Year: 1859

no good reason to be found in the whole
universe of God why the coaehman should
not be AS happy as the dainty ladies whom
be serves. There is no reason why the hod
carrier may not be US happyas the brick
layer, and the brick layer as happy as the
architect. Want keeps pnce with wealth
always. Responsibility walks hand in hand
with capacity and power. OF him to whom
much is given much " i'll be required. Posts
of honor are even more posts Of danger and
of care. Each Office of society has its bur-
den proportoncd TO its Importance; SO that
men shall find no apology for murmurinc
at the better lot of their reighbors, while all
are made dependent for happiness upon
common sources-open alike to him who
wears fine linen and fares sumptuously
every day, and the beggar who waits at his
gate. .sH .-H


l am inclined to think, that if our mind
were capable of apprebending the essential
facts Of the life we see, we should be con-
yinced that happiness is one of the most
evenly distributed of all human possessions.
The laborer loves his wife and children as
| well as the lord, and takes into his soul, all
the tender and precious influences that flow
to him through their love as we'll as he.-
Food tastes as sweetly to the ploug hman as
the placeman. If the latter have the dam
tier dish, the former has the keeuer appetite.
Into all ears the brook pours the same stream
OF music, and the birds never vary their pro-
gramme with references to their audiences.
The spring scatters violets broadcast, the
grass grows by the roadside as well as in the
park. The breeze that tosses the curls Of
your little one and mine, is not softer in its
caresses of those who bound over velvet to
to greet it. The sun shines, the rain falls,
the trees dress themselves in green, the
thunder rolls and the stars fash for all alike.
Health knows nothing of human distinctions,
and abides with him who treats it BEST
Sleep, the gentle angel does net come at the
call Of power and never proffers its ministry
for gold. The senses take no bribes of lux
ury but deal as honestly and generously to
the poor as to the rich, and the President of
the United States would whistle himself
blind before he could call our dog away from
Us. .


If we examine this matter critically, we
shall find that the sweetest satisfactions that
come to US are those which spring from
sources common to the race. If you and
are worthy mc1, that which is most precious
to US, as the material of our daily happiness
is precisely that which is not dependent up
on the positions we respectively occupy in
the world. Now, if we look above this COM
mon range of Providence into that realm of
fact in which abides our common relation
ship to common Father, the distinctions of
society and the variety and contrariety of
human lot fade away and become contemp-
tible. If God smile on me and fill my heart
with peace if He forgive my sin, and give
me promise and assurance of higher life
beyond the grave ; if He call me His child,
and draw out from my cold selfish heart a
flial love for Him; if He inspires me with Il
brotherly charity that embraces in its arms
all who bear His image; if He give me a
hope more precious to me than all gold, and
transform the the narrow path in which
walk into the vestibule of Heaven, it will
very naturally be IL matter Of Indifference to
me whether | paint or grind the co!ors-
whether carry dirt or otiieiate as the vicrr
of BowIen. If we were all made in His i'm
age: if We are all held amenablet to the same
law if we oil have offer of the same saliva
ton if we are all to be Judged according to
our deeds if we have the promise of the
same heaven on the same terms, it shows,
at least, what God thinks Of human dlstlnc-
tions. :,
sympathy, are common to all men. On the
broad platform Of morals, the king stands
uncovered by the side of the peasant, and
wealth, and place fuant no titles and claim
no privileges. In religion, all men kneel
and worship common Lord. Men are pla
ccd in different positions in this world, sim
ply because there is great variety Of work
to do, and no one man can do all kinds. If
you and have found our places if we find
ourselves engaged in doing that thing which,
on the whole, we can do better than anything
else, then low discomfort with our lot is not
only sinful but mean. God gives to you and
to me Just Us many sources OF innocent hap
pincss as he has given to anybody, and opens
to US Just us fair heaven as he has to any
body. 1t becomes US, therefore, to fill our
places, and do our peculiar duties well, hold
up our heads in front Of every man, with
relf-respectful complaccncy, do honor to the
Office which God selected for US, by faith
full performance of its functions, and take
and pocket contcntcd!y the penny a day,
which we get in common with others. The
Creator doubtless knew what weak, unrca-
sonable, and inconsistent creatures We should
be when he made US but if you and had
made world full of people, and set them
at work with pledge of even pay and equa!
pay and equal privilege in al! essential good,
and they had set themselves erecting artii
cial distinctions among themselves, and gone
to whining over the parts assigned 10 them,
we should be exceedingly disappointed, not
to say diSgusted.


Still, We may all look up. There are
steps to be climbed in life, but we can only
climb them worthily by becoming fit for the
ascent. 1t is only after becoming prepared
for important places, through the education
involved in the intelligent and faithful dis
charge of the duties of the places in which we
find ourselves, that it is best, even proper,
that we be advanced, 1t is not those who
pine and whine, and quarrel with their lot,
who are apt to change it for one which the
world calls better. Aspiration, worthy am
blton, desire for higher good, for good ends,
all these indicate soul that recognizes the
beckoning hand of the good Father who
would call US homeward to himself-all
these are the ground and justification of a
Christian discomfort: but murmuring,
questioning, fault finding spirit has direct
and sympathetic alliance with nothing bu,
the lntefnal. 80 "hi!e uoo gives YOU anu
me the privilege of being happy as any
other man, and makes US responsible fol
nothing more than he gives US, let US be
contented, and,


| '.St.Il enduring, still pursuing,


| Learn To labor aud to wait"


| ET5~A minister was one Sabbath examin


ing a Sunday school in catechism bcfor,
the congregation. The usual question wa


put to the first girl, strapper, who usual,
assisted her father, who was publican, il


waiting upon customers.


| HWhat is your name!