Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1892-01-28

blasts like storm, we prescribe religious
ousolation but, business man, for the
small annoyances Of last week, how much
OF the grace Of God did you apply Oh"
you say, these trials are too small for such
application My brother, they are shaping
your character, they are souring your tenn
per, they are wearing out your patience
and they are making you less and less of
man. | go into sculptor's studio and
see him shaping statue. He has chisel
in one hand and a mallet in the other, and
he gives very gentle stroke-click, click
clickl say, why don't you strike
harder?" "Oh," he replies, that would
rhatter the statue. can't do it that way;
must do it this wayl'
So he works on, and after awhile the
features come out, and everybody that
enters the studio is charmed and fasci-
mated. Well, God has your soul under
process of development and it is the little
annoyances and veXations Of life that are
chselng out your immortal nature. 1t is
click, click, clickl | wonder why some
great providence does not come, and with
one stroke prepare you for heaven. All,
no. God says that is not the way. And SO
he keeps on by strokes of little annoyanccs
little sorrows, little vsxations, until at
last you shall be glad spectacle for angels
and for men You know that large for
tune may be spent in small change and a
vast amount of moral character may go
away in small depletion. 1t is the little
troubles Of life that are having more effect
upon you than great ones. A swarm OF
locusts will kill a grain field sooner than
the incursion of three or four cattle.
You say, "Since lost my child, since l
lost my property, | have been different
~
lecture of little annoyances that are hew-
ing. digging, cutting shaping, splitting and
interioining your moral qualities. Rats
may sink ship One lucifer match may
send destruction through block of store
houses. Catherine de Msdcis got her
death from smelling poisonous rose. Co
lumbus, by stopping and asking for piece
of bread and drink of water at a Francis
can convent was led to the discovery of the
New World. And there is an intimate con-
nection between triiles and immensities,
between nothinSs and everythings.
Now, he careful TO let none of those an
noyances go through your soul unar-
raigned. Compel them to administer to
your spiritual wealth. The scratch of Il
siXpeuny nail sometimes produces lock-
Jaw. and the clip Of a most intinitesinal
annoyance may damage you forever. Do
not lot any annoyance or perpleXity come
across your soul without its making you
better.
PUT HIGH TARIFF on LITTLE FITS OF
TEMPER.
Our national government does not think
ii belittling to put tax on pins and n tax
on buckles and tax on shoes. The indi-
vidual taxes do not amount to much, but
in the aggregate to millions and millions
7 n
Christian man, put high tariff on every
annoyance and vcXation that comes
through your soul This might not amount
to much in single cases, but in the ag9re-
gate it would be a great revenue of spirit
ual strength and satisfaction.
a bee can suck honey even out of a
nctte and if you have the race of God
in your heart you can get sweetness out
of that which would otherwise irritate and
annoy. 4 returned missionary told me
that company of adventures rowing up
the Gauges were stung TO death by flies
that iufcat that reg ion at certain seasons
| have seen the earth strewed with the
carca,ses of man slain by insect annoy
ances. The only way to get prepared for
the great troubles of life is to conquer
these small troubles Whatswould you
say Of soldier who refused to load Li:
gun or TO go into the conflict because ii
was only a skirmish, saying; II am not
going to eNpend my ammunition on Z
skirmish Wait until there comes gen
eral engagement and then you will Sc,
how courageous am and what battling
will do>"
The general would say to such a man
"Ef you are not faithful in "A skirmish, yoJ
would be nothing in a general engage
ment." .tnd | have to tell you, O Chris
tian men, if you cannot apply the princi
pie, Of Chrst's religion on small scale
you will never be able to apply them on :
large scale If you cannot successful,
contend against these small SORROWS tina
come down single handed, what will yoI
do when the greater disasters of life com,
down with dCring artillery, rolling
over your soul,
FOR EVERY GOOD THING GIVE THANKS
A"ain, we must bring the religion o
Christ into our cOnmongst blessings
When the autumn comes and the harvest
are in, and the governors make procla!na
tion, we assemble in churches and we ar
very thankful. But every day ought t,
be a Thanksgiving day. We do not rccog
nze the common mcrcies of life We have
to see a blind man led BY his dog befor
we begin TO bethink ourselves of what
grand thing it is to have eyesight W
have to see some one afflicted with st
Nitus' dance before we are rStly to thank
God for the control Of our physical ener
ges. We have to see some wounded MAJ
hobbling on his crutch or with his empt,
coat sleeve pinned MP before we learn t,
think what grand thing God did for IL
when he gave rs healthy use Of our limbs
We are so stupid that nothing but tn
misiortuneS Of others can rouse us up /,
our blessings. As the OK graZes in the pas
ture up TO it's eyes in clover yet neve
thinking who makes the clover, and as tn
the bird picks up the worm from the fur
row not knowing that it is God who make
everything, from the animalcula in tn
sod 10 the scrHph on the throne, so we e
on eating, drinking and enjoying but ncvc
thanking or seldom thanking; or, if thank
Ing Al all, with only half a heart.
compared our indifference 10 the brute
but perhaps wronEed the brute do no
know but that, among its other instincts
it may have an instinct by which it recog
Mics the divine hand that feeds it. d
not know bur that God is through it, hold
ins communication with what we call "ir