The Globe-republican., 1893-09-08

where we are to get equipped for the
great battle Of 6fe and that battlefield
is Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday.
Thursday, Friday and Saturday. "An-
tioch," and ''St. Martins" and ''Old
Hundred" are not worth much if we
do not sing all the week. A sermon is
Of little account if we cannot carry It
behind the counter and behind the
pillow. The Sabbath day is Of no value
if it lasts only twenty-four hours
''Oh!' says some one, If had q
great sphere would do that; if could
have lived in the time of Martin
Luther, If I could have been Paurs
travelling companion, if l had some
great and resounding work to do-then
l should put into application all that
you say" l must admit that the
romance and knight errantry have
gone out of life. There is but very lit
tie of it left in the world. The temples
of Rouen have been changed into
smithies: the classic mansion at Ash
land has been cut up into walking
sticks: the muses. have retreated before
the emigrant's AK and the trappers
gun, and a Vermonter might go over
the Allegheny and the Rocky Mount
aims and see neither an Dread nor q
Sylph. The groves where the gods
used to dwell have been cut mp for fire
wood, and the man who is looking for
great spheres and great scenes for
action will not find them. And yet
there are Alps to scale and there are
Tablespoons to swim, and they are in
common life. 1t is absurd for you to
say that you would serve God if you
had great sphere. If you do not serve
him on small scale, you would not on
a large scale. If you cannot stand the
bite of nudge, how could you endure
the breath of basilisk?
Our national government does not
think it belittling to put a tax on pins,
and tax on buckles, and a tax on
shoes The individual taxes do not
amount to much. but in the aggregate
to millions and millions of dollars. And
1 would you. o Christian man, put a
high tariff on every annoyance and
vexateOn 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.
Suppose soldier should say: This
is only skirmish, and there is only
few enemies-I won't load my gun:
wait until l can get into some great
general engagement. That man is
coward, and would be a coward in any
sphere. If man does not serve his
country in skirmish, he will not in a
Waterloo. And if you are not faithful
going out against the single-handed
misfortunes of this life, you would not
be faithful when great disasters, with
their laundering artillery, come rolling
down over the soul.
My friends, you need to take the re-
ligion of the Lord Jesus Christ into
the most ordinary trials of your life.
You have your misfortunes, you have
your anxieties, you have your vexa-
tons. OH you say, they don't
shape my character. Since l lost my
child, since have lost my property,
have been a very different man from
what was" My brother, it is the lit
tie annoyances of your life that are
souring your disposition, clipping your
moral character. and making you less
and less of a man.
You go into an artists studio. You
see him making piece of sculpture.
You say, why don't you strike
harder?' With his mallet and his
chisel he goes click. click, click! and
you can hardly see from stroke to
stroke that there is any impression
made upon the stone, and yet the work
is going on. You say, why don't you
strike harder Oh he replies,
that would shatter the statue: l
must make it in this way stroke by
And he continues on by week
and month until after awhile every
man that enters the studio is fas-
cinated. Well. find God dealing with
some man. He is shaping him for time,
and shaping him for eternity. l say,
20, Lord. why not with one tremen-
dous blow Of calamity shape that man
for the next world?" God says: That's
not the way l deal with this man: it is
stroke after stroke, annoyance after
and after awhile ne will be done. and
a glad spectacle for angels and men,"
Not by one great stroke, but by ten
thousand little strokes of misfortune
are men fitted for Heaven. You know
that large fortunes can soon be scat
tered by being paid out in small sums
of money, and the largest estate OF
Christian character is sometimes en-
tirely lost by these small depletions.
We must bring the religion of Jesus
Christ to help us in these little annoy
ances Do not say that anything is too
to affect your character.
Rats may sink ship One lucifer
match may destroy a temple. A queen
got her death by smelling poisoned
rose. The scratch of a sixpenny nail
may give you the lockjaw. Columbus,
by asking for piece of bread and a
drink of water at Franciscan convent.
came to the discovery of new world.
And there is great connection be-
tween trifles and immensities. between
nothings and everythings. Do you not
suppose that God cares for your insig-
nificant sorrows? Why. my friends.
there is nothing insignificant in your