The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1895-12-20
HORNETS DO GOOD
DIR. TALMAGE's SUNDAY THEME
No Man Is Free From Petty Annoy
ances.

. TESr. ''rhe Lord thy God will sand the
nornet deuteronomy vii. 20.
; 1t seems as II the insectile world were de-
terminsj to extirpate the human race. Ii
bombards the Rratnaelds aud the orcnar Is
ana the vineyards. The Colorado beetle,
the Nebraska gtasshopper. the New Jersey
locust, the universal potato bug sesm to
carry on the work which was begun ages ago
when the insects buzzed out OF Noah's ark
rs the ark was opened.
In my text, the hornet flies out on its mis-
sion: 1t IS species OF wasp. swift in its
motion and violent in its sting. Its touch is
torture to man or beast. We have all seen
the cattle run believing under the cut OF its
lancet. In boyhood we used to stand cau-
ttously looking at the Slobular nest hung
rom the tree branch, and while we were
looking at the wonderful covering we were
struck with something that sent us shriekinC
away. The hornet goes In swarms. 1t has
captains over hundreds. ani twenty of
them aiiShttng on ono man will produce
death.
The Persinns attempted to conquer a
Christian city. but the elephants aud the
beasts upon which Persians rode were
assaulted by the hornet. so that the whole
army was broken up aud the besieyed city
was rescued. "kiS burniuy and noHious in
sect stunS out the Hittites aud the Canan-
mites from their country. What cleaning
sword and chariot OF war could not accom-
plish was done by the puucturo of an insect.
, Tho Lord sent the hornet
| My friends. when we are assaulted by
great behemoths o. trouble we become
chiva'r'c. and we assault them. We get on
the high mettled steed of our courage, and
We make cavalry charge at them and if
| Goa Do with us we come Out stronger aud
Dettor than when we went in But, alas! FOR
THESE inSscttie annoyance OF life, these foes
| roo small to shoot. these things without any
avoirdupois weight. the gnats, aud the
| midves, and the flies. and the wasps. and
the hornets! In other words, 1t is the small
singing anpoyauces of our life which drive
| us out and use up. Iu the best con-
ditioned life. for some grand aud glorious
| purpose. God has sent the hornet
remark, III the iirst place, that these
! small sttnginS annoyances may come in the
| shape OF nervous organization People who
ara prostrated under typhoid fevers or with
broken bones get plenty OF sympathy, but
who pitics anybody that is nervous? Tho
doctors say. aud the family say. and every
body says. "Oh, she's only u little nervous
that's all" The sound OF Il heavy foot. the
narSh clearing o, Il throat, a discord in
music, want OF harmony between the
shawl and the glove on the same person. a
, curt answer. a passing slight. the wind from
che east, any Que OF 10, 900 auuoyauces opens
iha door for the hornet The fact is that
the vast majority OF the people in this coun-
try are overw"rked. and their nerves are the
frst to give out. great multitude are un-
derthe strain OF Leyden, who. when ne was
told by his physician that IL no did not stop
working white he was In such poor phys-
ical health he would die. respon led, doc
TOR. whether L live or die, the wneel mus.
Keep going round" These sensitive persons
OF whom l speak have bleeding sensitive
ness. The flies love to light on anything
raw, aud these people are like the Canaan
ties spoken OF in the text or In the context
Shey nave very thin covering and are vul-
nerable at all points. "And the Lord sent
the hornet"
Again, the small insect annoyauces may
come to us in tho shape of friends and ac-
quaihtances who are always saying disagree
able things. There are some people YOU
cannot be with for an hour bat you feel
cheered and comforted. Then there are
other people you cannot be with for five
minutes before you feel miserable. They do
not mean to disturb you, but they sting You
to the bone. They gather up all the yarn
which the gossips spin. and retail II sE,Rcur
gather un I'd, -aovuv svar udsIness, ABOUT |
your home, about your church, ani they
make your ear the funnel into which they
pour it. They laugh heartily when they tell
you, as though 1t were Il good joke, and you
laugh, too-outside.
These people are brought to our attention
in the Bible. in the book OF Ruth. Naomi
went forth beautiful and with the finest OF
worldly prospects, and into another land;
but, after awhile, she came back widowed
and sick and poor. What did her friends do
when She came to the city? They all went
sense conso alton, what did they do? Read
the book OF Ruth and find out. They threw
up their han Is and said, lis this Naomi?' as
much as to say, ''How awful bad you do
look!' When / entered the ministry,
looked very pale for years, and every year,
Tor four or five years, II hundred times II
year, was asked il 1 had not the consump-
rion, and. passing through the room would
sometimes near people sigh and say. "A-ah.
not long for this world!" l resolved in those
times that I never. in any conversation,
would say anything depressing, and by the
help OF God L have kept the resolution.
These people of whom L speak reap and
bind in tho great harvest field of discourage
ment. Some day you grest them with a nj
larious good morning." and they come
buzzins at you with some depressing infor-
| nation. THE Lord sent the hornet"
When Sea 50 many people in the world
| VINO like to say disagreeable things and
| write disagreea6ie things, [ come almost in
my weaker moments to believe what Il man
said to- me in Philadelphia one Moniay
| morning. went TO get the horse at
The livery stable, and the hostler, p ain
man. said TO me, Mr.. Talmage, saw that
! you preached to the young mon yester iay."
said. Yes" He said, NO use. no use:
| mtus n iaiture.'
| rhr smail insnaJ annoyanceS OF life some
| times come in the shape of local physical
| troubie. which uoeS NOT amount to Il posi-
/ tive prostrati0n. but which botherS you
! when yoG want TO feel the best. Perhaps it
| is 4 sick hrHaache which has Drcn the plague
| oi your life. and You appoint som" oc-
ca"ou OF mirCh o. sociability or usrfu ness,
| AMI when the ciOcE strikes the hour Won can
not make your appearance. Perhaps the
| rOuble * hctwean the ear and the forehead
IN the shape of n ncuraigic twinge. NOBODY
can see i: o. sympathiHc with it, but Just AZ
| the time when you want your intellect
| cicarcst, and your disposition brightest. you
ieei sharp, keen, disroncerting thrust.
"Ihc Lord sent the hornet
Perhaps these small insect annoyanccs will
| cone in the shape of domestic irritation
| The parior and the kitchen do not always
| harmonic. TO get good service and 20 keep
| It Is one OF the greatest questions OF the
country. Sometimes it may be the arro-
2ancy and inconsidcrateness Of employees,
but whatever Ice the fact we all admit there