PRAISE-SPIRIT, THE
When Epictetus was a boy and a slave his angry master twisted his leg in an instrument of torture until it broke.
"Do you think," he says after he has
worked out his philosophy of contentment,
"that because my soul happens to have one
little lame leg I am to find fault with God's
universe? Ought we not when we dig, and
when we plow, and when we eat, to sing this
hymn to God, because He hath given us
these implements whereby we may till the
soil? Great is God because He hath given
us hands, and the means of nourishment and
food; and insensible growth, and breathing
sleep; these things we ought to hymn, because
He hath given us the power to appreciate
these blessings and continuously to use
them. And, since the most of you are
blinded, ought there not to be one to fulfil
this song for you, and on behalf of all to
sing a hymn of happiness to God? And
what else can I do, who am a lame old man,
except sing praises to God?"
This was the epitaph given him: "Epictetus, a slave maimed in body, a beggar through poverty, and dear unto the immortals." (Text.)
(2433)
PRAISE, TIMELY
Mrs. Marion Hutson indicates in this verse the desirability of praising the worthy while they are alive to appreciate it:
Sometime in the future—God knows where—
This troubled heart will find surcease of care,
And then—when consciousness has left my breast,
And angel lips have kissed my own to rest,
It will not matter what the world has said.
Nor praise, nor censure can affect the dead.
But now? As balm of Gilead to me
A little world of praise or cheer would be.
(2434)
PRAISE, UNITED
The British Government at great cost is
causing the national anthem to be translated
into the languages of India, including
Arabic, Persian, Hindustani, Bengali, Sanskrit,
Hebrew, Kavarese, Marathi, Gugerati,
Tunjabi, Malay, Taniel, Tilugu, Singhalese
and Burmese, so that the natives in their
jungles may unite in "God Save the King"
on all important occasions.
We have a greater spectacle described
in Rev. 5:9-13, where the unity of
praise includes all the tongues and nations
of the earth.
(2435)
PRAISE, UNNECESSARY
An interesting story in regard to General Miles comes from a recent encampment of the Grand Army at San Francisco, and is published in The Saturday Evening Post. The General, while being entertained at a club, was rallied good-humoredly by an old-time comrade for his failure to win a laudatory "send-off" in his retirement papers.
"In reply to that," remarked General
Miles, "let me tell a story. The application
may seem a trifle egotistical, but as the story
is a good one, I'll venture it.
"In the early days of the West an itinerant preacher, stopping for refreshment one day at the pioneer home of one of his parishioners, was served, among other things, with apple-pie. It was not a good pie. The crust was heavy and sour, but the encomiums which that preacher heaped upon it were great. The good wife knew that she had had bad luck with the baking, and as she was in reality an excellent cook, she determined that the next time that preacher came her way he should have a pie that was faultless.
"He told her when he was to return, and on that day she set before him an apple-pie that was the real thing. He ate it, but to her astonishment vouchsafed not a word of commendation. This was more than the housewife would stand.
"'Brother,' she exclaimed, 'when you were here last you ate an apple-pie that wasn't more than half-baked, and you praised it to the skies. Now you have eaten a pie that nobody needs to be ashamed of, but you haven't a word to say in its favor. I can't understand it.'
"'My good sister,' replied the preacher, 'that pie you served me a few days ago was sadly in need of praise, and I did my full duty in that direction; but this fine pie, bless your heart, does not require any eulogy.'"
(2436)
