Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1895-12-21

have noticed I'm the history or some
that their annoyances are multiplying and
that they have IA hundred where they used
To have ten. The naturalist tells us that
IA wasp sometimes has family OF 90, COO
wasps, and 1t does seem rs II every annoy
ance Of your life broodcd million. BY
the help of God | want to show you the
other side. The hornet Is Of no use! oh,
yes! The naturalists tell us they arc very
important in the world ) economy They
kill spiders, and they clear the atmos-
pherc, and | really believe God sends the
nnnoynnccs of our life upon Us 10 kill the
spiders Of the soul and to clear tho atmos-
phcrc OF our skies
These annoyanccs are sent tn MS, think,
90 wake Us up from our lcthargy. There
Is nothing that makes man so lively as
IA nest of yellow jackets, and | think
that these annoyanccs are intended To per
suadc us of the fact that this is not world
for us to stop in. II we had bed Of ev-
erything that was attractive and soft and
easy, what would we want of heaven! We
think that the hollow tree sends the hor
not, or we may think that the devil sends
the hornet. want to correct your opin-
Ion. THE Lord sent the hornet"
Then think these annoyances come on
us To culture our patience. In tho gym
nasium you find upright parallel bars
upright bars. with holes over each other
for pegs to be put in Then the gymnast
takes II peg in each hand, and he begins TO
climb, one inch AT "a time or two inches,
and. getting his strength cultured. reaches
after awhile the ceiling. And it seems to
mo that these annoyances in life arc a
moral gymnasium, each worrimcnt peg
with which we are to climb higher and
higher in Christian attainment. We all
love TO see patience. but IL cannct be cul-
turcd In fair weather. Patience is u child
of tho storm. If you had everything de-
sirablc and there was nothing moro to
get, what would you want with patienccf
The only time to culture IL Is when you
are lied about and sick and half dead.
ooh" you say, ''if only had the cir
cumstanccs Of some well Ia do man,
would he patient tool" You might as
well say, If IL were not for this water, l
would swim" or IL could shoot this gun
II 1t were not for the charge" When you
stand chin deep in annoyanccs is the time
for you to swim out toward tho great
hcadlands Of Christian attainment, so rs
to know Christ and the power of his res
sufferings.
So as by Fire.
Nothing but the furnace will ever burn
out of us the clinkcr and the Stag. | have
formed this theory IN regard to small an
noyanccs and vcxations II takes just so
much trouble To tit us for usefulness and
for heaven The only question Is whether
we shall take it in the bulk or pulverizcd
H.
takes 1t in the bulk. His back Is broken,
or his cycsight put out. or some other aw-
full calamity bcfalls him, while the vast
majority of people take the thing piece
meal Which way would you rather have
IT. OF course, in picccmcal. Better have
five nching teeth than one broken jaw
better 10 fly blistcrs than an amputation;
better 20 squalls than one cyclone. There
may be a difference of opinion rs TO allO-
pathy and homeopathy. but in this mat
ter Of trouble like homeopathic doses
small pellets Of annoyance rather than
some Touchdown dose of calamity. In
stead of the thundcrbolt give us the
hornet.
II you have n bank, you would great
deal rather that 30 men would come in
with checks less than 800 than To have
I .
each wanting his $40, 900. In this latter
case you cough and look down to the floor,
and you look up at the ceiling before you
look into the safe. Now, my friends,
would you not rather have these small
drafts Of annoyance ON your bank Of faith
than some all staggering demand upon
your endurance? But remember that lit
tie rs well rs great annoyanccs equally re-
quirc you 10 trust in Christ for succor and
a deiverancc from Impotence and irrita-
bility. Thou wilt keep him in perfect
peace whose mind in staid ON thee" In
the village OF Hamelin, tradition .;ays,
there was an invasion of rats, and these
small creatures almost dcvourcd the town
and threatened the lives Of the population,
and the story is that piper came out one
day and played very sweet tune, and all
the vcrmin followed him-followed him
TO the banks OF the Wcscr. Then he blow
n blast, and then they dropped in and dis
appeared forever. Ofcourse this Is n fable,
but wish could, ON the sweet flute OF
| the gospel, draw forth all the nibhling and
burrowing annoyanccs Of your life and
| play them down into the depths forever.
How many touches did Mr.. Church give
to his picture Of "Cotopaxi' or his Heart
of the Andcs?" / suppose about $4,000
touches. hear the canvas saying: why
DO you keep me trembling with that pencil
~ long? WHY don't YOU put II ON In one
dnshf' "No." says Mr.. Church. 81 know
how TO make a painting. II will take 80,
600 Of these touches And want you,
my friends To understand that 1t is these
10, 600 annoyances which, under God, are
making up the picture 81 your life, To be
hung at last in the galleries Of heaven, fit
for angels To look at God knows how to
make picture.
Little Strokes Only.