The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1892-01-29

1 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 lost my
property. / have been a different
, man
But you do not recognize the archi-
lecture of little annoyances that are
hewing, digging, cutting, shaping,
splitting and interjoining your moral
qualities. Rats may sink ship. One
lucifer match may send destruction
through a block of storehouses.
Catherine de Medicis got her death
from smelling a poisonous rose. Co.
lumbus, by stopping and asking for
piece of bread and a drink of water
at franciscan convent, was led to
the discovery of the new world And
there is an intimate connection be-
tween trihes and immensities, be-
tween nothings and everythings.
NO SIN TOO SMALL TO BE AVOIDED.
Now, be careful to let none of those
annoyances go through your soul I'M
arraigned. Compel them to admin
lister to your spiritual wealth The
scratch of siXpenny nail sometimes
produces lockjaw, and the clip of
a most infinitesimal annoyance may
damage you forever Do not let any
annoyance or perplexity come across
your soul without it's making you
better
Our national government does not
think it belittling to put tax on
pins, and tax on buckles and a tax
on shoes. The individual taxes do
not amount to much, but in the ag-
gregate to millions and millions of
dollars And | 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 it 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 il1itate
and annoy.
A returned missionary told me that
company Of adventures rowing
up the Ganges were stung to death
by flies that infest that region at GER
tain seasons. have seen the earth
strewed with the carcasses of men
slain by insect annoyanees. The
only way to get prepared for the
great troubles Of life is to conquer
these small troubles. What would
you say of u soldier who refused to
load his gun or to go into conflict
because it WAS only a skirmish, say
ing, Il am not going to expend my
ammunition on slIirmish; wait I'M
til there comes a general engage
ment, and then you will see how
courageous | am, and what battling
l will do2' The general would say to
such a min, "If you are not faithful
in skirmish, you would be nothing
in general engagement
And | have to tell you, o Chris
tan men, if you cannot apply the
principles of Christ's religion on a
small scale you will never be able to
apply them on large scale If you
cannot successfully contend against
these small SORROWS that come down
single handed, what will you do
when the greater disasters of life
come down with laundering artil-
lery rolling over your soul?
Again, we must bring the religion
of Christ into our commonest bless
ings. When the autumn comes, and |
the harvests are in, and the COVER
nors make proclamation, we assem-
BILE in churches, and we are very
thankful But every day ought to be
a thanksgiving day. We do not rec
ognize the common mercies of life
We have to see blind man led by
his dog before we begin to think our
selves 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
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 its eyes
IN the clover, yet never thinking
who makes the clover, and as the
bird picks up the worm from the fur
row, not knowing that it is God who
makes everything, from the ami
nalcula in the sod to the seraph on
5he throne, so we go on eating,
thinking and enjoying, but never
thanking or seldom thanking; or, if
thanking at all, with only half a
leart.
10 BRJJTES AND PLANTS PRAISE GOD2