The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1899-10-13


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. tits 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 1 lost
my child, since l lost my property,
have been 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 a block of
storehouses. Catherine de Medici got
her death from smelling a poisonous
rose. Columbus, by stopping and ask
ing for a piece of bread and drink
of water at a franciscan convent, was
led to the discovery of new world.
And there is an intimate connection be-
tween trifes and immensities, between
nothings and everythings.
Now, be careful to let none of these
annoyances go through your soul unar-
raigned. Compel them to administer to
your spiritual wealth. The scratch of
sixpenny nail sometimes produces lock-
jaw, 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 max
ing you better.
Our national government when it
wanted money did not think it belit-
Ting to put tax on pins and tax
on buckles and tax Oh 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
comes through your soul. This might
not amount to much in single cases,
but in the aggregate it would be great
revenue of spiritual strength and sat-
isfaction. A bee can suck honey even
out of a nettle, and if you have the grace
of God in your heart you can get sweet
ness out of that which would other
wise irritate and annoy.
A returned missionary told me that
a 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 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 it was only slir-
mish, saying: 81 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 l am and what battling l
will do?" The general would say to
such man: ''If you are not faithful
in O skirmish, you would be nothing
in a general engagement" And l have
to tell you, o Christian men, if you
cannot apply the principles of Christ's
religion on a small scale you will never
be able to apply them on larger scale.
If l had my way with you, L would
have you possess all possible worldly
prosperity. | would have you each one
garden, a river flowing through it,
geraniums and shrubs on the sides and
the grass and flowers as beautiful as
though the rainbow had fallen. l wouIl
have you a house, splendid mansion,
and the beds should be covered with
upholstery dipped in the setting sun.
l would have every hall in your house
set with statues and statuettes, and
then l 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 | would
have you live $50 years, and 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 to your enc
mics ?" Yes. The only difference
would make with them would be that
| would put a 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 ?"
All! I bethink myself. He is wiser. 1t
would make fools and sluggards of us
if we had our way. No man puts his
best picture in the portico or vestibuIe
Of his house. God meant this world to
be only the vestibule of Heaven, that
great gallery of the universe toward
which we are aspiring. We must not
have it too good in this world, or we
would want no Heaven.
Polycarp was condemned to be burned
to death. The stake was planted. He
was fastened 10 it. The fagots were
placed around him, the fires kindled,
but history tells us that the flames
bent outward like the canvas Of a ship
in a stout breeze, so that the flames,
instead of destroying Polycarp, were
only a wall between him and his enc
mics. They had actually TO destroy him
with the ponard. The flames would nor
touch him. Well, my hearer. ! want
you to understand that by Gods grace
the flames of trial. instead of consurn-
ing your soul, are only going to be a
wall of defense and canopy of bless
ing. God is going to fulfill to you the
blessings and the promises. as He did
to Polycarp. "When thou walkest
through the fire, though shalt not be
burned" Now you do not understand.