The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-02-18

8a1 NeAko h0hG xAa
twenty martyrs pass tr~iumphantly
through the fire. II you are not faith
fu! In an Insignificant position In life.
you would not be faithful in a grand
mission. II you cannot stand the bite
or n nudge, how could you endure the
breath Of a basilisk?
Ibo not think that any work God
gives you TO do in the world Is on too
small q scale for you to do. The whole
universe Is not ashamed to take care
Of r. little flower. Plato had q fable
which I have now nearly forgotten,
but It ran something like this: He said
spirits CT the other world came back
to this world to find q body and find q
sphere Of work. One spirit came and
took the body Of a king and did his
work: ancttHr spirit came and took the
body of a poet and did his work: after
awhile Ulysses came, and he said:
why. all the fine bodies are taken,
and all the grand work is AIKEN. There
is nothing left for me-" And some one
replied. "Ah. the best one has been left
for you" Ulysses said. What's that?"
And the reply was. THE body Of a
omIncn man. doing Il common work
and for a common reward" A good
fable for the world and just as good a
fable fer the church. Whether we eat
or drink CT whatsoever W. do. let US
do it to the glory Of God.
Religion of Everyday Life.
Again. we need TO bring the religion
of Christ into our commonest trials.
Tor cnv..-a inccac for haran y-annnf for
trouble that shocks like an earthquake
and that blasts like IL storm. we pre-
scribe religious consolation: but. buSi-
ness man. for the small annoyances of
last week how much Of b grace Of
God did you apply? oh" you say.
these trials are tCo small for such ap-
plication." My brother. they are shap-
ing our character. they are souring
your temper. they are wearing out your
patience and they are making you less
and less of a man. | go into q scClp-
tors studio and see him shaping a
statue. He has q chisel in n hand
and q mallet in the other. and he gives
q very gentle stroke-click. click. click!
say. why don't you strike harder?"
ooh" he replies. that would shatter
the statue. | can't do it that way. !
must do it this way" So he works on.
and after awhile the features come
out. and everybody that enters the STU
dio is charmed and fascinated. Well.
God has your soul under process of de-
velOpmcnt, and it is the little annoy
ances and veXations of life that are
chiseling out your immortal nature. 1t
10 aIicl- olinl. a1inl-f Unn6nr WHY
some great providence does not come
and with n stroke prepare you for
heaven. All. 10. God says that is not
the way. And so he keeps on by strokes
Of little a%nnoyances. little sorrows lit
tie veXations. until at last you shall be
a glad spectacle for angels and for
men. You know that a large fortune
may be spent in small change, and a
vast amount of moral character may
90 away in small depletions. 1t is the
little troubles Of life that are having
more effect upon you than the great
ones. A swarm of locusts will kill q
grainfield one than the incursion OF
three or four cattle. You say. "Since l
lost my child. since l lost my property.
l have been a different man." But you
do not recognize the architecture of lit
tie a%nnoyances that are hewing. dig
! ging. cutting. shaping, splitting and in
terioining your moral qualities. Rats
may sink IL ship. One lucifcr match
I, may Send destruction through a block
of StGrehouSes. Catherine de- Medici
got her Death from smelling q poison
Gus rose. Columbus. by stopping and
asking fer a piece of bread and q drink
Of water at Il Franciscan convent. was
led to the discovery of the new wcrld.
And there -, IN intimate connection be-
tween tri..:s AMI immepsities. between
nothir@s and cvcrytLings.
Now. la care. nj 10 let zone Of those
annoyanccs 20 through your soul unar-
raigned. ConIpc! them to administe'
/ to your spiritual wealth. The scratch
Of a sixpenny uail sometimes produces
lockjaw. and the clip OF a most in
fnitesimal 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 it belittling to put a tax on pins
and a tax on buckles and a 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 q high tariff OF every annoyance
and vexation that comes through your
soul. This might not amount to much
in single cases. but in the aggregate II
would be q great evenue Of spiritual
! strength and satisfaction. A bee can
suck honey ven out Of a 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 tie great troubles of life is
to conquer these small troubles. And