Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1902-02-21
uo,hines and everythIngs.

=
raigned. Compel them to administes
60 your spiritual wealth. The scratch
of sixpenny nail sometimes produces
lockjaw. and the clip OF most IN
hnitesimal annoyance may damage you
forever. DO not let any annoyance OF
perplexity come across your soul with
out its making you better.
Revenue of Spiritual Strength.
Our national government did not
think 1t belittling to put tax on pins
! and n tax on buckles and q tax on
shoes. The Individual taxes do not
amount to much, but In the aggregate
to millions and millions Of dollars. And
1 would have you, o Christian man.
put a 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 satisfaction. bee can
| suck honey even out OF q nettle. and II
| you have the grace OF God In your
heart you can get sweetness out OF
| that which would otherwise irritate
and annoy. The only way TO get pre-
pared for the great troubles of life is
| TO conquer these small troubles. And
l have to toll you, y Christian men, If
you eannot apply the principles of
Christ's religion OH q small scale you
will never be, able to apply them on a
large scale. if you cannot contend
successfully against these small sor-
rows that come down single handed.
what will you do when the greater dis
asters OF life come down with thunder.
ing artillery. rolling over your soul?
Again. we must bring the religion OF
Christ into our commonest blessings.
When the autumn comes and the har-
vests ore In and the governors make
proclamations. we assemble In church
es and we are very thankful But
every day ought TO be thanksgiving
day. We do not recognize the COM
mon merclss OF life We have to see
q blind man led by his dog before we
begin to bethink ourselves of what a
grand thing It is to have undimmed
eyesight. We have to see some wound
ed man hobbling on his crutch or with
his empty coat sleeve pinned up be-
fore we learn to think what grand
thing God did for US when he gave rs
stupid that nothing but the misfor-
tunes OF others can rouse Us I'D to our
blessings. AS the OK grazes In the
pasture up to its eye in clover, yet
never thinking who makes the clover,
and as the bird picks up the worm
from the furrow, not knowing that II
Is God who makes everything, from
the animalcule in the sod to the seraph
on the throne, so we go on eating,
drinking and enjoying. but never
thanking, or seldom thanking, or, IL
thanking at all, with only half a
heart.
compared our indifference to the
brute, but perhaps wronged the
brute. do not know but that, among
Its other instincts, II may have an in
stinct by which it recognizes the divine
hand that feeds it. 1 do not know but
that God is, through il, holding COM
munication with what we call 'irra-
tional creation" The cow that stands
under the willow by the waterccurse
chewing It's cud looks very thankful,
and who can tell how much a bird
means by its song2 The aroma OF the
flowers smells like incense, and the
mist arising from the river looks like
the smoke Of morning sacrifice. oh,
that we were as responslvei Yet who
thanks God for the water that gushes
up In the well. and that foams in the
cascade, and that laughs over the
rocks, and that patters In the showers,
and that claps its hands in the sea I?
Who thanks God for the air, the foun-
tain Of life. the bridge OF sunbeams,
the path OF sound, the great fan on a
hot summers day? Who thanks God
for this wonderful physical organism,
this sweep OF the vision, this chime OF
harmony struck into the ear, this soft
tread Of a myriad delights over the
nervous tissue. this rolling OF the GRIM
son tide through artery and vein, this
drumming OF the heart on our march
to Immortality? We take all these
things as matter OF course.
God's Common blessings.
But suppose God should withdraw
these common blessIngsl Your body
would become an inQuisition OF tor
ture. the cloud would refuse rain, every
green thing would crumple up, and the
Garth would crack open under your
feet. The air would cease its healthful
circulation, pestilence would swoop.
and every house would become a place
OF skulls. Streams would first swim
with vermin and then dry up, and
thirst and hunger and anguish and de-
spair would lift their scepters. oh.
compare such a life as that with the
life you live with your familiesl Is 1t
not time that, with every word OF our
lips and with every action of our life
we began to acknowledge these every
day mercies? Whether We eat or
drink or whatsoever We do. do all to the
glory of God" Do address a man or
a woman who has net rendered to God
one single offering OF thanks?
1 was preaching one Thanksgiving
day and announced my text-"Oh.
give thanks unto the Lord, for he is
good, for his mercy endureth forever"
do not know whether there was any
blessing on the sermon or not, but the
text went straight to a young mans
heart. He said to himself as I read
the text: "'Oh, give thanks unto the
Lord. for be is good Why, I have
never rendered him any thanks! Oh,
"Hoe III nave DttU! can IL
be. my brother that you have been fed
by the good hand OF God all these DAYS.
that you have had clothing and shelter
and an the beneficent surroundings,
and yet have never offered your heart
to God? Oh. let sense OF the divine
goodness shewn you in everyday bless
ings melt your heart, and II you have
never before uttered one earnest note
OF thanksgiving let this be the day
which shall hear your songl What /
say to one say TO all. Take this prac-
teal religion have recommended into
your everyday life. Make every day a
Sabbath and every meal sacrament
and every room you enter holy of
HOLES. We all have work to do; let
us be willing to do It. We ali have
SORROWS to bear; let us cheerfully bear