The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1899-10-20

lives of the population, and the story
is that a piper came out one day and
played very sweet tune, and all the
vermin followed him--followed him TO
the banks of the Weser, and then he
blew blast and they dropped in and
disappeared forever. or course, this Is
a fable, but / wish | 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. ] hear
the canvas saying, Why do you keep
me trembling with that pencil so long?
Why don't you put 1t on in one dash?'
mo-" says Mr.. Church, II know how
to make a painting; 1t will take fifty
thousand of these touches" And l
want you, my friends, to understand
that 1t Is these ten thousand annoy
ances which, under God, are making
I'D 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 sculptor's studio and see
him shaping statue. He has chisel
in one hand 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. |
can't do it that way; | must do 1t this
way" So he works on, and after a
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 1t. Is the little annoyances
and vexations of life that are chiseling
out your immortal nature. 1t is click,
click, click! I 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 a 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 grain
field sooner than the incursion of three
or four cattle. You say, "Since I lost
my child, since I 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
interjoinlng your moral qualities.
Rats may sink ship. One lucifer
match may send destruction through a
block Of store-houses. Catherine de
Medicis got her death from smelling
| q poisonous rose. Columbus, by stop
| ping and asking for piece of bread
| and drink Of water at Franciscan
| convent, was led to the discovery Of a
new world. And there is an intimate
connection between trihes and i'm
mensities, between nothings and
| everythings.
Now, be careful to let none Of those
annoyances go through your soul I'M
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 infinitesimal annoyance may
| damage you forever. Do not let any
annoyance or perplexity come across
your soul without it's making you bet
| ter.
Our national government, when it
wanted money, did not think it belit-
Ting to put tax on pins, and 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 l would
have you, o, Christian man, put high
tariff on every annoyance and vexation
that comes through your soul. This
might not amount to much, in single
cases, but in the aggregate 1t would be
| great revenue of spiritual strength
and SdIlSldCllOu. n Dct Can ouSh
honey even out of nettle; and II you
have the grace of God in your heart
you can get sweetness out of that
which would otherwise irrltate and
annoy.
A returned missionary told me that
a company OF Adventures rowing up
the Gauges were stung to death by flies
that infest that region at certain sea-
sons. The earth has been strewed
with the carcasses Of men slain by in
sect annoyances. The only way to get
prepared for the great troubles OF life
is to conquer these small troubles.
What would you say of soldier who
refused to load his gun, or to go into
the conflict because 1t was only a
skirmish, saying, 81 am not going to
expend my ammunition on a skirmish;
wait till there comes a general en-
gagement, and then you will see how
courageous / am, and what battling
will dol" The general would say to
such man, "If you are not faithful in
a skirmish, you would be nothing in
general engagement" And l have to
III ..o,, n HbriStiap man 40 x,O,, can-