Year: 1874

anxiety will hamper and hinder you
in the race of life; you must lay
aside all such weights to run well.
So Herbert wrote:


"Calmuess is great advantage; he that


lets


Another chafe may warm him at his fire,
Mark all his wanderings and enjoy his


frets."


The care of your own soul is too
much for you; you must commit it
to Christ, so that you can live with
out anxiety the infinite and eter-
nal: In your family you cannot
train up children well unless you
trust them; and in cheerful expect
ancy shine upon them, as the sun
shines upon the stars, not only to H.
lumine but to sway and save them.
Signs of worry and fretfulness on
your face contradict alike your
teachings and your prayers; and
your children believe what they see,
more than what they hear; the tele-
graphic records of the soul upon the
countenance are more conclusive and
controlling than the most earnest
and measured utterances of the lips.
Your children will be what they see
and feel you expect them to be.


But let US turn to the third point
which needs the greatest emphasis. l
said that fretfulness was a declen-
sion of faith. This is the most vital
point. Fretfulness is not merely an
unhappiness and a weakness. 1t is a
sin-an atheistic sin. 1t is a virtual
denial of God in so far as it is a
questioning of His providence and
His grace. Don't fatter youself
that it is only a modest and humble
view of your own inadequacy; even
at that it would be a presumptuous
putting of self in stead of God, or
before God. 1t is really a denial of
His promises and an attempted de-
thronement of His providence. But
many Christian people seem to think
that worry and anxiety and fretful-
ness are at most only weakness
which hurt them, and have no spe-
cial personal significance to God.
Nothing could be farther from the
truth.


John Wesley said: 81 dare no more
fret than curse and swear" That is
strong language, but it is careful
and intelligent. Profanity that is
covert and subtle may be only the
deeper and more guilty. suppose
we have no right to choose among
our sins and have our favorites,
though we cannot help feeling that
some are more offensive than others;
some kindle a quicker and deeper
dislike than others; and it seems to
me that worry and fretfulness must
be more profane and more displeas-
ing in the sight of God, than any
mere words can be! You may utter
the name of God with reverence, and
yet if you so disbelieve His promises
and so doubt His care as to dare to
fret and worry as though you were
orphaned and Goddess, your rever-
ent utterances are overbalanced by
your profanity of soul. think it is
time that we see this matter in
clearer light. What is it to you if a
man merely speaks your name with
respect, but distrusts your very
promise? How would you value
such reverence? But there are too
many good people who would reeoil
with horror from the idea of cursing
and swearing, who yet will. worry
and fret about thousand every day
matters concerning which they have
the unfailing promise of God. l dis
like exceedingly to hear an oath
we all agree about that-but to me
the worst sort of swearing is Chris
tian fretting.


Now, if 1 am right about this
common evil, and l believe you all
will agree with me, it is of great
practical interest to every one of US
to know how we may best overcome
the tendency to heat and impatience
and maintain the pOise and calm OF
our spirits. And here there are MI
nor or secondary considerations,
which shall first be noticed, that the
place of emphasis-the last place
may be kept for that which is most
vital.


There is a great deal of value in a
resolute will-in a settled determina-
ton to look on the bright side of eY-
cry thing and to cultivate would
emphasize that word-and to cultl-
vate a cheerful courage. You see
great, overshadowing rock, and 1t
SCENE to you the most fitting EN-
blem of caImness, serenity, peace.
Look at it more closely, and study
its texture, and you will find waV-
ing, undulating lines running all
through its substance, which tell of
storms and tremors that have been
vanquished; you see that there have
been great conflicts, crystal with
crystal, and atom with atom,
throughout the whole structure OF
the rock, so that its stiffness and
peace are the result of victory; the
rock has fought and triumphed' ana
so is strong and calm! The gtet0ry
Oyer frettulneSs-that Is the mgner
serenity of the soul.