut on his finger,
pain in his hand-he is almost al
ways sure to feel, even though it be
only a small member that suffers, and
the suffering itself be unworthy of tho
name, that the perfect soundness Of
all the rest of his body counts as
nothing and little annoyance is
magniiied into a universal pain Only
single point may be hurt, and yet
he feels himself clothed with uncasi.


ness, or with garment of torture.


So, God may send ten thousand mer-


cics upon us, but if there happens to


be only one discomfort among them,


one little worry, or fret, or bicker, all


the mercies and all the comforts are


forgotten, and count as nothing


One little trouble is enough to set


them all aside There may be an in
Vulnerable train of mcrcics which, il
they were stopped one by one, and
questioned, would seem like angels
bearing Gods gifts in their hands !
But we forget them all. in the rcmcm-
brance Of the most trivial inconveni-
ence A man may go about all tho
day long-discontented, fretting, ont


of humor-who, at evening, on asking


himself the question, "What has all.


cd me to-day?" may be filed with


shame because unable to tell Tho


annoyance is so small and slight that


he cannot recognize it yet, its pow


er over him is almost incredible. He


is equally ashamed with the cause


and the result.


We may fall into such state


merely through indifference, and re-


main there simply because we have


fallen into it, and make no effort to


get ont. When man starts wrong


early in the morning, unless he is


careful to get himself right before no


has gone far, he will hardly be able


to straighten out his crookedness un-


till noon or afternoon if happily then !;


for a man is like n large ship; ho


cannot turn round in q small space,
and must make his sweep in largo
curve. If we wake up with a heaven.
ly mind, we are apt to carry it with
: lis through the day but if we wake
4 up with Il frctful, pecvish, discomfort
: ed disposition, we are apt to carry


that all the day, and all the next day
/ too ! | have comtorted myself, and
risen out of this state of mind, by say
ing to myself, "Well, you are in
|, trouble something has come upon
you which is painful !; but will you


let it clasp its arms arouud you, and
= shut you in its embrace from the sight
l and touch of all the many other things
: that arc accounted joys? Will you
suffer yourself to be harnessed and
:, driven by it ~ 1t is we'll to remem-
II Der that there is a way Of overcoming
y present troubles by a recognition of
IL present or promised mercies. The
e apostle Paul knew this, and so exhort-
l. ed us to "look unto Jesus, who, for
= the JOY that was set before him, en-
, dured the cross, despising the shame"
! All that Christ had to bear he bore
o patiently-he carried his sorrow about
with him as very little thing. Why
Il Because of the "joy that was set be-
fore him " Oh let us apply the ex,
/ hortation faithfully to ourselves and
l. when we are worried and tempted to
: give way to vexation, let us seek a
l. sweet relief in the thought of the
i blessedness that is set before us tc
be an Inheritance forever