Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1902-02-22

or drink or whatsoever VIC w. iee u0
do II to the glory Of God.
Religion of Everyday Life.
Again. we need to bring the religion
of Christ into our conmonest trlais'
For severe losses. for bereavement, for
trouble that shocks like an earthquake
and that blasts like a storm, we pre-
scribe religious consolation; but, Dusl-
ness man. for the small annoyances OF
lost week how much Of the grace OF
God did you applyf "Oh," you say
sthose trials are too small for such ap-
plication." My brother, they are snap
ing your character. they are sourlng
your temper. they are wearing out your
patience and they are making you less
and less of a man. go into sculp-
tors studio and see him shaping
statue He has chisel in one hahu
and n malet in the other. and ne gives
a very gentle stroke click. click chck.
| say. why don't you strike harder!
ooh" ne replles. 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 ls charmed and fascinated. Wen'
God has your soul under process OF de-
yelonmcnt. and it is the little annoy
onces and vexations Of life that are
chisellng out your immortal nature. IL
Is click. click. click. | wonder why
some great providence does not come
and with one stroke prepare you lor
heaven. All. no. God says that Is not
the wav. And so he keeps on by strokes
Of little annoyances. little sorrows, III
tle vexations. until at last you shall oe
a glad spectacle for angels ana lor
mon You know that large fortune
may be spent in small change ana
vast amount of rioral character may
90 away in small dcpletions. 1t Is the
little trouhles Of life that are having
more effect upon you than the great
ones A swarm Of lOcusts will XII d
,rainGeld sooner than the incursloh OIL
thrce or four cattle. You say. "Since
lost my child. since lost my property
have been different man. But you
do not recognize the architecture OF nt-
tle annovances that are hewing' uig-
! ging. cutting. shaping. splitting ana III
terioining your moral qualities. hats
may sink ship One lucifer match
NAV send destruction through a Dlock
NJ storehouses. Catherine de- Medlcl
cot her death from smelling poison
ous rose. Columbus, by stopping al
asking for a piece Of bread and drlhh
of water at Franciscan convent "as
led TO the discovery Of the new woriu
And there is an intimate connection De
tween trifes and immensities, between
nothings and everythings.
Now. be careful to let none OF thoSt
annoyances go through your soul unaf
ralgned. Compel them to admlhiste'
IN vour spiritual wealth. The scratcr
of sixpenny nail sometimes produces
lockiaw. and the clip Of most IN
fnitesimal annoyance may damage you
forever. Do not let any annoyance o.
perplexity come across your soul "itn
|
out its making you better
Rexenue of Spiritual Strength
Our national government did no
think it belittling to put tax on pin'
and a tax on buckles and q tax Oh
shoes. The individual taxes 90 no
amonnt TO much. but in the aggregat
n millions and millions Of dollars. AM
would have you. o Christian man
mt n high tariff on every annoyanc
and vexatlon that comes through you
, soul. This might not amount to mucl
IN single cases. but In the aggregate
would be a great revenue OF spiritua
strength and satisfaction. A bee ca
suck honey even out Of nettle, ana
YOU have the grace Of God IN you
heart you can get sweetness out
that which would otherwise irritat
and annoy. The only way to get pre-
: pared for the great troubles OF hle
e TO conquer these small troubles. AN
g 7 have TO tell you. o Christian men.
t YOU cannot apply the principles G
( ChrIst's religion on a small scale 70
d will never be able to apply them on
large scale. If you cannot conten
{ successfully against these small so
, rows that come down single HANDED
8 what will you do when the greater Oil
t asters of life come down with thunde
t. ing artillery. rolling over your soulF
@ Again. we must bring the religion
!. Christ into our commonest blessing
n When the autumn comes and the ha
). vests are in and the governors maj
IS proclamations, we assemble In churc
$ es and we are very thankful. 81
is every day ought to be a thanksgiylr
Ie dav. We do not recognize the cor
Is mon mercies Of life. We have to 81
g. n blind man led by his dog before v
d begin to bethink ourselves OF what
D. grand thing it is to have undimm'
n. eyesight. We have to see some woun
'e ed man hobbling on his crutch or WI
ar his empty coat sleeve pinned up b
Of fore we learn to think what q graz
IT thing God did for US when he gave
10 healthy use Of our limbs. We are
n ! stupid that nothing but the nlsl'
20 tunes of others can rouse US up to 0
Of blessings. AS the OK grazes IN [
pasture up to its eye in clover, y
ID never tF'uking who makes the Glow
" and as .ne bird picks up the woi
.ir from the furrow, not knowing that
q. is God who makes everything, IrC
an the animalcue in the sod to the sera
Z. on the throne, so we go on eatli
ia drinking and enjoying, but neN
a. thanking. or seldom thanking, or.
n. thanking at all, with only ha1
ed heart.
de 1 compared our indifference 10
+lv brute. but perhaps l wronged
III. brute. | do not know but that, amo
fe it's other instincts. it may have an
nd stinct by which it recognizes the diV
ite hand that feeds it. | do not know
he that God is. through it, holding &C
nunication with what we call III