The southern argus., 1892-01-28

/
| to your spiritual wealth. The scratch
of six-penny nail sometimes produces
lock-jaw, and the clip of most in
initesimal annoyance may damage you
forever. Do not let any annoyance or
perplexity come across your soul with
out its making you better Our nation
al government does not think it belit-
thing to put tax on pins, and a tax on
buckets, and a tax on shoes The indi-
vidual taxes do not amount to much,
but in the aggregate to millions and
millions of dollars. And would have
you, 0 Christian man, put high tariff
on every annoyance and vexation that
comes through your soul
This might MT amount to much in
single cases, but in the aggregate it
would be great revenue of spiritual
| strength and satisfaction. A bee can
suck honey even out of nettIe 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
it was only skirmish, saying: 81 am
not going to expend my ammunition
on skirmish; wait until there comes
general engagement, and then you will
see how courageous / am, and what
battling will do?" The general would
say to such man: eff you are not
faithful ina skirmish you would be
nothing in general engagement"
And LhaVe to tell you, o, Christian men,
if you cannot apply the principles of
Christ's religion on small scale you
will never be able to apply them on
large scale.
Again. we must bring the religion of
Christ into our commonest b4es sings.
When the autumn comes, and the har-
vests are in, and the governors make
proclamations, we assemble in churches
and we are very thankful. But every
day ought to be thanksgiving day.
We do not recognize the common
mercies of life. We have to see 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 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 the clover,
, and: as the bird picks up the worm
/ from the furrow not knowing that it is
{ God who makes everything, from the
} aninalcula in the sod to the seraph on
E the throne, SO we go on eating, drink
l ing and enjoying, but never thanking,
: or seldom thanking; or, If thanking at
) all, with only half heart.
/ / compared our indifference to the
brute, but perhaps wronged the
I brute. do not know but that among
D other instincts, it may have an instinct
g by which it recognizes the Divine hand
f that feeds it. l do not know but that
e God is, through it, holding communica-
Il ton with what we call Irrational
4 creation" The COW that stands under
Il the willow by the water course che w.
. ing it's cud looks very thankful; and
;. who can tell how much bird means
y bv it's song? The aroma of the flowers
i" smells like incense. and the mist aris-
" ing from the river looks like the smoke
, .of a morning sacrifice. o, that we
4 were as responsive! Yet who thanks
J. God for the water that gushes up in the
> we'll, and that foams in the cascade,
G and that laughs over the rocks
q and that patters in the showers
h and that claps it's hands in the sea
" who thanks God for the air, the foun
L tain of life, the bridge of sunbeams
e the path of sound, the great fan on
v hot summers day? Who thanks Coo
# for his wonderful physical organism
n this sweep of the vision-this chime O
IS harmony struck into the ear-thls sol
Is tread OF a myriad delights over th'
}! nervous tissue-this rolling of the
g crimson tide through artery and Vein
1t this drumming of the heart on ou
d march to immortality? We take al
lie these things as matter of course. Blu
r, suppose God should withdraw these
"a common U1SSSAuSS' AOuA DoNy
of become an inquisition of torture, tn
TO cloud would refuse rain, every gree
c. thing would crumple up and the eart
S would crack open under your feet
6 Can it be, my brother, that you hav
been fed by the good hand of God al
IN these days-that you have had c.othini
$. and shelter and all benefcent surround
Or ings and yet have never offered your
xe self to God? Oh, let sense of the d
e. vine goodness shown you in the ever
il day blessings melt your heart, and
of YOU have never before uttered one ear
of nest note of thanksgiving let this b
v, the day which shall hear your song
p What I say to one | say to all 9
re the audience. Take this practice
Ir- religion have recommends
ut into your every day life Max
ou eyerv day a Sabbath, and every meal
sacrament, and every room you enter
ee holy of holies. We all have work
FL do: let us be willing to do it We a
r have sorrows to bear; let US cheerful
hear them. We all have battles
- 6rht: let us courageously fight then
: If YOU want to die right you must liz
Inta Wi