The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1895-12-19
some little bad debt which was against your
Judgment, Just to please somebody else.


OF our best merchants into nervous dyspepsia
and paralysis and the grave. When our M
ttonal commerce fell fat on its face, these
men stood up and felt almost defiant, but
their life is going away now under the
swarm OF these pestiferous annoyances.
"The Lord sent the hornet"
have noticed In the history OF some fnat
their annoyances are multiplying and chat
they have q hundred where they usrk TO
have ten. The naturalist tells us that wasp
sometimes has family Of 10000 wasp. and
II does seem as IN every annoyance OF your
life brooded a million. BY the help OF God
want TO show you the other side The
hornet is OF no use? oh. yes. The natural
lists tell us they are very important In the
worlds economy; they kill spiders, and they
clear the atmosphere. and J really believe
God sends the annoyances Of our life upon
us to kill the spiders OF the soul and TO clear
the atmosphere OF our skies.
| These annoyances are sent on u.s. think,
to wake us up from our lethargy. There IL
nothing that makes man 80 lively as n nest
| or yellow jackets" and think that these
annoyanccs are intended to persuade us OF
the fact that this Is not world for us to
stop In. IF we had n bed OF everything that
was attractive and soft and easy. what would
we want OF heaven2 We think that the ho!-
| low tree sends the horne.. or we may think
that the devil sends the hornet. I want To
correct your opinion. "Tho Lord sent the
| hornet"
Then Think these annoyances come on us
to culture our patience. In the gymnasium
you find upright, parallel bars--upright
bars. with holes over each other for pegs to
be put in. Then the gymnast takes peg IN
each hand, and he begins 20 climb one inch
ut time. or two inches. and getting his
strength cultured reaches after awhile the
ceiling. And II seems 10 me that these an-
nOyances IN life are a moral gymnasium,
each worriment peg with which we are to
| gii mi frba nj In al
ment. We all love 20 see patience but IL
cannot be cultured in fan weather. Patience
| Is a child OF tho storm. II you had every
thing desirable. and there was nothing more
to get, what would you want with patience?
The only time 20 culture II Il when YOU arc
lied about ard sick aud half dead.
oh you say, III | only had the circum-
stances OF some well-to-io man | would DO
patient, too You might a. well say, "If fit
were not for this water. would swim, or.
II could shoot this gun II II were not for the
| charge" When you stand chin deep in an-
noyances Is the limo Tor You 90 swim out
toward the great heailands ot Christian at
tHtnment, SO ~ TO know Christ and the
power Of HIS resurrection and 60 have fell
lowship with His sutIerings.
You know that large fortune may be
spent in small change. and vast amount of
moral character may 20 away in small de-
plCtions. IL Is the little troubles Of life that
are having more effect upon YOU than great
ones. 4 swarm OF locusts will kill grain
field sooner than the inrnrson of three or
four cattle. You say, "Sincr / lost my child,
since ! lost my property. | have been diff
ferent man. But YOU do not recognizes the
architecture OF little unnoyanrcs that ara
hewlns. digging, cutting. shaping. splitting
ana inicrlo,ning your moral qualities. Rats
may sink n ship. one luriler match may
I -eud destruction through block OF store
houses Catherine de- Nrlicis got her death
] from smelling pni-tnEua rD-l Enlufnhua a.
nv stopping and asking for n piece OF bread
aud a drink OF watc~ at u Franciscan con-
vent, was led TO tho discovery OF now
world. And there Is an intimate connection
between trfes and immensities, between
nothipgs and everythings.
Now. be careful to let none Of those an-
noyances 20 through your soul unarraigned.
Compel them to administer 10 your spiritual
wealth. The scratch OF sixpenny nail
sometimes produces lockjaw, and the clip OF
a most iniinitesmal annoyance may damage
you forever. Do not let any annoyance or
perplexity come across your soul without its
making you better.
Our Government does not think II belit-
Ting 10 put tax on small articles. The In
divldual taxes do not amount TO much, but
in the aggregate to millions and millions OF
dollars. Aud would have you. o Christian
man. put high tariff on every annoyance
aud veNation that comes through your soul.
This might not amount TO much In single
cases, but In the aggregate 1t would be II
great revenue OF spiritual strength aud salts
faction. bee can suck honey even out OF
ncttle, and II you have the grace Of God In
your heart YOU can get sweetness out OF that
which would otherwise irritate and annoy.
\ returned missionary told me that COM
pany OF adventurerS rowing up the Gnnges
were stnns TO death by flies that infest that
region az certain seasons. | have seen the
earth strewn with the carcasses OF men slain
by insect annoyances. The only way 10 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 il was
only skirmish, saying ~ am not going
% expand my ammunition on a skirmish.
Nait until there comes general engage
ment, and then you will SEQ how courageous
l am and what battling | will do" The
general would say TO such a man, "If YOU
are not faithful In skirmish, YOU would be
nothing in a general engagement" And
have to tell you, o Christian men, II you
cannot apply the principles Of Chrlst's re-
ligion on small scale, you will never bo
able TO apply them on large scale.
III had my way with you. l would have You
possess all possible worldly prosperity. |
would have you each one n garden-a river
flowing through 1t, geranidns and shrubs on
the sides and the grass and flowers as beau
tiiul rs though the rainbow had fallen.
would have you house. splendid man
SION, anu the Ded should be covered with up
holstery dipped In the setting sun. would
have every hail In your house set with statues
aud statuettes, and then l would have the
four quarters OF the globe pour In all their
luxuries on your table. and you should have
forks OF silver and knives Of gold, inaid with
diamonds and amethysts. Then you should
each one OF you have the finest horses and
your pick OF the equipages OF the world.
Then would have you live $50 years, and
you should not have n pain or ache uutil the
last breath.
"Not each one OF us2" you say. Yes.
Each one OF you. "Not to your enemies2"
Yes. The only difference would make with
them would be that would put little ex-
ira gilt on their walls and u little extra em-
broidery on their slippers. But you say,
"Why does not God give us all these
thingsy 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 portlco or vestibule OF his
mousse. God meant this world TO be only the