Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1892-01-29

| now. lie looks solemn, and goes home
| talking about the blessed sermon" IL
| the wheat in the churches should be put
into hopper, the first turn OF the crank
would make the chaff fly, l tell you.
Some of these men are great sticklers for
gospel preaching. Theysay, you stand
there in bands and surplice and gown,
and preach-preach like an angel, and
we will stand out here and attend 10
business. Don't mix things. Don't
| get business and religion in the same
bucket. You attend To your matters
and we will attend To ours" They do
not know that God sees every cheat
that they have practiced in the last six
years; that he can look through the
iron wall OF their fire proof safe; that
he has counted every dishonest dollar
they have in their pocket,
and that day of judgment will come.
These inconsistent Christian men will
sit on the Sabbath night in the house
Of God, singing at the close of tlie serv-
ice, "Rocl1 of Ages Cleft for Me-" and
then, when the benediction IS pro-
nounced, shut the pew-door, and say,
/ as lHty 10 OUT, Aoh.
I'll be back next Sunday"
| think that the Church OF God
and the Sabbath are only an armory
where we are TO get weapons
When war comes, if man wants
to fight for his country lie does
not go to Troy or Springfield to
do battling, but he goes there
| 70,
| the church of Christ and tie Sab
bath day as only the place and time
where and when we are To get
armed Christian conflict; but the battle
field is on Monday, Tuesday, Wcdncs-
day, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
est. Martins" and "LenoX," and "Old
| Hundred do not amount to anything
unless they sing all the week. a SER
mon is useless unless we can take it
with us behind the plough and the
! counter. The Sabbath day j. worth
less if it last only twenty-four nours.
There are many Christians who say
eve are willing to serve God, but we,
do not want to do il in these spheres
| about which we are talking: and ii
seems SO insipid and monotonous. If
we had some great occasion, If we had
| lived in the time of Luther, If we had
been Paul's travelling companion, if we
could serve god on n great scale, we
would do it; but we can't in this every
! day life" / admit that great deal
! of the romance and llnight-errantry
of life have disappeared before
the advance OF this practical age.
! The ancient temples of Rouen have
been changed into store houses and
smithies. The residences of poets and
princes have been turned into brokers'
| shops. The classic mansion of Ashland
| has been cut up into walking sticks.
The groves where the poets said the
| gods dwelt have been carted out for
! wood. The muses. that we used to
read about have disappeared before the
migrants axe and the trappers gun.
! and that man who is waiting for a life
! bewitched of wonders will never find it.
Again, we need 10 bring the religion
! OF Christ into our commouest trials.
| For severe losses, for bereavement, for
! trouble that shocks like an earthquake
! and that blasts like storin, ISc pre-
scribe religious consolation; but, bust
ness 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 APP
/ p'ication.' My brother, they are
shaping your character they are
/ souring your temper, they are wearing
| out your temper, they are wearing out
your patience, and they are making
! you less and less man. | 70 into
sculptors studio and see him shaping
| n statue. He has chisel in one hand
and n mallet in the other, and he gives
a very gentle stroke-click, click,
click! l say, why don't you strike
harder?' oh he replies, that
would shatter the statue. can't do
it that way; l must do it this
way" So he works on, and
after a while the features come out. and
everybody that enters the studio is
charmed and fascinated. Well, God
! has your soul under process OF develop
ment, and it is the little annovances
and vexations of life that are chiscling
ont your immortal nature. H. is click,
click, click! l wonder why some great
/ PROVIDENCE hOtS uOL NOlDe, ana
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 annoyances, little
sorrows, little vexations, until at last
you shall be IA glad spectacle for angels
and for men. You know that large
fortune may be spent in small change,
and 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 grain-field sooner
that the incursion of three or four eat
tie. You say, "Sincc l lost my child,
since / lost my property, ] have been
"A different man" But you do not rec
ognize the architecture Of little annoy
ances that are hcwing, digging, cut
ting, shaping, splitting and interjoin-
ing your moral qualities. Rats may
i'll .l, IN r., al.