The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1892-02-04
than great ones. A swarm OF locusts
will kill grain field sooner than the in
cursion of three or four cattle.

ent man." But you do not recognize
the architecture oflittle anuoyances hat
are hcwlng, digging, cutting, shaping,
splitting and interioinlng your moral
qualities. Rats may sink ship. One
luciier match may send destruction
through block of store houses. Cath
crime dc Medicis got her death from
smelling poisonous rose. Columbus,
by stopping and asking for a piece of
bread and a drink of water at Frarcis-
can convent, was led to the discovery of
the New World. And there is an ;nti-
mate connection between triflcs and inn
mensltles, between nothinGs and every
things.
Now. be careful to let none Of those
annoyances 60 through your soul uaar-
raigned. Compel them to admiuster
to your spiritual wealth. The scratch
of sixpenny nail sometimes produces
lockjaw, and the clip of "a most infinites-
NAL annoyance may damage you forever.
DO not let any annoyance or perpleXity
come across your soul without It's maxi
lug you better.
Agalr, we must bring the religion Of
Christ into our commOnest blcssi ,os,
When the autumn comes and the mar
vests are in, and the governors make
proclamation, we assemble in churches
and we are very thankful. But every
day ought to be q thanksgiving day.
We do not recognize the common me-
cies of life. We have 20 see q blind man
led by his dog before VIC begin TO bethnk
ourselves OF what \ grand thing it is 10
have eycslght. We have to see some
one afflicted with ST. Vitus' dance before
we are ready TO thank God for the con-
troll our physical energies. We have to
see some wounded man hobbling OH bis
clutch 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 80 stupid that nothing but the
mistortunes Of others can rouse us up to
our blessings. AS the OK grazes in the
pasture up to its eyes in clover. vet ney-
er thinking who makes the clover, and
as the bird picks up the worm from the
turroW not knowing that it is Col who
makes everything, from the animalcule
in the sod TO the seraph on the throne.
SO we 90 on eating, drinking and enjoy
ing, but never thanking or seldom thank
ing; or, if thanking at all, with only half
a heart.
l compared our indifference to the
Drute; but perhaps wronged the brute.
do not know but that, a InOng it's G; h0r
| instincts, it may have an instinct by
which 1t recognizes the divine hand
that feeds it. | do not know but that
God is, through it, holding commun,ca.
tlon with what we call "irrational crea.
tlon.' The COW that stands under the
| willow by the water course chewing its
cud looks very thankful, and who can
tell how much bird means bN its
song?
The aroma of the flowers smells Like
incense, aud the mist arising from the
river looks like the smoke of a morning
sacrifice. Oh, that we were rs respon:
slve.. Yet who thanks Cop for the wa
ter that gushes up in the well, and that
form in the cascade, and that laughs
| over the rocks, and that patters in The
showers, and that claps its hands in the
sea? Who thanks God for the air, the
fountain of life, the bridge of Sunbe ms
the path of sound, the great fan On n
hot summers day? WHO thanks God
for this wonderful physical organis n
this sweep of the vision, this chime of
harmony struck into the ear, this aoft
tread Of a myriad delights ovor the nor
yous tissue, this rolling of the crimson
tide through artery and vein, this drum
ming of the heart on our march to inn
mortalIty2 We take all these things
as a matter Of course.
But suppose God should withd taw
these common blessings! Your BODY
would become an iiquistion of torture,
the cloud would refuse rain, every
green thing would crumple up, anu She
earth would crack open under your
feet. The air would cease it's healtnful
circulation, pestilcnce would swoop,
and every house would become a p!ace
of skulls. Streams would first swim
with vermin and then dry up, and thirst
and hunger and anguish and DIES aair
would lift their scepters. Oh, compare
such a life as that with the life you
live this morning with your families
about you! Is 1t not time that, with
every word of our lips and every action
or our life, we began to acknowledge
these every day mercies2 "Whether
ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do
all to the glory Of God" DO | address
man or Il woman this morning who
has not rendered to God one single Of
fering of thanks?
was preaching one Thanksgiving
day and announced my text, 90, give
thanks unto the Lord, for he is good :;
lol Ills iHeIcy euuureIn forever. i 40
not know whether there was any bless
ing on the sermon or not, but the text
went straight to a young mans heart.
lie said to himself, as ] read the text:
"'Oh, give thanks unto the Lord. for
he is good-Why, have never render
ed him any thanks. Oh, what an in
CRATE l have beenw Can it be, my
brother, that you have been fed by the
good hand Of God all these days-that
you have had clothing and shelter and
all benelicient surroundings and yet
have never offered your heart to God?
on, let sensa of the divine goodness
shown you IN the everyday blessings
melt your he"rt, and if you have never
before uttered the earnest note of
thanksgiving let this be the day which
shall hear your song. What / say to
| one / say to all Of this audience. Take
this practical religion 1 have recon-
mended into your everyday life. Make
everyday a Sabbath and every meal a
sacrament and every room you enter a
holy Of holies. We all have work to
do; let us be willing to do it. We all
nave sorrows to bear; let us cheerfully
hQQr Thorn NNo I, II kox,o