The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1895-12-28

: 'sthat would shatter the statue sAnfl
do II that way; must do 1t this way
, So he works on, and after awhile the
} features come out, and everybody that
enters the studio Ia charmed and fasct
) mated. Well, God has your soul under
, process of development, and It In the
little annoyancss and vexations OF life
: that are chiseling out your immortal
nature. It u click, click, olickl
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 vexations,
until at last you shall be a glad spec
; tacle for angels and for men.
You know that large fortune may
b spent In small change, and vast
amount Of moral character may go
away In small depletions. It Is the lit
tie troubles of life that are having
more effect upon you than great ones
! A swarm of locusts will kill grain
field sooner than the incursion Of three
or four cattle. You say: "Since lost
my child, since I lost my property, I
have been different man." But you
do not recognize the architecture Of
little annoyances, that are hewing,
digging, cutting, shaping, splitting
and interjoining your moral quail
ties. Rats may sink a ship. One
lucifer match may send destruction
through block of storehouses. Cath
crime de Medicis got her death from
smelling poisonous rose. Columbus,
by stopping and asking for piece of
bread and drink of water at a Fran
ciscan convent, was led to the discov-
cry of a new world. And there is an
intimate connection between trihes
and immensities, between nothings and
everythings.
Now, be careful to let none of those
annoyances go through your soul un-
arraigned. Compel them to administer
to your spiritual wealth. The scratch
of a 81 x-penny nail sometimes produces
lockjaw, and the clip of a most infin-
itesimal annoyances may damage you
forever. Do not let any annoyance or
perplexity come across your soul with
out its making you better.
Our government does not think it be-
! lifting to put tax on small articles.
The individual taxes do not amount to
much, but in the aggregate to millions
and millions of dollars. But I
would have you, oh Christian
man, put high tariff on every annoy
ance and vexation that comes through
your soul This might not amount
to much in single cases, but in
the aggregate it would be a great
revenue of spiritual strength and sat
isfaction. A bee can suck honey even
out Of a nettle, and If you have the
grace of God In your heart, you can
get sweetness out of that which would
otherwise irritatc and annoy.
A returned missionary told me that
a company Of Adventures rowing up
the Gauges were stung to death by
flies that infest that region at certain
seasons. l have seen the earth strewn
with the carcasos 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
soldier who refused to load his gun be-
cause 1t was only a skirmish, saying,
II am not going to expend my ammu-
milton on a skirmish, wait until there
comes a general engagement, and then
you will see how courageous
/ am, and what battling
will do?" The general would
say to such man: IF you are not
faithful In skirmIsh, you would be
nothing in q general engagement"
And l have to tell you, oh Christian
men, II you can not apply the princi-
Piles of Christ's religion on small
scale, you will never be able to apply
them on large scale.
If had my way with you I would
have you possess all possible worldly
prosperity. would have you each one
garden-a river flowing through it,
geraniums and shrubs on the sides,
and the grass and flowers as beauti-
full as though the rainbow had
fallen. would have you house,
splendid mansion, and the bed should
be covered with upholstery dipped in
hall in your house set with statues and
statuettes, and then would have the
four quarters of the globe pour
in all their Injuries on you table,
and you should have forks of silver
and knives of gold, inlaid with dia-
monds and amethysts. Then you
should each one of you have the finest
horses, and your pick of the equipagcs
of the world. Then 1 should have you
live 159 years, and you should not have
a pain or ache until the last breath.
',Not each one of us?" you say. Yes;
each one of you. Not to your en-
emies?" Yes; the only diffe, ence I
would make with them be that I
would put little extra embroidery
on their slippers. But, you say:
"Why does not God give us all
these things?" All! bethink myself.
He is wiser. 1t would make fools and
sluggards of us II we had our way. No
man puts his best picture in the por-
tico or vestibule of his house. God
meant this world to be the only vesti-
bule of Heaven, that great gallery of
the universe toward which we are as
piring. We must not have it too good
In this world, or we would want no
Heaven.