The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1899-11-16

CLICK, CLICK! L say: Wny don't you
strike harder?" "Oh," he replies, "that
| would shatter the statue. 1 can't do 1t
that way. l must do it this way" So
he works on, and after awhile the fea-
lures come out, and everybody that en-
ters the studio is charmed and fas-
cinated. Well, God has your soul under
process of development, and it is the
little annoyances and vexations of life
that are chiseling out your immortal
nature. 1t is click, click, click! WON
der why some great Providence does
not come and with one stroke prepare
you for Heaven. All, no! God says that
| is not the way, and so He keeps on by
strokes of little vexations until at last
you shall be glad spectacle for angels
and for men.
You know that large fortune may
be spent in small change, and vast
| amount of moral character may go
away in small depletions. 1t is the little
troubles of life that are having more
effect upon you than great ones. A
swarm of locusts will kill grain field
| sooner than the incursion of three or
four cattle. You say: ''Since lost
my child, since I lost my property, I
have been a different man." But you
do not recognize the architecture of lit
tie annoyances that are hewing, dig
ging, cutting, shaping, splitting and
interjoining your moral qualities. Rats
| may sink ship. One lucifer match may
| send destruction through block of
storehouses. Catherine de Medici get
her death from smelling poisonous
rose.
Our national government when st
wanted money did not think it belis-
Ting to put tax on pins and a tax
on buckles and tax on shoes. The in
dividual taxes did not amount to much,
but in the aggregate to millions and
millions of dollars. And / would have
you, o Christian man, put high tariff
on every annoyance and vexation that
4 comes through your soul. This might
not amount to much in single cases,
but in the aggregate it would be a great
revenue of spiritual strength and sat-
isfaction.
! A returned missionary told me that
company of adventurers rowing up
the Ganges were stung to death by
flies that infest that region at certain
seasons. The earth has been strewn
with the carcasses of men slain by i1s-
sect annoyances. The only way to get
prepared for the great troubles of life
lis to conquer these small troubles.
What would you say of soldier who
refused to load his gun or to go into
the conflict because it was only skir-
mish, saying: Il am not going to ex-
pend my ammunition on skirmish.
Wait until there comes a general en-
gagement, and then you will see how
courageous I am and what battling ]
will do?" The general would say to
such man: IF you are not faithful
in a skirmish, you would be nothing
in general engagement" And have
to tell you, o Christian men, if you
cannot apply the principles of Christ's
religion on small scale you will never
be able to apply them on larger scale.
If I had my way with you, would
have you possess all possible worldly
prosperity. l would have you each one
a garden, river flowing through il,
geraniums and shrubs on the sides and
the grass and flowers as beautiful as
though the rainbow had fallen. Iwould
have you house, a splendid mansion,
and the beds should be covered with
upholstery dipped in the setting sun,
1 would have every hall in your house
set with statues and statuettes, and
then I 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, in
laid with diamonds and amethysts
Then you should each one of you have
the finest horses and your pick of The
quipages of the world. Then I would
have you live $50 years, and you should
not have pain or an ache until the
last breath.
mot each one of us?" you say. Yes
each one of you. "Not to your enc
mies?" Yes. The only difference
would make with them would be that
I would put little extra gilt on thell
walls and little extra embroidery
on their slippers. Rut, you say: "Why
does not God give us all these things?'
All! I bethink myself. He is wiser. I,
would make fools and sluggards of II.
if we had our way. No man puts hi.
best picture in the portico or vestibul.
of his house. God meant this world t.
be only the vestihule of Heaven, tha,
great. gallery of the universe TOWARD
which we are aspiring. We must MOI
have it too good in this world, or W,
would want no Heaven.
Polycarp was condemned to be burn et
to death. The stake was planted. II,
was fastened to it. The fagots wsr,
placed around him, the fires kindled
, but history tells us that the fame,
bent outward like the canvas of ski,
!. in stout breeze, SO that the fames
instead of destroying Polycarp, wer'
only wall between him and his ere
mics. They had actually to destroy hin
with the poniard. The flames would No
| 4cnch him Well my hearer I ,vor