The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-02-23

gets into the store Of one, OF these pro-
fessed Christian men who have really
no grace In their hearts. and ne 10 com.
he cannot get out Of town during the
week. He stays In town oyer Sunday.
goes into church to get Christian conso-
lation. when what Is his amazement to
find the very man who hands him the
poor box In the church 10 the one who
relieved him Of his money! But never
mind: the deacon has his black coat on
Hs cn, the .ao sass
the wheat in the churches should be put
into hopper, the first turn Of the crank
would Make the chan ny, tell you.
seme OF fhess mfn are bs great
stand there In bands and surplics and
gown and preach-preach like, an angel
land We will stand out here and attend
to business. Don mix things. Don't get
business and religion in the same bucket.
You attend to your matters. and we win
attend to ours" They do not know that
God sees every cheat they have prac-
sse saro as i liz var. q hs IL s
proof safe: that He has counted every
dishonest dollar they have In their pock-
ct, and that day Of Judgment will come:
These inconsistent Christian men will sit
on the Sabbath night in the house Of
God singing at the close Of the service,
Rock OF Ages Cleft for Me- and then
when the benediction Ii pronounced shut
The pew door and say a. they g out
day
/ think that the church OF God and
the Sabbath are only an atmory where
II a man wants to fight for his country.
he doe not 90 to Troy or Springfield to
do battling, but he goes there for swords
and muskets. I look upon the church OF
Christ and the Sabbath Day as only the
| to get armed for Christian conflict, but
the battlefield Is on Monday. Tuesday.
Wednesday. Thursday Friday and Sat.
| "Old Hundredth'' do not amount to any
| thing unless they sing all the week.
A sermon Is useless unless we can take
1t with US behind the pillow apd the
II 1t last only twenty-four hours.
The Work Nearest at Hand.
There are many Christians who say:
We are willing to serve God. but we
do not want to do It in these spheres
as Mhcn anS aSns ane u
some great occasion. II We had Lived in
the time Of Luther. IL we had been Paul's
travelling companion, II we could serve
but we can't in this everyday iife." I
admit that a great deal Of the romance
and knight errantry. of life have disap-
peared before the advance Of this prac-
have been changed into storehouses and
smithies. The residences Of poets and
princes have been turned into brokers'
shops. The classic mansion Of Ashland
has been cut up into walking sticks. The
groves where the poets said the gods
dwelt have been carted out for firewood.
The muses. that We used to read about
have disappeared before the immigrants
ak and the trapper's gun, and the man
who is waiting for life bewitched with
wonders Will never find II. There Is,
however. field OF endurance and great
achievement ahas. -; bI, it Is In everyday life.
points to swim. there are fires to brave,
but they are all around us now. This
Is the hardest kind OF martyrdom to
bear.
1t took grace to lead Latimer and
Ridley through the fire triumphantly
when their armed enemies and their
friends were looking on, but 1t requires
moro grace now to bring men through
I could show you in this city woman
who has had rheumatism for twenty
years who has endured more suffering
have made twenty martyrs pass triumph
antly through the fire. II you are not
faithful in an Insignificant position in
life. you would not be faithful in grand
mission. II YOU cannot stand the bite
OF a nudge. how could you endure the
breath of basilisk? III
Do not think that any work God gives
you to do in the world is on too small
a scale for you to do. The whole uni
verse is not ashamed to take care OF
one little flower. Plato had fable which
l have now nearly forgotten, but II ran
something like this: He said spirits Of
the other world came back to this world
t find sphere Of work. One spirit came
aid took the body of O king and did his
work; another spirit came and took the
body Of poet and did his work; after
awhile Ulysses came. and he said, why.
all the fine bodies are taken, and all tho
grand work Is taken. There is nothing
left for me-" And some one replied.
, pAh; the best one has been left for you"
reply was, The body of a common man.
doing common work and for a common
reward. good fable for the world
and Just as good fable for the church.
Whether we eat or drink or whatsoe. er
we do, let us do 1t to the glory Of God.
kenglon of Everyday L.re.
Again. We need to bring the religion
OF Christ into our commonest trials. For
severe losses. for bereavement. for trou-
that blasts like a storm. We prescribe
religious consolahon; but, business man, |
for the small annoyances of last week
how much Of the grace of God did you
apply? on" you say. these trials are |
too small for such application My |
brother, they are shaping your character, |
they are souring your temper. they are |
wearing out your patience and they are |
u II.
go into a sculptors studio and see him !
shaping statue. He has a chisel In |
one hand and mallet In the other, and |
he gives a very gentle stroke-click, |
click. click! ! say. why don't you |
strike harder?' "oh," he replies, that
would shatter the statue. l can't do 1t
that way. l must do 1t this way" So |
he works on, and after awhile the fea- |
lures come out, and everybody that en-
ters the studio is charmed and fasci- |
mated. Well. God has your SOUL under |
process of development, and 1t Is the |
litue anroyances and vexations or life |
that are chiseling out your immortal ma |
ture. 1t is click, click. click! l wond r |
why some great providence does not |
ccme and with one stroke prepare you |
for Heaven. All, no. God says that IL |
not the way. And so He keeps on by |
strokes of little annoyances, little sor- |
rows. little Vexations, until at last you |
shall be glad spectacle for angels and |
for men. You know that a large for |
tune may be spent In small change, and |
a vast amount of moral character may |
go away in small de pletions. 1t Is the |
little troubles of life that are having more |
effect upon you than the great ones. A |
sw arm Of locusts will kill a grainfield |
sooner than the incursion of three or four |
cattle. You say, Since / lost my child. |
since | lost my property. | have been a |
different man. But you d. not recog- !
that are hewing. digging, cutting. shap-
Ing. splitting and interioining your moral |
qualities. Rats may siLk a ship. One
lucifer match may send destruction |
through a block OF storehouses. Cath
crime de Medioi got her death from
smelling poisonous rose. Columbus, by |
stopping and asking for a piece of bread