The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-02-05

| nnlteSimal annoyance may damage YOU
forever Do not let any annoyance or
perplexitv come across your soul with
out its making you better. Our nation
al government does not think it belit-
tling to put tax on pins, and a tax on
buckets, and tax on shoes The indi-
vidual taxes do not amount to much.
but in the aggregate to millions and
millions of dollars. And 1 would have
you, o Christian man, put high tariff
on every annoyance and vexation that
comes through your soul
This might not amount to much in
single cases, but in the aggregate il
would be great revenue of spiritual
strength and satisfaction. A bee can
suck honey even out of a nettle and If
you have the grace of God in your heart
| you can get sweetness out of that which
would otherwise irritate and annoy
The only way to get prepared for the
great troubles of life is to conquer these
small troubles. What would you say
of a soldier who refused to load his
gun, or to go into the conflict because
1t was only skirmish, saying: Il am
not going to expend my ammunition
on a skirmish; wait until there comes a
| general engagement, and then you will
see how courageous l am. and what
battling will do?" The general would
say to such man: ''If you are not
faithful in a skirmish you would be
nothing in a general engagement"
And have to tell you, o, Christian men.
if you cannot apply the principles of
4 h-i-f = l.
will never be able to apply them on
large scale.
Again, we must bring the religion Of
Christ into our commonest blessings
When the autumn comes and the har-
vests are in, aud the governors make
proclamations, we assemble in churches
and we are very thankful. But every
| day ought to be a thanksgiving day.
We do not recognize the common
mercies of life. We have to see a blind
man led by his dog before we begin to
bethink ourselves of what a grand
thing it is to have eyesight. We have
to see some one afflicted with ST. Vitus'
dance before we are ready to thank
God for the control of our physical
energies. We have to see some wounded
man hobbling on his crutch, or with
his empty coat sleeve pinned up, before
we learn to think what a grand thing
God did for us when he gave US healthy
use of our limbs.
We are so stupid that nothing but the
misfortunes of others can rouse us up
TO our blessings. As the OK grazes in
the pasture up to his eyes in clover, yet
never thinking who makes she clover,
and as the bird picks up the worm
from the furrow not knowing that it is
God who makes everything, from the
animalcul5 In the sod to the seraph on
the throne, so we go on eating, drink
ing and enjoying, but never thanking,
or seldom thanking; or, if thanking at
all. with only half heart.
1 compared our indifference to the
brute, but perhaps 1 wronged the
brute. / do not know but that, among
other instincts, il may have an instinct
by which it recognizes the Divine hand
that feeds it. do not know but that
God is, through it, holdiug commuDica-
ton with what we call Irrational
creation" The cow that stands under
the willow by the water course chew
ing it's cud looks very thankful; and
who can tell how nouch a bird means
by its song? The aroma of the flowers
smells like incense. and the mist aris-
ing from the river looks like the SMOKE
of a morning sacrifice. o. that We
were as responsive! Vet who thanks
God for the water that gushes up in the
well, and that foams IN the cascade,
and that laughs over the rocks,
and that patters in the showers.
and that claps its hands in the seaP
Who thanks God for the air, the foun-
tain of life, the bridge of sunbeams,
the path of sound, the great fan on a
hot summers day? Who thanks God
for his wonderful physical organism
this sweep of the vision-this chime of
harmony struck into the ear-this soft
tread of a myriad delights over the
nervous tissue-this rolling of the
crimson tide through artery and vein
this drumming of the heart on our
march to immortality? We take all
these things as a matter ct course. But
suppose God should withdraw these
common blessingsI Youy body would
become an inquisition Ct torture, the
cloud would refuse rain, every green
thing would crumple up and the earth
would crack open under your feet
o, compare such a life as that with
the life you live this morning with your
that, with every word OF our lips and
every action of our life- we began to
these every dav merciesS
Whether ye eat or drink, or whatso-
ever ye do, do all TO the glory of God''
was preaching one Thanksgiving
day and announced my text: 20, give
thanks unto the Lord, fOu He is good,
for His mercy endureth forever" IdO
not know whether there. was any bless
ing on the sermon or not but the text
went straight to young mans heart
He said to himself as. read the texta
20, give thanks unto. the Lord. for He
is good Why, have never
rendered Him any thanks o, what an
migrate 1 have been."
Can it be, my brother, that you have
been fed by the good band of God all
these days-that you have had clothing
and shelter and all benehcent surround
ings and yet have never offered yo-zT-
self to God? Oh, let q sense of the di-
vine goodness shown you in the every
day blessings melt your heart, and if
you have never before uttered one ear
rest note of thanksgiving let this be
the day which shall hear your song
What 1 say to one I say to all Of
the audience. Take this practical
religion 1 have recommended
into your every day life. Mako
every day Sabbath, and every meal a
and every room you enter a