The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1895-12-20

ance? But remember that little as
well as great annoyances equally re-
quire you to trust in Christ for succor,
and for deliverance from impotence
and irritability. Thou wilt keep him
in perfect peace whose mind is stayed
on thee" In the village of Hamelin,
tradition says, there was an invasion Of
rats, and these small creatures almost
devoured the town, and theatened the
lives of the population; and the story
is that a piper came out one day and
played a very sweet tune, and all the
vermin followed him-followed him to
the banks of the Weser; then he blew
blast and then they dropped in and
disappeared forever. OF course this is
fable; but wish could, on the sweet
flute Of the Gospel, draw forth all the
nibbling and burrowing annoyances
of your life, and play them down into
the depths forever.
go into sculptor's studio and see
him shaping a statue. He has a chisel
in one hand and a mallet in the other,
and he gives a very gentle stroke
click, click, click! l say, why don't
you strike harder?" "Ohw he replies,
that would shatter the statue. / can't
do ii 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 fas-
cinatcd. Well, God has your soul I'M
der process of development, and it is
the little annoyances and vexations OF
life that are chiseling out your i'm
mortal nature. II is click, click, click.
/ wonder why some great providence
does not come, and with one stroke pre-
pare 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 spectacle
for angels and for men.
You know that a large fortune may
be spent in small change, and a vast
amount of moral character may go
away in small depletions. 1t is the
little troubles of life that are having
more effect upon you than great ones.
A swarm of locusts will kill a grain
uClQ IMAM ALC lnNul SUN Va III
or four cattle. You say, "Since lost
my child, since / lost my property,
have been a different man." But you
do not recognize the architecture OF
little annoyances, that are hewing, dig
ging, cutting, shaping, splitting and in
terjoining your moral qualities. Rats
may sink a ship. One lucifer match
may send destruction through a block
of ore-houses. Catherine de Medicis
got her death from smelling a poison
Gus rose. Columbus, by stopping and
asking for piece of bread and a drink
OF water at a Franciscan convent, was
led to the discovery OF new world.
And there is an intimate connection
between trifles and immensities, be-
tween 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 sixpenny nail sometimes produces
lock-jaw, and the clip of a most in
finitesimal annoyance 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
belittling to put tax on small articles.
The individual taxes do not amount to
much, but in the aggregate to millions
and millions of dollars. And / would
have you, oh Christian man, put high
tariff on every annoyance and vexation
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 a nettle; and il 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 sea-
sons. / have seen the earth strewed
with the carcasses of men slain by in
sect 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, or to go into
the conflict because it was only Skin
mish, saying, II am not going to ex-
pend my ammunition on a skirmish;
wait until there comes a general en-
gagement, 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 a skirmish, you would be nothing
in a general engagement" And have
to tell you, oh Christian men, If you
cannot apply the principles of Christ's
religion on small scale, you will never
be able to apply them on a large scale.
Polycarp was condemned to be
burned to death. The stake was
planted. He was fastened to 1t. The
faggots were placed around him, the
fires kindled. but history tells us that
the flames bent outward like the can
vas of ship in a stout breeze, so that
the flames, instead Of destroying Poly
carp, were only wall between him and
his enemies. They had actually to de-