Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1896-01-10

we want of heaven? We think that the ho!-
low tree sends the horne. Or we may think
that tho devil sends thu hor1et, I want to
correct your opinion. "Ths Lord sent the
hornet"
Then Think these ann0yances coma on Us
to culture our patienso. 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 to climb one inca
at time. or two inches, an l getting his
strength cultured reaches after awhile this
ceiling. Aud it gems to me that these am
nOyances in life are moral gymnasium,
each worriment peg with which we are to
climb higher and higher in Christian attain
ment. We All Iowa to see patience, but it
cannot be cultured In fan weather. Patience
is a child Of the stor.n. If you had every
thing desirable, aud there was nothing mora
to Get; what wohid you want with patietAR
The only time TO culture it Is when you arp
lied hbout and.sicS and>hali daxAsx.-rs,e1 -
ooh" you say. ':lt.IQnly had theyctrcur-
star es of some. wsIatQ-io man would be
%S HstliSS4 not 20. Sas-
II could shoot this gun IL Ewere not for tbs.
charge" When you stanfrttp deep in au-
noyanc3s isthe t5aee sfeEeG # syaip Out. !.
toward the great heailands 81 ChfIsi t-
tainment EGO. as to know s91rist af'd
power OF Ms resurrection sattl to sye fe.s,
loSshin snfiHrk - ~ 4
Nothing buf the furnace will ever burn out
of us the clinker and the Stag I have formed
this theory in regard to small annoyances
and vexations. 1t takes just so much trouble
to IF US for usefulness aud for heaven. The
only question is whetherwe shall take 1t in
the bulk or pulver,zsd ani granu 'aied.
koIxn In, hn
bulk. His back is broken, or his eye
sight put out. or some uthsr awful calamity
befalls him, while the vast majority Of peo-
pie take the thing piecemeal. Whica way
would you rather have il! Or course in
pieceneal. Better have Ave aching eeth
than one broken law; better ten fly blisters
than an .amputation; better twenty squalls
than one cyclones There may be differ
encs Of opinion as to allopathy an | honeo-
Dathy, but in this matter Of trouble like
homeopathy do5es-5mall pillets OF annoy
ance rather than some knock down dose OF
calamity. Instead Of the thunderbolt gives
US the hornet. If you have bank. you
would great deal rather that fifty men
would come ID with checks less than 800
than to have two depositors come in the
same day each wanting his $4,000. 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 eniurauce2 But remember that little as
we'll as great annoyances equally require
you to trust in Christ for gu ecor and for de-
liverauce from impotence AMI irritabliltv.
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose
mind is staid on Thee" In the village Of
ua oil fpa
vason of rats. and these small creatures al
most devoured the town and threatened the
lives OF the population. aud the story ls that
piper came out one day ana played very
sweet tune. and all the vermin fol owed
him-followei 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 l wish l could.
on the sweet flute of the gospel, draw forth
all the nibbling and burrowing annoyauces
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 Andes?" I suppose about $4,000
touches hear the canvas saying: "Nny
do you keep me trembling with that pencil
50 long2 Why don't you put it on in one
dash?" mo" says Mr. Chrrcd. ~ know
how to make painting. twill take $1,000
OF these touches" Aud l want you. my
friends. to understand that 1t is these 1910 o
annoyances which under God are making
ND the picture of your life to be hung at last
in the galleries of heaven, IL for angels to
look at. God knows how to make pi9s-
| ure.
90 into sculpor's stu lii and see him
shaping q statue He has chisel in one
hand and a mallet In the other. aud he gives
a very gentle stroke-click. click. click.
saw. "Why don't you strike harder "Oh, !"
he replies, "that would SKATER the statue
l can't do it that way. l must do il this
way" SO he works on, and after awhile the
features come out, AMI everybody that
enters the studio is charmed aud fascinated.
Well, God has your soul under process OF
development, and 1t is the little aunoyance5
and vexations OF life that are chiseling out
Your immortal nature. l. is click, click,
click! wonder why soma great providence
does not come and with one stroke prepare
YOU for heaven. All. mol God says that is
not the way. Aud so H. keeps on by
strokes OF little vexa;ions until nc last you
shall be glad spectacle for angels and for
men.
You know that large fortune maY De
spent in small change aud vast amount OF
moral character may % away in small de-
pletions. 1t is the little troubles Of life that
ara having more effect uoon you than greas
onss. A swarm OF locusts will Kill II grain
field sooner than the incursion OF three or
four cattle You say "5nce lost my child,
since lost my property, have been II dill
ferent man" But you do not recognize the
architecture of little aono1ya9;es taat ara
heying. gying, cutting, shaping. splitting
and inierjoining your moral qualities. Rats
may sink ship. One lucrer match may
send destruction through block OF store
houses. Catherine de- Melicis got her death
from smelling a poisonous rose. Columbus,
by stopping and asking for piece OF Drea
and drink of water at Franciscan con-
vent, was led to the discovery OF Il new
world. Aud there is an intimate connection
between trifes and immensities, between
nothings and everyihings.
Now be carofulto let mono OF those al
noyances 60 through your soul unarraigned.
Compel them to administer to your spiritual
wealth. The scratch OF sixpenny mai
sometimes produces locSjaw, aud the clip oil
most inhnitesnal annoyance may damage
you forever Do not LEI any annoyance OF
perplexity come across your soul without 1t:
making you better.
Our Government does not think it BELT
Ting to put tax on small articles. The In
dividual taxes do not amount to much, ou
in the aggregate to millions and millions
dollars. Aud would have you, o Christial
man. put a high tariff on every annoyauc.
and yexation 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 md salts
faction. A bee can suck honey even out O.
nettle, aud il you have the grace OF God il
your heart you can get sweetness out OF that
which would otherwise irritate and annoy.
A returned missionary told me thai con-
pany OF adventures rowing up the Gauge:
were stung to death by flies that infest that