Cheerfulness

— From this we may learn the influence which the mind has over the body. Cheerfulness is conducive to life and health; sorrow, care, anxiety, and worry tend to disease and death.

"There are those who take to gloom as a bat to darkness or as a vulture to carrion. They would rather nurse a misery than cherish joy. They always find the dark side of everything, if there is a dark side to be found. They appear to be conscientious grumblers,. as if it were their duty to extract some essence of misery from every circumstance. On the other hand, there are rare spirits who always take cheerful views of life. They look at the bright side. They find some joy and beauty everywhere. . . . In the most faulty picture they see some bit of beauty which charms them. In the most disagreeable person they discover some kindly trait or some bud of promise. In the most disheartening circumstances they find something for which to be thankful, some gleam of cheer breaking through the thick gloom. . . . When a ray of sun

light streamed through a crack in the shutter and made a bright patch on the floor in the darkened room, the little dog rose from his dark corner and went and lay down in the one sunny spot; and these people live in the same philosophical way. If there is one beam of cheer or hope anywhere in their lot, they will find it. . . . We have no right to project the gloom of our discontent over any other life. Our ministry is to be ever toward joy. There is nothing so depressing in its effects upon others as morbidness. . . . Discontent helps nothing. . . . One never feels better for complaining."—" Week-Day Religion," by J. R. Miller, D. D., pages 236-241.

"How many people," says Jeremy Taylor, "are busy in the world

gathering together a handful of thorns to sit upon." "As a little girl was eating, the sun dashed upon her spoon, and she cried, 0 mama, I have swallowed a spoonful of sunshine!' Would God that we all might indulge in the same beverage!"— Talmage's "One Thousand Gems," page 56.

"Good cheer is the hall-mark of a brave and healthy soul. To give way. to gloomy thoughts, otherwise the 'blues,' is a sign of weakness. This isn't asserting that no one but weaklings is attacked by the blues; but it is one thing to be attacked and another to rout the disturber. And that is what the brave soul does. There may be a very real and tangible reason why the heart faints and halts, for life is serious, and the world full of unexpected trials; but to sit and brood over a trouble only makes it look larger and larger until it finally obscures the horizon line, and darkness descends upon the soul. Wherefore, the thing to dd is to cast aside all thoughts of worry for a moment,— just say to yourself, It is only for a moment,— and when you return to it again you will be surprised to find it has lessened in size and importance."— The New World.

WHEN things don't go to suit you,

And the world seems upside down,

Don't waste your time in fretting, •

But drive away that frown;

Since life, is oft perplexing,

'Tis much the wisest plan

To bear all trials bravely,

And smile whene'er you can.

Christian Courtesy

— Genuine Christian courtesy is the outgrowth of love, and manifests itself in thoughtful consideration for others.

To many the externals are the sum total of religion, and yet it will be evidenced that the heart has not that genuine courtesy which alone is of value with God. If they are spoken to about their faults, they have so little Christian politeness that the sacred position of the minister whom God has sent with His message of warning is lost sight of in their effort to criticize his attitude, his gestures, and the formation of his sentences. They think themselves paragons of wisdom, but they pay no heed to the words of God from the courts of heaven. To all such God says that they will have to become fools in order to know the true wisdom of Christ. {TM 195.4}

I was shown that God requires true love to unite the hearts of the human brotherhood, and why this love does not flourish is because selfishness, envy, and jealousy exist. True justice will not injure our fellow men, and true politeness will not offend them. True Christian courtesy unites and perfects both justice and politeness, and mercy and love make up the filling, giving the finest touches and most graceful charms to the character. Genuine piety in the heart needs to be cultivated by all. {19MR 12.1}

Confessing Faults and Forgiving One Another

— The Bible makes a distinction between a sin and a fault. We sin against God; for sin is the transgression of His law. 1 John 3: 4.

We trespass one against another. These offenses, while involving sin, are called faults, and should be corrected by confession and forgiveness. The only remedy for either pointed out in the Word of God is heartfelt confession. One writer aptly says: "Confess your sins to God, who only can forgive them, and your faults to one another. If you have given offense to your friend or neighbor, you are to acknowledge your wrong, and it is his duty freely to forgive you. Then you are to seek the forgiveness of God, because the brother you have wounded is the property of God, and in injuring him you sinned against his Creator and Redeemer."

To confess one's faults is not an easy thing to do; in fact, it is one of the hardest lessons to learn, for it requires the grace of humility as well as that of sorrow and true repentance. It has been said that the four hardest words to pronounce in the English language are, "I made a mistake." Frederick the Great wrote to the Prussian senate, "I have just lost a battle, and it is my own fault." Concerning this Goldsmith says, "His confession shows more greatness than his victories."

The confession should not only be complete, but it should be as broad and as public as was the offense. Private offenses should be confessed in private.

This scripture is especially encouraging. God hates sin. He wants us likewise to hate it and shun it, because it invariably gets us into trouble, causes sorrow of heart, and in the end brings death. But when involved in it, as was David, as soon as it is acknowledged and sincerely confessed, that very moment it is forgiven. David said, "I have sinned." The immediate answer was returned, "The Lord also hath put away thy sin."

It is much easier to tell some one else of a brother's faults than it is to tell him of them himself; but this is not the Christian way to proceed. The first efforts should be made with the offender in person, and alone. But it is easier even to tell a brother of his faults than it is to confess to him our own. This, again, let it be noted, is the one very difficult lesson to learn, the one Christian duty difficult to perform. Only humility and the grace of God will enable one to do it.

That is, an unlimited number. We must pardon offenses against us though ever so often done; we must forgive to the end.

The Duty of Encouragement

A dispirited man, like a discouraged horse, is powerless to perform his task. "What men need most in this world's struggle and strife is not usually direct help, but cheer. . . . Many men have fainted and succumbed in the great struggles whom one word of cheer would have made strong to overcome. We should never, then, lose an opportunity to say an inspiring word. We know not how much it is needed, nor how great and far-reaching its consequences may be."—"Week-Day Religion," by J. R. Miller, D. D., page 170

Unity of Believers

"God has united believers in church capacity in order that one may strengthen another in good and righteous endeavor. The church on earth would indeed be a symbol of the church in heaven if its members were of one mind and of one faith. It is those who are not moved by the holy Spirit that mar God's plan, and cause division, and strengthen the forces of darkness. Those who are sanctified by the blood of Christ will not counterwork God's work, nor perpetuate division in the church. When there is disunion among believers, the world concludes that they cannot be the people of God because they are working against one another. When believers are one with Christ, they will be united among themselves."

The huge system of error now fostered in the papal church is the result of the falling away here referred to. Says Wylie in his "History of Protestantism," Vol. III, page 25: "Rome manifestly was the schismatic; she it was that abandoned what was once the common faith of Christendom, leaving by that step to all who remained on the old ground the indisputably valid title of the true church."

How blest the sacred tie that binds

In sweet communion kindred minds!

How swift the heavenly course they run

Whose hearts, whose faith, whose hopes, are one.

Meekness and Humility

Meek: "Mild of temper; not easily provoked or irritated; forbearing; submissive; humble."— Webster.

— Humility is "freedom from pride and arrogance; lowliness of mind; a modest estimate of one's own worth." It implies a sense of one's own unworthiness through imperfection and sinfulness and consists in rating our claims low, being willing to waive our rights, and to take a lower place than might be our due. It does not require that we underrate ourselves or our life work The humility of Christ was perfect, yet He had a true sense of the importance of His life and mission.

"Humility is like a tree, whose root, when it sets deepest in the earth, rises higher, and spreads fairer, and stands surer, and lasts longer, and every step of its descent is like a rib of iron."— Bishop Taylor.

The instruction given here, in principle applies with equal force to men professing godliness. It is the needless display of apparel and outward adornment that is here condemned. God desires the ornaments within, displayed in the heart and life, rather than those without, simply to be seen of men. Needless outward adornment, therefore, may generally be taken as an indication that the inward adornment, so precious in the sight of God, is lacking. Neatness in dress is not here discouraged.

— The fact that the meek are exhorted to seek meekness, is evidence that the meek themselves should cherish and cultivate meekness, and that sanctification, or the development of a perfect character, is a progressive work.

I COUNT this thing to be grandly true:

That a noble deed is a step toward God,

Lifting the soul from the common clod

To a purer air and a broader view.

We rise by the things that are under our feet;

By what we have mastered of good and gain;

By the pride deposed and the passion slain,

And the vanquished ills that we hourly meet.

J. G. HOLLAND.

Sobriety

These four classes include all. All should be sober.

To indulge in such things is not becoming a Christian. Life, with all its responsibilities and great issues at stake, is too serious a matter to be spent in such vanities.

Levity, foolishness, light and loose talking, throw us off our guard, and, open the way to temptation and sin. To avoid sin, we must be sober and constantly on guard.

How vain are all things here below!

How false, and yet how fair!

Each pleasure hath its poison, too,

And every sweet a snare.

ISAAC WATTS.

Wisdom

Wisdom implies the ability to judge soundly and deal sagaciously. It is knowledge, with the capacity to make due use of it. One may have an abundance of knowledge, and at the same time possess' little wisdom.

— That is, they show more prudence, more cunning, and more intelligence about their business than do Christians concerning the things of God's kingdom. "They show more skill, study more plans, contrive more ways, to provide for themselves than the children of light do to promote the interests of religion."— Dr. Albert Barnes.

BROAD is the road that leads to death,

And thousands walk together there;

But wisdom shows a narrow path,

With here and there a traveler.

Deny thyself, and take thy cross,

Is thy Redeemer's great command;

Nature must count her gold but dross,

If she would gain that heavenly land.

The fearful soul that tries and faints,

And walks the ways of God no more,

Is but esteemed almost a saint,

And makes his own destruction sure.

ISAAC WATTS.

Diligence

A life of laborious and perpetual toil, in a world cursed with weeds, thorns, and thistles, was appointed to man in consequence of the entrance of sin. This was a part of the curse. And yet even this was appointed in love, and, under existing circumstances, is a blessing in disguise. It was a discipline rendered necessary because of sin, to place a check upon the indulgence of appetite and passion, to develop habits of industry and self-control, and to teach lessons on overcoming evil. Were not a man called to labor thus, his sins and miseries would be multiplied manifold.

The way to wealth, if you desire it, is as plain as the way to market. It depends chiefly on two words — industry and frugality; that is, waste neither time nor money, but make the best of both. Without industry and frugality nothing will do and with them everything." — Benjamin Franklin.

.— "An indolent man draweth his breath but does not live."— Cicero.

"The parent who does not teach his child a trade teaches him to be a thief."— Brahmanic Proverb.

"When tillage begins, other arts follow. The farmers, therefore, are the founders of human civilization."— Daniel Webster.

"If a man be indolent, the best discipline to which he can be subjected is to suffer the evils of penury."— Wayland.

"Nothing can be done with a man who will not work. We have in our scheme of government no room for the man who does not wish to pay his way through life by what he does. . . . Capacity for work is absolutely necessary, and no man can be said to live in the true sense of the word if he does not work."— Theodore Roosevelt.

"Luck is waiting for something to turn up. Labor, with keen eyes and strong will, will turn up something. Luck whines. Labor whistles. Luck relies on chances. Labor, on character. Luck slips down to indigence. Labor strides upward to independence. Luck lies in bed and wishes the postman would bring him news of a legacy. Labor turns out at six o'clock, and with busy pen or ringing, hammer lays the foundation of a competence."— Cobden.

NEAT be your farm; 'tis long confessed

The neatest farmer is the best;

Each bog and marsh industrious drain,

Nor let vile balks deform the plain,

Nor bushes on your headland grow,

Nor briers a sloven culture show.

Neat be your barns, your houses sweet;

Your paths be clean, your dooryards neat;

No moss the sheltering roof enshroud,

No wooden panes the windows cloud;

No sink drains should above ground flow,

Nor weeds with rankling poison grow;

But flowers expand, and fruit-trees bloom,

And fragrant shrubs exhale perfume.

Neatly enclose your garden round;

Smooth, enrich, and clear the ground;

For if to taste and profit you incline,

Beauty and use you always should combine.

Perfection of Character

None need fail of attaining, in his sphere, to perfection of Christian character. By the sacrifice of Christ, provision has been made for the believer to receive all things that pertain to life and godliness. God calls upon us to reach the standard of perfection and places before us the example of Christ's character. In His humanity, perfected by a life of constant resistance of evil, the Saviour showed that through co-operation with Divinity, human beings may in this life attain to perfection of character. This is God's assurance to us that we, too, may obtain complete victory. {AA 531.2}

The amusements and expenditures of means for self-pleasing, which lead on step by step to self-glorifying, and the educating in these games for pleasure produce a love and passion for such things that is not favorable to the perfection of Christian character. {AH 499.5}

Enoch walked with God three hundred years previous to his translation to heaven, and the state of the world was not then more favorable for the perfection of Christian character than it is today. And how did Enoch walk with God? He educated his mind and heart to ever feel that he was in the presence of God, and when in perplexity his prayers would ascend to God to keep him. He refused to take any course that would offend his God. He kept the Lord continually before him. He would pray, “Teach me Thy way, that I may not err. What is Thy pleasure concerning me? What shall I do to honor Thee, my God?”. . . {CTr 43.4}

Sowing and Reaping

A man's deeds, good or evil, usually return to bless or curse him. A farmer who sold butter to a village storekeeper and took sugar in exchange, complained that he was getting short weight. "Look here," said he to the merchant, "it seems to me you're giving me short weight sugar." "No,". replied the storekeeper, "that cannot be, for in measuring out that sugar of yours I always use a pound of your butter as a weight."

"Good and evil come back. . . . God made the universe on the plan of the circle. Isa. 40: 22. . . . We ourselves start the circle of good or bad actions and it will surely come around again to us unless by divine intervention it be hindered. Those bad or good actions may make the circuit of many years; but come back to us they will as certainly as that God sits on the circle of the earth. . . . What a stupendous thought that the good and the evil we start come back to us! Do you know that the judgment-day will be only the point at which the circle joins, the good and the bad we have done coming back to us, unless divine intervention hinders,— coming back to us, welcome of delight or curse of condemnation?"— T. DeWitt Talmage.

The seed has in itself a germinating principle, a principle that God Himself has implanted; yet if left to itself the seed would have no power to spring up. Man has his part to act in promoting the growth of the grain; but there is a point beyond which he can accomplish nothing. He must depend upon One who has connected the sowing and the reaping by wonderful links of His own omnipotent power. {Ed 104.3}

Christ declared that when He comes some of His waiting people will be engaged in business transactions. Some will be sowing in the field, others reaping and gathering in the harvest, and others grinding at the mill. It is not God's will that His elect shall abandon life's duties and responsibilities and give themselves up to idle contemplation, living in a religious dream.--Ms 18a, 1901. {LDE 76.4}

Crowd all the good works you possibly can into this life.--5T 488 (1889). {LDE 76.5}

In his letter addressed to the Jews, dated Nov. 16, 1905, President Roosevelt said: "I feel very strongly that if any people are oppressed anywhere, the wrong inevitably reacts in the end on those who oppress them; for it is an immutable law in the spiritual world that no one can wrong others and yet, in the end, himself escape unhurt."