The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-10-20

to the floor and you look up to the cell
ing before you look into the safe. Now,
my friends, would you not rather nave
| these small drafts OF nnOyanc on
| your bank of faith than some all stag
| gering demand upon your endurance?
| But remember that little as well as
| great ~annoyances equally require you
| ITO trust in Christ for succor and for
| deliverance from impotence and irrita-
bility. Thou wilt keep him in perfect
! peeace whose mind is staid on thee"
In the village of Hamelin, tradition
| says, there was an invasion of rats, and
these small creatures almost devoured
| the town and threatened the ives of
the population, and the story is that a
piper came out once day and played a
very sweet tune, and all the vermin
followed him, followed him to the
banks of the Weser, and then he blew
a blast, and they dropped in n dis
appeared forever. Of course this is a
fable; but 1 wish 1 could on the sweet
flute of HE gospel draw forth all the
nibbling and rburrowing annoyanceS of
your life and play them down into the
depths forever.
AIDS TO SPIRITUAL WEALTH.
How many touches did Mr.. Church
| give to his picture of "Cotopaxi" or his
Heart of the Andes?"I suppose about
so, 900 touches. l hear the canvas say
ing: Why do you keep me trembling
with that pencil so long? Why don't
you put it on in one dash?' NO" says
Mr.. Church: Il know how ito make a
painting. 1t will take $4,000 Of these
touches" And 1 want you, my friends,
to understand that it is these ten thou
sane annOyances which under God are
making up the picture Of your life, to
be hung at last in the galleries of heav-
en-, fit for angels to look at. God knows
how to make a picture.
1 go into a sculptor'S studiO and see
him shaping a statue. He has a chisel
in one and and a mallet in the other,
and he gives a very gentle stroke
click, click, click! [ say, why don't
you strike harder?'' "Oh." he replies,
that would shatter the statue. l can't
do it that way. 1 must do it this way
So he works on, and after awhile the
features come out, and everybody hat
enters the studio is charmed and fas-
cinated. Well, God has your soul under
process of development, and it is the
little a~nnoyances 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! Goo says that
is not the way, and so he keeps on by
stokes of little veXations until at last
you shall be a glad spectacle for angels
and for men.
You kno that a large fortune may
be spent in small change, and a vas,
amount of moral character may &c
way in small depletions. 1t is the lit
tie troubles of life that are having
more effect upon you than great ones
A swarm of Focusts will kill a grain
field sooner than the incursion of three
or four cattle. You say, "Since I los
, my child, since 1 lost my property.
: have been a different man." But yOl
, do not recognize the architecture of lit
:, tie hat are hewing, dig
l ging, cutting, shaping, splitting and in,
terjOining your mora qualities. Rat.
may sink a ship. One lucifer mattel
: nay send destruction through a blocl
| of Catherine de- Medic
( got her death from smelling a poison
u rose. Columbus, by stopping AM
: asking for a piece of bread and a drinl
L of water at a Franciscan convent, wa.
. led to the discovery of a new world
: And there is an intimate connection be
{ tween trif1eS and i~mmensities, betwee
= nothings and everythings.
Now, be careful to let none of thos
0 annyances go through your soul unar
S raigned. Compel them to administer t
o your spiritual wealth. The Scratch O
5 a sixpenny nail sometimes produce
p lockjaw, and the clip of a most in
finitesimal annoyance may damage yor
forever. Do not let any annoyance o
perpleXity come across your soul with
out it's making you better.
CONQUER SMALL TROUBLES.
t Our national government when
n wanted money did not think it BELT
Y Ting to put a tax on pins and a tax o
n buckles and a tax on shoes. The ind
l. vidual taxes do not amount to mucl
e but in the aggregate to millions an
= millions of dollars. And I would hav
l. you, o Christian man, put a high tart
l. on every annoyance and vexation tina
= comes through your soul. This Nigh
.r not amount to much in single cases
/. but in the aggregate it would be
great revenue of spiritual strength al
IS satisfaction. a bee can sue none
Is even out OF a nettle, n if you hav
a the grace of God in your heart you ca
y get sweetness out of that which woul
Of otherwise i~rritate and annoy.
II A returned missionary told me that
lie company of adventures rowing up III
d Ganges were stung TO death by file
t. that infest that region at certain sea
1t n The earth has been strewed wit
IN the -carcasses of men slain by inseC
to annoyances. The only way TO get prs
he pared for the great troubles Of life is
is conquer these small troubles. VIII;