The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-12-31

and it's the little annoyances and x
tons Of life that arc chiseling ont your
immortal nature, 1t Is click, click, click!
I wonder why some great Providence
does not come and, with one stroke, pre-
pare you for heaven. Ah, no God says
this is not the way, and he keeps OH
by strokes of little sorrows, little yexa-
until ut last you shall be q glad
spectacle for angels and for men. You
that a large fortune may be spent,
in small change, and a vast amount Of
moral character may 80 away in small
1t is the little troubles of
that are having moro effect upon you
than great ones. 4 swarm Of locusts
will kill a grain field sooner than the in
of three or four cattle. You say,
Since l lost my child, since I lost my
property, I have been a different man.
But You do not recognize the architecture
Of little annoyatces That are hcwinG, dig
ging, cutting, shaping, splitting and i'll
terioiliing your moral qualities. a rat
nav sink a ship. One lucifer match may
send destruction, through a block of store
Catherine dc Mcdicis got her
death from smelling a poisonous rose.
by stopping and asking for a
VI DlSttl III a. lhiICloS<Lii
led to the discovery of the New
And there is an intimate con-
between triflcs and immcnsities,
between nothings and everythings.
Now, be- careful to let none of these an
noyances 90 through your soul unar-
Compel them to administer
to your spiritual wealth. The
Of u six penny nail some
times causes lockiaw, and the clip of Il
most infinitesimal annoyance may dam
age you forever. DO not let any an
lloyance or perpieXity come across
your mind without making you better.
Again, We must bring religion of Christ
into Il ordinary blessings. When the
Autumn and the harvests are in
and the Governors make proclamations,
we assemble in church and we are very
But every day ought to be q
thanksgiving day. We do not recognize
the common miscrics of life, We have
to see a blindman led by his dog before
we begin to bethink ourselves of what
Il grand thing it is to have cycsight. We
have TO see some ono infected by st.
FituS' dance before we are ready to thank
God for the control of u physical ell
We have to sec some ruined man
hobbling on his crutch or with his coat
sleeve pinned up, before We think what a
grand thing God did for us when He
gave us the healthy use of our limbs. We
are so stupid that nothing but the mis-
OF others can rouse us up to our
blessing. AS the OK graZeS in the pasture
up to its eyes III clover, yet never think
ing who made the clover, and as the bird
picks up tho worm from the furrow, not
knowing that it is God that makes every
thing, from the animaicula in the sea to
the seraph on the throne. sc we 60 on
drinking and enjoying. bat never
thinking. and seldom thanking, or il
thanking ut all, with only half a heart.
1 compared II indifference to the
brute, but perhaps / wronged tho brute.
I do not know but that among its other
instincts, it may have an instinct by
which it recognizes the divine hand that
feeds it. I do not know hut that God is,
1t, holding communication with
what we call Irrational CREATION" Tho
that stands at this hour under the
willow by tho water course, chewing its
cud. looks very thankful, and who can
tell how much bird means by it's song Z
The aroma Of the flowers smells like i'll.
cense, and the mist OoZing from the river
looks like the smoke of a morning sacri.
fee, O, that we were az responsive
Yet who thanks God for the water that
up in the we'll and foams in tho
cascade, and that laughs on the rocks and
that pattcrs on the shores, and that claps
its hands in tho sea? Who thanks God
for tho air, tho formation of lilc, tho
bridge Of sunbcams, tho path of sound.
the great fan on n hot summer day ?
Who thanks God for this wonderful phys
ical organism-this sweep of ~vision-this
chime OF harmony struck into the ear
this soft tread Of Il myraid delights over
the ervou tissuc-this rolling of the
crimson tide through artery and vein-
this drumming of the heart in our march
to immortality? We take all these things
as q mattor of course.
But suppose God should withdraw
these common blessings! Your body
would become an inquisition of torture
the cloud would refuse rain /; every greer
thing would crumplc up, and IT," eartl
would crack from under your feet. The
air would cease its healthy circulation
pcstilcnce would sweep, and every house
would become Il place Of SOULS. Stream!
would first swim with 1vcrmin, and thel
dry up and thirst, and hunger, and an
guisll, and despair would lit up their il
sceptcrs. o, compare such Il life as tina
with the lllo you live this morning, will
your families about you! Is it not time
that. with every word of our lips II witt
every action of our lives, VIC begin TO nc
knowledge these every day mcrcics
"Whcther yc cat or drink or whatsoevc
you do. do all to the glory of God.' ID
I address u man or woma this mornin
who has rendered to God Il single ~oifcrin,
of thanks? I was preaching II Thanks
giving Day, and announced my text
"Oh ! give thanks unto the Lord, for H.
is good for his mercy endurcth forever
l do not know whether there WAS All.
blessing in the sermon or not; but tho tex
went straight to Il young mans heart VIII
sits in this assembly to-day. He said t.
himself, rs l read the text, 40 give thank
unto the Lord, for he is good.' "Why,
have never rendered Him any thinks
o, what an migrate 1 have bcen.' Can i
be, my brother, that you have been fec
by the good hand Of God all these days
that you have had clothing, and shelter
and all bencfircnt surroundings, and ye
have never offered your heart to God?
o. let a sense of the divine goodness
shown you in its ordinary blessings mel
your heart; and if you have never betor,
uttered one earnest note Of thanksgiving
lot this DO the day that shall hear you
song. What 1 say to one say to all il
this audience. Take this practical reli
gion / have recommended into you
everyday life. Make every day n Sab
bath, and every meal a sacrifice, nnt
every room you entera holy of holes
We all have work to do let us be willing
to do it. We all have sorrows to bear
let us bear them. We all have battles t.
fight; let us courageously fight them. l
you want to die right, you must live RICH
Negligence and Incidence will win tin
hiss Of everlasting scorn, while faithful
ness will gather its garlands and wave it:
scepter and sit upon its throne long aitei
this earth has put on ashes and eterna
ages have begun their march. You g
home to-day and attend to your little
sphere Of duties. I will 70 home and ut
tend to my little sphere ofduties. Every
one in his own place. So u every stel
in life shall bea triumphant march, lit
the humblest footstoOl on which we ar
called to sit will be 4 conqucror's throne
The Carriers Address.
A merry Christmas to you all,
And eke a good New Year;
Lo, regular as Spring and Fall,
Your Carrier doth appear.