Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1892-01-30

on shoes. The individual taxes do
not amount to much, but in the az
gregate to millions and millions of
dollars. And would have you. O
Christian man, put high tariff OIL
every annoyance and yexation that
comes through your soul. This might
not amount to much in single cases
but in tho aggregate it would be a
great revenue Of spiritual strength
and satisfaction. A bee can suck
honey even out Of nettle, and if
! you have the grace. of God in your
heart you can get sweetness ont of
that which would otherwise irritate
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 ut GER
tain seasons. l have seen the earth
strewed with the carcasses of men
slain by insect annoyances- The
only way to get prepared for the
great troubles of life is to conquer
these small troubles What would
you say of a soldier who refused to
load his gun or to go into a conflict
because it was only sl1irlnisl, say
ing, II am not going to expend my
ammunition on skirmish; wait un-
til there comes a general engage
ment and then YOU will sec how
courageous l am, and what battling
will do9" The general would say to
such man, "If you arc not faithful
in skirn1ish, you would be nothing
in a general engagement"
And I 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 soul2
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 lie
thanksgiving day. We do not rec
ognize the common mercies of life.
We have to see a 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
hobbling on his crutch, or with his
empty coat sleeve pinned up, before
we learn to think what grand thing
God did for us when he gave us
healthy use of our limbs.
We are so stupid that nothing but
the misfortrlnes 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
malcula in the sod to the seraph on
the throne, so we go on eating,
drinking and enjoying, but never
thanking or seldom thanking; Or, if
thanking at all, with only half a
heart
DO BRUTES AND PLANTS PRAISE GoD9
l compared our Indifference to the
brute; but perhaps I wronged the
brute. | do not know but that,
among its other instincts, it may
have an instinct by which it recog-
nizes the divine hand that feeds it.
do not know but that God is,
through it, holding communication
with what we call irrational crea-
ton" The cow that stands under
the willow by the water course
chewing its cud looks very thank
full; and who can tell how much a
bird means by its songi The aroma
of the flowers smells like incense,
and the mist arising from the river
looks like the smoke of a morning
sacrifice. Oh. that we were as re-
sponsivel
Yet who thanks God for the water
that gushes up in the well, and that
foams in the cascades, and that laughs
over the rocks, and that patters in the
showers, and that claps its hands in
the sea7 Who thanks God for the
air, the fountain of life, the bridge OF
sunbeams, thepath of sound, the great
fan on a hot summers day7 Who
thanks God for this wonderful phys
ical organism : this sweep of the
vision-this chime of harmony struck
| into the ear-this soft tread of q
myriad delights over the nervous
tissues-this rolling of the crimson
tide through artery and vein-tl1is
drumming of the heart on our march
to immortahty9 We take all these
| things as matter of course.
But suppose God withdrew these
common blessings! Your body would
become an inquisition of torture. the,
cloud would refuse rain, every green
thing would crumple UP and the
earth would crack open under your
feet. The air would cease its healthy
circulation, pestilence would swoop
and every house would become q
place of skulls. Streams would first
swim with verrniIn and then dry up,
and thirst and hunger and anguish
/ and despair would lift their scepters.
1ifn fhnt