The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1896-01-09

Now. my friends. would you not rather
have these small drafis Of annoyance
on your bank Of faith than some all
Staggering demand upon your endar-
ance? hut remember that little as
we'll az great annoyances equally &C.
quire you 10 trust IN Christ for suceor.
and for dellveranee from impauenee
and irriiabillty. 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
IL that a piper came out one day and
played o very sweet tune. and all the
vermin followed MIN followed him TO
the banks OF the wesor; then he blew
a blast and then they dropped In and
disappeared forever. OF course this Is
a fable: but wish could, on the sweet
Cute OF the Gospel. draw forth all the
nibbling and burrowing annoyanees
OF your life. and play them down into
the depths forever.
20 into q sculptor's studio and see
MIN shaping a statue, lie has chisel
Ia one hand and a mallet In the other,
and he gives very gentle stroke
click. click. click! ] say. why don't
You strike harder?" OH he replies.
that would shatter the statue. ] can't
do Il that way: must do u this way
So he works on, and after awhile the
features come out. and everybody that
enters the studio ia charmed and fas-
|clnatcd. Well, God has your soul I'M
der process OF development, and II n
4 The little annoyances and Nexations OF
NE that are chiseling out your i'm
mortal nature. Il Ia click. click, click
wonder why some great providence
does not come. and with one stroke pre-
pare YOU for heaven. An. no; God says
that n not the way. And so he keeps
on by strokes OF little ycxa,ions, until
al last YOU shall be- a glad spectacle
for angels aud for men.
You know that a large fortune may
he spent In small change and a vast
amount Of moral character may 90
away In small dopleiions. II Is the
little troubles OF life that are having
more effect upon YOU than great ones.
4 swarm Of locusis will KIN a grain
field sooner than the incurslon Of three
or four cattle. You say. "Since | lost
my child. since lost my property,
have been a dlhorent man" But you
DC not recognize the architecture OF
little annoyanoes. that are howlng, dig
glng. cutting. shaping, splitting and In
torjoinlng your moral qualities Rats
may sink o ship. One uciicr match
may send destruction through a block
OF store-housos Catherine dc Medlcls
got her death from smelling poison
Gus rose. Columbus. by stopping and
asking for a piece OF bread and O drink
OF water Ut a Franciscan convent. was
led to the discovery OF new world
And there II an intimate connection
between tribes and immonsitles. be-
tween nothings and cycrythings.
Now. be- careful TO lei none Of those
annoyances 20 through your soul un'
arralgned. Compel them 10 administer
to your spiritual wealth. The scratch
of a sixpenny nail sometimes produce,
! lock- jaw. and the clip Of a most In
hnitesimal annoyance may damage yo'
7 forever. DO not let any annoyance OF
perplexlty come across your soul with
out It's making you better
/ Our Government does not think !
I bellitling to put tax on small articles
The individual taxes DO not amount Il
much. but In the aggregate to Million
I and millions Of dollars. And woul'
have you. oh Christian man. put a hlgl
tarln on every annoyance and yeXatioI
that comes through your soul. Thi
might not amount to much In singh
cases. but In the aggregate It would b
great revenue Of spiritual strength
and satisfaction. A bee can suck hone
even out OF a ncttle, and u you hav
the grace Of God In your heart, you cal
get sweetness out OF that which woul
otherwise irritate and annoy.
4 returned missionary told me tina
a company Of adyenturers rowing n
the Ganges we're stung to death by flie
that infest that region al certain sea
sons have seen the earth sirege
with the carcasscs Of men slain by In
sect annoyanccs. The only way TO 81
prepared for the great troubles OF III
is TO conquer these small troubles
What would you say OF a soldier VIII
refused to load his gun. or TO 90 In;
the conflict because Il was only SIKH
mish, saying, Il am not going to eN
pend my ammunition on a sklrmisf
walt until there comes a general en-
gagement. and then YOU will see ho'
courageous ! am, and what battling
will dog" The general would say
such a man: III you are not faithf'
In a akirmlsh. you would be nothin
In Q general engagement" And ha'
to tell you, Oh Christian men, u 70
cannot apply the principles OF Christ
religion on a small scale, you viii nev'
be- able to apply them ON a large seal
Polycarp was condemned to
burned to death. The stake vi
planted. lie was fastened to H. II
faggots were placed around him, n