The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1893-10-28

right, shall leave them in the midst O
his days, and at his end shalt be
foot" But how many there are VIII
do not bring the religion of Christ int.
their everyday occupationl They thinl
religion is for Sundays.
Suppose you were to go out to fEh
for your country in some great contest
would you go to do the battling a
Troy or at Springfield? No, you would
go there to get your swords and mus
kets. Then you would go out in tn,
face of the enemy and contend fol
your country. Now, take the Sabbath
day and the church to be the ohl,
| armory where we are to get equipped
for the great battle OF life, and tina,
battlefield is Monday, Tuesday, Wednes
day. Thursday, Friday and Satur
day. Antioch" and ''St. Martins, ,
and "Old Hundred are not worth much
If we do not sing all the week. A ser.
mon is of little account If we can not
carry 1t behind the counter and behind
the. pillow. The Sabbath day is of nc
value if it lasts only twenty-four hours.
"Oh!" says some one, 'sif had a
great sphere / would do that: il |
could have lived in the time of Martin
Luther, if I could have been Paul's
travelling companion, if I had some
great and resounding work to do-then
should put into application all that
you say" must admit that the ro-
nance and knight errantry have gone
out of life. There is but very little
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 trapper's gun, and a Vermont
err might go over the Allegheny
and the Rocky mountains and see
neither an Dread nor a Sylph. The
groves where the gods used to dwell
have been cut up for firewood, and the
man who is locking for great spheres
and great scenes for action will not
lind 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 a great sphere.
If you do not serve Him on a small
scale. you would not on a large scale.
If you can not stand the bite of a
nudge, how could you endure the
breath of basilisk?
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
would you, O Christian man, put a
high tariff on every annoyance and vex-
alton 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. A bee can
suck honey even out of nettle, and if
you have the grace of God in your
heart, yon can get sweetness out of
hat which would otherwise irritate
Ind annoy. A returned missionary
old me that company of adventur-
up the Ganges, were stung to
leath by flies that infest that region at
,ertain seasons. have seen the earth
trewed with the carcasses of men
lain by insect annoyances. The only
way to get prepared for the great trou-
,les of life is to couqer these small
roubles
Suppose soldier should say: This
S only a skirmish, and there are only a
ew enemies-I won't load my gun;
Wait until / can get into some great |
General engagement" That man Is a |
oward. and would be coward in any |
phere. If man does not serve his |
ountry in skirmish, he will not in a |
And if you are not faithful |
'oing out against the single-handed |
nisfortunes of this life, you would not |
'e faithful when great disasters, with
heir laundering artillery, came roll
ng down over the soul.
This brings me to another point. We |
light to bring the religion of Jesus
hrist into all our trials. If we have
bereavement, if we lose our fortune,
some great trouble blast like tenn
est, then we go to God for comfort:
ut yesterday, in the little annoyances
I your store, or Office, or shop, or fac
Dry, or banking house, did you go to
cd for comfort? You did not.
My friends, you need to take the
sligion of the Lord, Jesus Christ into
he most ordinary trials of your life.
on have your misfortunes, you have
our anxietics, You have your vexa-
ons. ''Oh." you say, ''they don't
lape my character. Since ! lost my
hid, since l hUe lost my property,
ave been very different man from
hat was" My brother, it is the lit
G annoyances of your life that are
'uring your disposition, clipping your
oral character and making you less
id less of man.
You go into an artists studio. You
e him making piece of sculpture.
on say: "Why don't you strike
arder?'' With his mallet and his
lisel he. goes click, click, click! and ]
~ can hardly see from stroke to {
roke that there is any impression
ade upon the stone, and yet the work I
going on. You say: 'sWhy don't i,
III strike harder?" "Oh!" he replies,
hat would shatter the statue; | must q
AXE it this way, stroke by stroke" s
nd he continues on by week and
onth until after awhile every man
at enters the studio is fascinated.
ell, l find God dealing with some '
en-. He is shaping him for time, and J
aniuu hin, for afarn;+v 49, s.n | 4