Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1892-02-04

-OuSBAdltOls Huls OurlicHc tldu, iOf INC
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
ipplicafionf' My brother, they are shaping
| your character. they are souring your tenn
per, they are wearing cut your patience
and they are making You less and less of a
man ! go into sculptor's studio and
see him shaping a statue He has chisel
in one hand and mallet in the other, and
be gives a very gentle stroke-click. click.
lick say, why don't you strike
harderY'' "Oh." he replies. that would
shatter the statue. can't do it that way;
must do it this Way
So he works on. and after awhile the
| features come ont, aud everybody that
enters the studio i charmed and fasei-
mated Wei. God has your soul under
process Of development. aud it is the little
annoyances and vexations of life that are
chiseling ont your immortal nature. Ii is
click. click, click. | wonder why some
/ great providence does not come and 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 a glad spectacle for angels
and for men You know that large for
tune may be spent in small change and a
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. swarm Of
| locusts will kill grain field sooner than
the incursion of three or four cattle.
You say Since lost my child, since
lost my property, | have been Il different
man" But you do not recognize the archi-
lecture of little annoyances that are hew-
ing, digging. cutting, shaping, splitting and
interjoining your moral qualities. Rats
may sink a ship. One lucifer match may
send destruction through block Of store
houses Catherine de Medicis got her
death from smelling poisonous rose. Co
lumbus, by stopping and asking for piece
of bread and drink Of water at a Francis
can convent was led to the discovery of the
New World And there is an intimate con
nection between tritles and immensities,
between nothings and everythings.
Now, he careful to let none of those an
noyances go through your soul unar
raigned Compel them to administer to
your spiritual wealth. The scratch of a
sixpenny nail sometimes produces lock
jaw, and the clip of most inRnitesimal
annoyance may damage you forever. Do
not let any annoyance or perplexity come
across your soul without its making you
better
PUT HIGH TARIFF on LITTLE FITS OF
TEMPER
Our national government does not think
il belttling TO put Il tax on pins and "A tax
on buckles and "A tax on shoes. The indi
vidtial taxes do not amount TO much, but
in the aggregate TO millions and millions
Of dollars And | would have you, o
Christian man. put a high tariff on every
annoyance and vexation that comes
through your soul. This might not amount
to much in single cases. hut in the aggre
gate it would be a great revenue Of spirit
ual strength and satisfaction.
bee can suck honey even out of a
nettle, and II you have the grace of God
in your heart you can get sweetness out
of that which would otherwise irritate and
annoy a returned missionary told me
that "A company OF adventures rowing up
the Ganges were stung TO death by flies
that infest that region at certain seasons
have seen the earth strewed with the
carcasses of men slain by insect annoy
ances. The only way TO get prepared for
the great troubles of life is to conquer
these small troubles What would you
say of soldier who refused to load his
gun or 60 20 into the conflict because it
was only skirmish, saying u am not
going to eXpend my ammunition on
skirmish Wait until there comes a gen
eral engagement and then you will see
how courageous am and what battling
will dor"
The general would say to such a man,
I'll you are not faithful in skirmish, you
would be nothing in a general engage
ment." And have to tell you, . Chris
tian men, If you cannot apply the princi-
pies OF Christs religion on a small scale,
you will never be able to apply them on a
large scale. II 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 artillery rolling
over your souls
FOR EVERY GOOD THING GIVE THANKS.
Again, we must bring the religion of
Christ into our commonest blessings.
When the autumn comes and the harVests
are in, and the governors make proclama-
ton, we assemble in churches and we are
very thankful But every day ought to
be a thanksgiving day. We do not recog
nize the common mercies of life. We have
to see blind man led by his dog before
we begin to bethink ourselves 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 ener-
gies. 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
misfortunes of others can rouse us up TO
our blessings. As the OK grazes in the pas
ture up to its eyes in clover, yet never
thinking who makes the clover and as the !
the bird picks up the worm from the fur !
row not knowing that it is God who makes |
everything, from the animalcula 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 thank |
ing at all, with only half a heart.
compared our indifference to the brute; |
but perhaps wronged the brute. | do not |