The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1899-10-13

! little annoyacces apA NeNauons OF NE
that are chiseling out your immortal
nature. 1t is click. click. click! won.
der why some great Providence does
not come aud with one stroke prepare
! YOU for Heaven. All, mol God says that
is not the way, and so lie keeps on 10y
strokes of little vexatious until at last
YOU shall be glad spectacle for angels
| and for men.
You know that n large fortune may
| bc spent in small change. and vast
amount OF moral character mag 20
away in small depletions. II is the little
! troubles Of life that are having more
! effect upon you than great ones. \
swarm Of locusts will Kill n grain field
sooner than the iucursion of three or
four cattle. You say; "Since | lost
my child, since | lost my property. |
/ have been a different man" But YOU
/ DO not recognize the architecture of IT,.
| tie aunoyances that are hcwing, dig
| ging, cutting. shaping, splitting and
| iutcrjoining your moral qualities. Rats
may sink ship. One lucifcr match may
| send destruction through block Of
storchouscs Catherine de Medici got
her death from smelling n poisonous
rose. Columbus. by stopping aud ask
| ing for q piece Of bread and a drink
/ OF water ut u Franciscan convent, was
| led To the discovery Of new world
| And there is an intimate connection be-
tween tritles and immensities. between
nothings and everythiurs.
-. IL l., a.
annoyanccs go through your soul unar-
raigned. Compel them 20 administer jc
/ your spiritual wealth. The scratch Of a
siNpenny nail sometimes produces lock-
! jaw, and the clip OF a most infinitcsimal
/ annoyance may damage you forever.
| DO not let any annoyance or perpleNitv
come across your soul without its maxi
| ing YOU better.
Our national government when 4;
wanted money did not think IL belit-
Ting 20 put a tax on pins and tax
on buckles and a tax on shoes. The in
| dividual taxes did not amount TO much.
but in the aggregate 20 millions and
millions OF dollars. And | would have
you. q Christian man. put a high tariff
on every annoyance aud veNation that
comes through your soul. This migh'
not amount TO much in sirglc cases
but in the aggregate itwould be grca'
revenue OF spiritual strength and "a,
isfaction. \ bee can suck honey ever
out Of nettle. and IL you have tho grace
Of God In your heart you can get sweet
ness out Of that which would other.
wise irritate and annoy.
\ returned missionary told me that
company OF adventurers rowing w
the Ganges were stuug 20 death 10y
flies that infest that region at certain
seasons. The earth has been strcwr
with the carcasscs Of men slain by in
sect annoyauces. The only way 20 gc'
| prepared for the great troubles OF ~,
| T.. to conquer these small troubles
What would you say OF a soldier who
tefused TO load his gun or To go into
the confiiet because il was only skir-
! mish, saying: Il am not going 20 cN-
pend my ammunition on skirmish.
| Wait until there comes n general en-.
| gagemeut, and then you will see how
courageous | am and what battling J
| viii do?' The general would say iC
such man: ~ you are not faithful
in "a skirmish. you would be nothing
in a general engagement" AND have
20 tell you, O Christian men. u you
cannot apply the principles OF Christs
religion on a small scale You will never
be able TO apply them on a larger scale.
IL / had my way with YOU. would
have YOU possess all possible worldly
pros pcrity. | would have YOU each one
a garden, n river flowing through Il.
geraniums and shrubs on the sides anG
the grass and flowers as beautiful as
though the rainbow had fallen. would
have you house, a splendid man,ion,
and the beds should be covered with
upholstery dipped in the setting sun.
| would have every hall in your house
set with statues and statucttcs, ard
then would have the four quartC-s
Of the globe pour in all their luNur.rs
on your table, and you should ha,.
forks OF silver and knives Of gold. ,r
laid with diamonds and amethy,'s
Then you should each one Of YOU have
the finest horses and your pick of he
quipages OF the world. Then | would
have you live $50 years, md you should
not have a pain or an ache until the
last breath.
Not each one OF us?" you say. Yes,
each one Of you. "Not 90 your enc.
mies?" Yes. The only difference /
would make with them would be that
| would PIT little extra gilt on their
walls and little extra embroidery
on their slippers. But, you say: why
does not God give us all these things 80"
Al! | betl nix myself He is wiser. II
would MAKE fools and sluggards Of MS
II we had our way. No man puts his
best picture IN the portico or ,cstibule
Of his house. God meant this world 10
be only the vestibule Of Heaven, that
great gallery Of the universe toward
which we ar aspiring. We must not
have IL too good in this world, or we
would want ~ Heaven.
Polycarp wa condemned Ia be burned
TO death. The stake was planted. lie
was fastened - IL. The fagots were
placed around him. the fires kindled.
but history t,ls us that the flames
bent outward Ike the canvas OF ship