The Penn's Grove record., 1899-10-13

and for heaven. The only question is
whether we shall take 1t In the bulk or
pulyerized and granulated. here Is one
man who takes it In the bulk. His back is
broken or his eyesight put ont, or some
other awful calamity befalls him, while tho
vast majority OF people take the thing
piecemeai. Which way woul you rather
have It? OF course, in piecemeal Better
nave five aching teeth than one broken
Jaw, better ten fly bllsters than an ampu-
tation, better twenty squalls than one
cyclone. There may be n differences of
opinion as to ailopathy and homu-
patty. but In this manner of trouble
/ like homeopathic doses, small pellets
OF annoyance rather than some knock
down dose OF calamity. Instead of
the thunderbolt give us tue hornet. II
you have a bank, you would a great deal
rather th at fifty men would come In With
checks less than 500 than to have two de-
p~ositors come in the same day, each want
Ing his $4,000. In this latter case you
cough and loo down to the floor and you
look up to tho ceiling before you look into
the safe. Now, my friends. would you not
rather lave these small drafts of annoy
ance on your bank of faith than some all
staggering demand upon your endurance?
But remem Der that little as we'll as great
~anDoyances equally require you to trust in
Christ for succor and for deliyeranee from
impotence and i%rritabillty. Thou wilt
httD IA Ii HNAhNNh lhNNS "A|
staid on Thee"
90 into a scuiptor's studio and see him
shaping a statue, He has a ehisel in one
hand and a mallet in the other, and he
gives a very gentle stroke-cllek, click,
clickl Isay, "Why don't you strike hard
err" sob" he replies. "that would shat
ter the statue. l can't do 1t that way. |
must do 1t this way" SO he works on, and
after awhile the features como out, and
everybody that enters the studio is
charmed and fascinated. Well, God has
your soul under process of development,
and 1t is the little annoyances and vexG-
lions Of life that are chiseling out your
immortal nature. 1t is click, click, cllckl
/ wonder why some great providence does
not come and with one stroke prepare you
for heaven. All, mol God says that is not
the way, and so He keeps on By strokes OF
little vexations until Mt last you shall be a
| glad spectacle for angels and for men.
You know that q large fortune may be
spent in small change, and u vast amoun
OF moral character may go away in small
| depletions. 1t Is the little troubles of life
that are having more effect upon you than
great ones. A swarm o~flocusts Will Kill a
grain-field sooner than the incurston OF
three or four cattle. You say, "Since | lost
my child. since l lost my property, l have
been a different man." But you do not rec
ognize the architecture OF llttlo annoy
ances that are hewing, digging, cutting,
shaping, splitting and interiotning your
moral qualities. Rats may sink a ship. One
lucifer match may send destruction through
a block of storebouseS. Catherine de- Me-
dici got her death from smelling a poison
Gus rose. Columbus, by stopping and ask
ing for a piece OF bread and a drink OF
water at q Franciscan convent, was led to
the discovery of a new world. And there
is m intimate connection between triies
and immensities, between nothings and
everythings.
Now, be careful to let none of those an
noyances go through your soul unar'
raigned. Compel them to administer to
your spiritual wealth. The scratch of a
sixpenny. nall sometimes produces lock.
jaw and the clip OF a most inflnitestmal
annoyance may damage you forever. Do
not let any annoyance or perplexlty come
across your soul without its making you
better.
A returned missionary told me that n
company of adventures rowing up the
Ganges, 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 insect
a~nnoyanees. The only way to get pre-
pared for the great trouble of life is to
conquer these small troubles. Wnat
would you say of q soldier who refused
to load his gun or to go into the conflict
because 1t was only a %sklrmish, saying:
l. Oil Hoi EOluE 10 tADbiil NY utiAuluiI-
ton IN a skirmish. Wait until there
m a general engagement and then
you will see how courageous | AN and what
battling | will dor" The general would say
to UGH a man, 'If you are not faithful in u
skirmish, you would be nothing In a gem
eral engagement" And l have to tell you,
0 Christian men, II you cannot apply the
principles of Christ's religion on a small
scale you will never be able to apply them
on a large scale. II l had my way with
you, l would have you possess all pos
sibie worldly prosperity. 1 would have
You each one a garden, a river flowing
through 1t, geraniums and shrubs on
the sides and the grass and overs as
beautiful as though the rainbow had
fallen. l would have you Il house, n
splendid mansion, and the beds should be
covered with upholstery dipped in the set
ting sun. would have every hall in your
house set with statues and s~tatuettes, and
then / would have the four quarters of the
globe pour in all their Injuries GA your
table, and you should nave forks of silver
and knives of gold, inlaid with diamonds
and %amethysts. Then you should each one
OF you have the finest horsesand your pick
of the ~equipages OF the world. Then l
would have you live $50 years, and you
should not have a pain or an ache until the
last breath.
mot each one OF us?" you say. Yes,
each one OF you. mot to your enemies?"
Yes. The only difference would make
with them would be that l would put a
little extra gilt on their walls and a little
extra embroidery on their slippers. But,
you say, why does not God give US all
these things?' All ] bethink myself. He
is wiser. 1t would make fools and sluggards
of us II we had our way. No man puts his
best picture In the portico or vestibule 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 to 1t. 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
Poiycarp. were only Il wall between him
and his enemies. They had actually to de-
stroy him with the poniard. The flames
would not touch him. Well, my hearer,
l want you to understand that by Gods
grace the flames of trial, instead of con-
suminc your soul, are only going to be q
wall of defense and a eanopy of blessing.
God is going TO fulfill to you the blessings
and the promises, as He did to Poiycarp.
"When thou walkest through the fire, thou
shalt not be burned" Now you do not un-
derstand, but you shall know hereafter. In
heaven you will bless God even for the
hornet.