The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-02-20

I and were carried out and buried in
! graves of dishonor. How do You
know these were trifiing offenses? The
essence of disobedience., of rebellion. of
unbelief, of blasphemy are apparently
insignificant as truly as in acts more
conspicuous and colossal. The smallest
arc of circle will show the sweep
of the circle as completely as though
you had the entire circumference be-
fore you. A pinch of poison will kill
man as effectually as cannon ball.
What you call a small sin may wreck
a life as completely as sins more con-
spicuous and glaring.
1t was trif1ing offense to throw
lighted match on the floor. 1t started
fire that burned down millions of
property. 1t was a trifling offense to
turn switch and move a rail a few
! inches, but it sent a trainload of pas
sengers into eternity. 1t was a trifiing
offense to cut down a tree near a GER
tain city in Europe, but the penalty
for that crime was death. The trees
were there to protect the villagers from
the avalanche that would sweep down
| the mountain side to their destruc-
| ton 1t was a small thing for man
! to run I'D a flag over. his own house.
The flag was an alien flag. The act
meant rebellion against the Govern
ment, and the man was shot. He for
feited his life because he ran up flag
over his house In this light read the
| Judgment of God against the sins of
man, and be less ready to criticise the
doings of the Almighty. The 5udg-
ments of the Lord are true and right
eous altogether.
Character is revealed in little acts as
clearly as in deeds conspicuous. The
giving of a cup of water was Christ's
test of genuine benevolence. His pat
| tern of a humane man was not the
millionaire who built a hospital, but
the Samaritan who rendered personal
service to wounded stranger by the
roadside. AS the ocean is made UP of
drops, as the mountain is made up OF
sanddust so our characters are formed
and revealed by little fidelities, penny
honesties, diminutive kindnesses, min
! iature victories over molecular tempta-
lions. These little acts and words are
the golden threads which, woven to-
gether, constitute the complete fabric
| of our Christian life and character.
Trif1es make perfection, and perfection
is no trifie, said Raphael.
| If we are not faithful and true in
small matters we are not, and will not
| be- in larger matters. Jesus said,
HE that is faithful in that which is
least is faithful also in much, and
he that is unjust in the least is unjust
also in much The man who sells
his vote would sell his country, if he
could He would sell his Christ, if he
had an opportunity. He has in him
all the elements out of which a first
class Judas could be made. The man
whoingeniously avoids paying his street
car fare would steal a thousand dollars
| if he had the chance. All that is need
ed to make him a colossal thief is
colossal opportunity. In Gods sight
he is already a thief. Jesus said, HE
that is unjust in the least is unjust also
| in much
A Wholesale merchant noticed one of
his customers slip through the ferry
without paying his fare. He told his
clerks not to sell the man goods on
credit any longer They were sur
prised, but he knew that Christ's words
were true in business; he that is un-
just in the least is unjust also in much.
The least fault, the smallest cherished
4
may finally lead to spiritual death. #
you detected in yourself a slight symp-
tom of some deadly disease, how quick
ly you would adopt measures to free
yourself from it's growing power. Be
as wise in regard to moral ailments.
Teach these truths to your children.
Teach them that character is formed
and revealed in the common ordinary
affairs of daily life. The boy or girl
who does little WEAKNESSES now, who
tells little lies and steals trif1ing trinE-
cts now, will do these things on a
larger scale later on. Betting nickels
to-day opens the way for full-fedged
gambling tomorrow. Teach your child
to practice little economies, little hon
estes, little courtesies. Teach them
and remind yourself of the Importance
| of living to God in small things"
Great principles and small duties arc.
often allied. ~ -
Many people are seemingly unwilling
to live to God in small things. Like
| Naaman, they are ready to do some
great thing, but refuse the humble task
assigned them by their Savior. If the
Lord gave them a commission, like He
| gave Paul, to preach to a. multitude,
they would accept the work. But when
| it comes down to such a small thing
as teaching one obtuse Chinaman how
| to read the Christian Bible, when it
| gets so low down as going out into
the streets and gathering neglected
boys and girls into the Sunday school
that is too small a work for their co.
lossal intellectS and superior culture.
| But do you not see that the lower work
precedes and prepares for the higher?
If the evangelist had not gathered the
boys and girls from the street and
taught them in the Sunday-school, he
would never have been prepared to
preach to vast audiences in the great
cities of the world The man or woman
who is not willing to do the lowest
church work will never be called or
qualified for the highest.
The life of Jesus is epitomized in one
sentence: HE went about doing good. :"
Follow Him in His circuits of mercy.
and learn how He did His work of re-
demption. To-day He is talking with
an outcast woman at Samaria's we'll;
tomorrow eating at the house of
despised publican, stopping in the
crowd to answer timid touch of sick
| woman, taking a little child in His
arms and blessing it, weeping with a
| bereaved family at the grave of a
loved one, leading a blind man by the
hand through the city, hunting up a
young man who had been excommuni-
Gated by the authorities. 1t was by
such acts of lowly service that Jesus
| founded His Kingdom on earth.
The great work of God in this world
is done by humble people in quiet ways