Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1892-02-05

hJtne csOse OF tne setNlct. MOCK Ol ayes,
Cleft for Me" and then when the bene ilc-
ton is pronounced shut the pew door and
say as they go out, 'Goodby, religion, I'll be
back next sunday
l think that the Church Of God AMI the
Sabbath are only an armory where we are
TO get weapons. When war comes il
man wants to fight for his country he does
not 60 to Troy or Springfield TO do battling,
but he goes there for swords and muskets
look upon the Church of Christ and the
Sabbath day as only the place and time
where and when we were to get armed for
Christian conflict; but the battlefield is on
Monday, Tuesday Wednesday Thursday,
Friday aud Saturday. "St. Martins"
and "Leuox" and "Old Hundred" do not
amount TO anything unless they sing all the
week. A sermon is useless unless we cIn
take it with us behind the pow and the
counter The sabbath day is worthless il 1t
last only twenty-four hours
There are many Christians who say: ave
are willing to serve God, but we do not
want to do it il these spheres about which
we are talking; and 1t seems so insipid and
monotOnous. II we had some great oc-
casiun il we had lived in the time OF Luther
il We had been Paul's travelling companion,
il we could serve Col on a great scale, We
would do IT, but we can't in this everyday
lie" | admit that Il great deal OF the ro-
nance aud knight errautry OF life have dis
appsarei before the advance OF this prActl-
cal age. The ancient temples OF Rouen have
been changed into storehous,s and smlthieS.
The residences OF poets and princes have
been turned into brokers' shops. The classic
mansion of Ashland has be.n cut up iuto
walking sticks. The groves where the poets
said the gods dwelt have bsen carted out
iur firewool. Gh' muse, that we used u
read about have disappeared before the emf
grants ak an the trappers gun, aud that
man who is waltln. for lie bawltchel Of
wonders will never tint it.
There is, however, field for endurance
and great achievement, but it is in every
day life. There are Alps to scale, there are
HelleCponts TO swim, there are fires to brave;
hut they are all around Us now. This Is
the hardest kind OF martyrdom to bear. IL
took grace to lead Latimer and Ridley
through the fire tr.umphantly when tn ar
armed enemies and their friends were looking
on; but II requires more grace now to brinS
men through persecution when nobody is
. looking on. | could show you in thi,
city woman who has had rheum Itism for
twenty years, who has eniurei more suffer
ing and exhausted more grace than would
/ have made twenty martyrs pass triumph
antly through the fire. Ii You are not faith
/ tul IN an insignificant position in life, You
would not be in grand mission Ii you can.
not stand the bite of a midge, how could you
endure tue breath OF basillsk'
Do not think that any work Col gives
you to do in the world is on too small a scale
Tor you to do. Tie whole universe is not
ashamed to take care of one little flower.
| say: what are you doing down here Ill
the grass you poor little flower! Are you
not afraid nignts' You will be neglected,
YOU will die OF thirst, YOU will not be re !.
Poor little flower" No says star, "PiI
watch over it tonight" mo- says u
civ DRINK " HNh " tlf
sun, "l'll warm it in my bosom" Then
see the pul!eys going, and the clou Is are
drawing water, an | say, "Wnlt are you
doing there, Q clou1sF' Aud they reply,
I'VE are giving drink TO that flower"
Then the wind rises and comes bending
down the wheat and sounding its psalm
through the forest, and | cry. "W Wnithel
away on such swift wing, wind? An
1t replies I'VE are going to cool the cheeS
OF that flower" And then bow down am
sey, "Wlll God take care of the grass o
the iieldY' Aud q flower at my foot re
spends, "Yes; He clothes the lilies OF til,
field, and never yet has forgotten ne,
poor little flower" Oh, when see the grea
heavens bendiu. themselves TO what seem
insignificant ministrationS when find ou
that tod does not forget any Blossom of tn
spring or any snowflake OF the winter,
come TO the conclusion that we can afford Z
sttand to the minute things i'll life, and tina
what we do we ought TO do well, sincs ther
is as much perfection la the construction O
a SPIDERS eve as in the conformation OF fam
Ing galaKles.
Plato had fable which lhsve now nearl
for. often, but it ran something like this
He said spirits of the other world came BAG
10 this world to tinl a body and lind
sphere OF WORK. One spirit came and too
the BODY OF king and did his work. Al
other spirit came and took the body of poe
and did his WORK After awhile Ulysse
came, and he said, why, all the lin
bodies are taken, and all the gran
WORK is taken. There ii nothing lei
for me- And some one replied, AMI th
best one has been left for you" Ulyss'
( said, whats thaty' AMI the reply wa,
'rhe body of a common man, doing con
mon WORK aud for a common reward"
good fable for the world and just as COOL
' fable for the church. Whether we eat c
i drink. or whatsoever we do, let us do 1t
, the glory OF Col.
Again, we need to bring the religion
!. Christ into our commoneSt trials. For S
). we're losses, for bereavement. for trouo
IL that shocks like an earthquake aad tn
o blasts like a storm, we prescribe rehglo
4 consolation; but, business man, for the smt
l. Annoyances OF last week. how much OF t
IL grace of Col did you applyt "On," "
le say. "these trials are too small for such u
plicationr My brother, they are shapii
1t your character, they are souring your tel
s per, they are wear ng out your patlen
ot and they are making you less aud less of
p man. | 60 into sculptor's studio a
$ SOC him shaping statue. He has chIsel
Of pne hand and mallet in the other, and
ne pives a very gentle stroke click, clit
Is sicl;l l say, "Why don't you stri
Is hardery' ''Oh," he replies that wor
,hatter the statue. can't do 1T that wa
e, must do 1t this wayV
h So he works on, and after awhile the fe
lr ures come out, and everybody that emit
i'll the stu lilo is charmed and fascinated. W.
he Goi has your soul under process OF .6evel'
" ment, and it is the little annoyances a
en- yexations of life that are chseling out yc
an immortal nature. 1t is click, clcS click!
IN wonder why some great providence does
eW come, and with one stroke prepare you
on heaven. All, no. God says that
tn not tho wNv. And SO He Ike
no on bv strokes o. little annoyant
er' little sorrows, little vexatons, until mt
ne YOU Shall be glad spectacle for angels I
ild Tor men. You know that large fort
ol- NAV be spent in small change and '
amount OF moral character may go away
hes small depletion. II is the little trouble
ds, life that are having more effect upon
oil than great ones. A swarm OF locusts
the kill grain field sooner than the iucursio
the thres or four cattle.
wn You say, "Since lost my child, SIM
cry lost my property, have been dife
ant man. But You 90 not recognize the ar
he lecture of little annoyances that are hew
'sed digging, cutting, shaping, splitting aud
in erjoning your moral qualities. Rats
led. sink ship. One lucifer match
t OF send destruction through block of ST
Iwn houses. Catherine de Melics got her d
get from smelling poisonous rose. Colum
his by stopping and asking for piece Of
inds and drink OF water at q Franciscan
on vent, was lei to the discovery of the
ever World. And there isnu intimate connet
low between trih,s ani immensites, bet
king uothings AMI everythings.
Now, be careful TO let none OF thos
put noyances 20 through your soul unarraig
ranS I,ounl them to administer TO
'ome spir .tual wealth. The scratch OF SKIP
ospel nail sometimes pro luces lock-jaw, an
re IN clip Of a most indnitesimal annoyance