The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1892-01-27

wind rises, and comes bending down
the wheat and sounding its psalm
through the forest, and cry: WHITTIER
away on such swift wing, o, wind?"
And it replies; "We are going to cool
the cheek Of that flower" And then !
bow down and say: "Will God take
care of the grass OF the feldP" And a
flower at my foot responds: Eyes; he
clothes the lilies Of the field, and never
yet has forgotten me, a poor little
hower." Oh! when see the
great heavens bending themselves
to what seems insignificant min
istration, when l hnd out that
God does not forget any blossom OF
the spring or any snow fake of the
winter, come to the conclusion that
we can aft ord to attend to the minute
things in life, and that what we do we
ought to do well, since there Is as much
perfection in the construction of
spiders eye as in the conformation OF
flaming galaxies. Plato had fable
which have now nearly forgotten, but
it ran something like this: He said
spirits Of the other world came back to
this world to find body and find
sphere Of work. One spirit came and
took the body of king and did his
work Another spirit came and took
the body of poet and did his work.
After while Ulysses came, and he said:
"Why, all the fine bodies are taken, and
all the grand work is Ia ken. There is
nothing left for me-" And some one re-
piled, "Ah, the best one has been left
for you" Ulysses said, whats thatp"
And the reply was, "The body OF
common man, doing common work,
and for a common reward" A good
fable for the world, and just as good
fable for the church. Whether we eat
or drink, or whatsoever we do, let us
do u to the glory of God.
Again, we need TO bring the religion
of Christ into our conmoncst trials.
For severe losses, for bereavement, for
trouble that shocks like an earthquake,
and that blasts like storm, we pre-
scribe religious consola ton; but, busi-
ness man, for the small annoyances OF
last week, how much of the grace OF
God did you apply? "ohr' you say,
'these trials are too small for such ap-
plication." My brother, they are shap-
ing your character, they are souring
your temper, they are wearing out
your patience. and they are making
you less and less of man. Igo into
sculptor's studio, and see him shaping
| aNa 10 haa In haf nd
and mallet in the other, and he gives
very gentle stroise-cliclx, click clickl
say, "Why don't you strike harder?"
"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 out,
and everybody that enters the studio is
charmed and fascinated. Well, God
has your soul under process of develop
ment, and it is the little annoyances
and vexations of life that are chiseling
out your immortal nature. II is click,
click. clickl 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 an
noyances, little sorrows, little vexa-
tions, until at last you shall be glad
spectacle for angels and for men. You
know that large fortune may be spent
in small change, and a vast amount OF
moral character may go away in small
depletion. It is the little troubles
OF life that are having more effect
upon you than great ones A swarm OF
lecusts will kill grain field sooner
than the incursion of three or four cat
tie. You say, "Since lost my child,
since lost my property, | have been n
different man" But you do not recog-
nize the architecture of little annoy.
ances that are hewing, digging, cutting.
shaping, splitting and interjoining
yosr moral qualities Rats may sink a
ship. One lucifer match may send do.
Struction through block OF store
houses. Catherine de Medicis got her
death from smelling poisonous rose.
Columbus, by stopping and asking for
piece OF bread and drink of water
at Franciscan convent, was led TO the
discovery of the new world And there
is an intimate connection between trifles
and immensities, between nothings and
everythings
Now, be careful TO let none OF those
annoyances 90 through your soul un-
aFraigned. Compel them TO administer
to your spiritual wealth. The scratch
of a sixpenny nail sometimes produces
lock-jaw, and the clip OF a most in.
fnitesimal annoyance may damage you
forever. Do not let any annoyance or
perplexity como across your soul with
out its makiag you better.
Our national government does not
think it belittling to put tax on pins
and tax on buckles and tax on
shoes The individual taxes do not
amount TO much, but in the aggregate
to millions and millions OF dollars And
I would have you, o Christian man, put
high tariff on every annoyance and
vexation that comes through your soul.
This might not amount 10 much, in
single cases, but in the aggregate It
would be q great revenue OF spiritual
strength and satisfaction. A bee can
suck honey even out OF a nettls; and II
you have the grace Of God in your heart
you can get sweetness out OF that
which would otherwise irritate and an
nsy. A returned missionary told me
that company 9f adventurers rowing
up the Ganges were stnng to death by
fiies that iafest that region at certain
seasons have seen the earth strewed
with the earclsses Of men slain by in