The Yale expositor., 1899-10-20


vermin followed him-followed him to
the banks of the Weser, and then he
blew a blast and they dropped in and
disappeared forever. OF course, this is
a fable, but | wish l could, on the
sweet flute of the gospel, draw forth
all the nibbling and burrowing annoy
ances 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? l suppose
about fifty thousand touches. l hear
the canvas saying, 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, 81 know how
to make a painting; it will take fifty
thousand of these touches" And
want you, my friends, to understand
that it is these ten thousand annoy
ances which, under God. are making
up the picture of your life, to be hung
at last in the galleries of heaven, fit
for angels to look at God knows how
to make picture.
go into a sculptors studio and see
him shaping statue. He has chisel
in one hand and 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; must do it this
way" So he works on, and after
while the features come out, and
everybody that enters the studio is
charmed and fascinated. Well, God
has your soul under process of develop
ment, and it is the little annoyances
and vexations of life that are chiseling
out your immortal nature. 1t is click,
click, click! l wonder 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 lit
! tie vexations, until at last you shall
be a 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 lit
tie troubles of life that are having
more effect upon you than great ones
A swarm Of locusts will kill a grain
field sooner than the incursion of three
or four cattle. You say, Since l lost
my child, since / lost my property,
have been a different man." But you
: do not recognize the architecture Of
| little annoyances, that are hewing
digging, cutting, shaping splitting and
interjoining your moral qualities.
Rats may sink a ship. One lucifer
match may send destruction through a
block of store-houses. Catherine de
Medicis got her death from smelling
a poisonous rose. Columbus, by stop
ping and asking for piece of bread
and a drink of water at Franciscan
convent, was led to the discovery Of a
new world. And there is an intimate
connection between tri1es and i'm
mensities, between nothings and
everythings.
Now, be careful to let none of those
annoyances go through your soul un-
arraigned. Compel them to admins
ter to your spiritual wealth. The
scratch Of a six-penny nail sometimes
produces lockjaw, and the clip of a
most infnitesimal annoyance may
damage you forever. Do not let any
annoyance or perplexity come across
your soul without its making you bet
ter
Our national government, when it
wanted money, did not think 1t BELT
Ting to put tax on pins, and a tax
on buckles, and tax on shoes. The
individual taxes do 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 vexatior
that comes through your soul. Thi:
might not amount to much, in single
cases, but in the aggregate it would b;
a great revenue of spiritual strength
and satisfaction. A bee can suci
honey even out of nettle; and If you
have the grace of God in your hear
you can get sweetness out of tina
which would otherwise irritate anC
annoy.
A returned missionary told me tina
| u
the Gauges were stung to death by file
that infest that region at certain sea
; sons. The earth has been streweC
with the carcasses of men slain by in
sect annoyances. The only way to &c
prepared for the great troubles of lii
is to conquer these small troubles
What would you say of a soldier VIII
, refused to load his gun, or to go int
the conflict because it was only
skirmish, saying, 81 am not going t
, expend my ammunition on a skirmish
! wait till there comes a general en-
gagement, and then you will see ho'
courageous am, and what battling
|. will dol" The general would say t
: such a man, "If you are not faithful !
! a skirmish. you would be nothing in
> general engagement" And l have
, tell you, o, Christian men, If you car
4 not apply the principles of Christ's r'
a ligion on a small scale, you will neve
q be able to apply them on a large seal
sAl. Il N