The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1899-10-18

8
tloyanuse equally toquire vol Is trust II
Christ For suoo0f and fol- deliyeraflhe
frYih | impaticht9 land ii ilritability,
"Thotl wilt keep him in pbffoot poaoo
whose mind is stayed on theo.
In tho village Of Hamelin, tradition
gays, thero was an invasion Of rats, and
these small creatures almost deyoured
tho town and threatened tho lives of the
population; and tho story is that q
piper oame out ono day aud PLAYED n
vory sweet tuno, and all tho yormin COL
lowed Woscf, and then he blow blast,
and they dropped in and disappeared for
eyor. vi course, this is fable, but T
Wish | could on the swcot flute of tho
Gospel draw forth all the nibbling and
burrowiDg annoyancos Of your life and
play thcm down into the depths foroy-
er.
How many touches did Mr. Church
give to his picture Of "Cotopaxip or
his Heart of tho Andcs?" | suppose
about 30, 900 touches. | hoar.tho can.
vas saying: "Why do you keep me
trembling with that pencil SO long2 Why
don't you put it on in ono dash?''
mo" says MIR. Churoh;"I know how
to mako painting. 1t will take So
900 Of these touches and | want YOU
my friends, to undorston1. that It is
these ton thousand .nnoyances which,
under God, s;o making up the picture
of yopy iiic, TO be hung at last in tho
s-iicrics Of heaven, fit for angels to
look at, God knows how to mako a
pictnre.
| go into sculptor's studio and 500
him shaping statue. Ho has chisol
in ono hand and mallet in the other,
and nc. gives q very gontlo stroke
click, click, click l say, "Why don't
you strike hardcr?" Oh, ho roplios.
that would shatter the statue. can't
DO it that way. | must do it this way"
So ho works on, and aftor awhile the
features como out, and everybody that
enters tho studio is charmed and fasci-
mated, Well, God has your soul under
process of development, and it is the
littlo annoyancos and ycxations of life
that are ohiscling out your immortal
nature. 1t is click, click, click L
wonder why some great providence docs
not como and with ono stroke prepare
you for heaven. All, mol God says that
is not the way, and so he keeps on by
strokes Of little vcxations until at last
you shall be glad spectacle for angels
and for mon.
You know that largo fortune may
DC spent in small change, and a vast
amount of moral character may 20 awav
in small doplotions. 1t is tho lit, .
troubles Of lilo that arc having moro {, +
fect upon you than great ones. a
swarm of locusts will kill grainfio'd
sooner than the inourslon Of three or
four cattlo. You say, Since 1 lost my
child, since | lost my property, l havo
been a different man" But you do not
recognize tho architecture Of little an-
noyancos that arc howing, digging, cut
ting, shaping, splitting and intorjoin-
ing your moral qualities. Rats may
sink ship. One lucircr match may
send destruction through block Of
storchouses. Catherine do Medici got
her death from smelling a poisonous
rosc. Columbus, by stopping and ask
ing for piece Of bread and drink Of
water at q Franciscan convent, was led
to tho discovery of-a new world. And
there is an intimate connection between
trifles and immonsities between moth.
ings and evorythings.
Now, be careful to let mono Of those
annoyances go through your soul unar-
ranged. Compel them to administer to
your spiritual wealth. Tho scratch of a
sixpcnny nail sometimes produces look
jaw, and tho clip Of most infinitesi-
NAL annoyance may damage you forever
DO not let any annoyance or perploxity
como across your soul without it's max
ing you better.
Our national government when it
wanted money did not think it belittl-
ing to put tax on pins and tax on
buckles and tax on shoes. The indi-
yidual taxes do not amount to much,
but In the aggregate to millions and
millions Of dollars And I would have
you, 0 Christian man, put high tariff
on every annoyance and voxation 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 salts
faction. a bee can suok honoy oven
out OF a nettle, and if you have the
grace of God in your yoart you can get
sweetness out of that which would 9TH
erwise irritato and annoy.
A returned missionary told mo that
a. company of adgenturcrs rowing up
the Ganges were stung to death by flies
that infest that region at certain sea-
sons. Tho earth has boon strewed with
tho carcassos of mon slain by insect an
noyances. Tho only way to get propar-
cd 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 skirmish, saying:
i am not going to cxpsnd my ammuni-
tion on skirmish. Wait until thore
comes a general engagement, and thon
you will see how courageous | am and
what battling | will do?" The general
would say to such man, "If you are
not faithful in skirmish, you would
be nothing in general engagement. y
And | have to tell you, D Chri stian
mon, if you cannot apply the principle
OF Christ's religion on small scale you
will mover bc able to apply thom on a
larger scale. If had my way with
you, | would have you possess all pos.
siblo worldly prosperity. would have
you each ono q garden, river flowing
through 1t, gcraniums and shrubs on
the sides and the grass and flowers as
beautiful as though tho rainbow had
fallen. [ would have you house, a
anlcnd;d r,onu;on onJ AZ. 49, u