Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-02-20
or drink or whatsoever we do, let %
do It to the glory of God.

Tor severe losses. for bereavement, for
trouble that shocks like an earthquake
and that blasts like storm, we pre-
scribe religious consolation; but, bust
ness man, for the small annoyances Of
last week how much Of the grace Of
God did you apply? "Oh," you say,
"these trials are too small for such ap-
plication." My brother, they are shap-
ing your character, they are souring
your temper they are wearing out your
patience and they are making you less
and less Of q man. I go into a sculp-
tors studio and see him shaping q
statue. He has a chisel in one hand
and mnllet in the other, and he gives
very gentle stroke-click, click. click !!
l say, why don't you strike harder"
"Oh," he replies, ''that would shatter
the statue can't do it that way.
must do 1t this way" So he works on,
and after awhile the features come
out, and everybody that enters the stu
do is charmed and fascinated. Well,
God has your soul under process of de-
velopment, and 1t is the little annoy
ances and vexations Of life that are
chiselng out your immortal nature. 1t
is click, click, click! l wonder why
some great providence does not come
and with one stroke prepare you for
heaven. All, no. God says that Is not
the way. And so he keeps on by strokes
of little annoyances, little sorrows, lit
tie vexations, until at last you shall be
glad spectacle for angels and for
may be spent in small change, and a
vast amount of moral character may
go 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
grainfield sooner than the incursiOn OF
three or four cattle. You say "Since
lost my child, since I lost my property,
have been different man." But you
do not recognize the architecture of lit
tie annoyances that are hewing, dig
ging, cutting, shaping, splitting and in
terjoining your moral qualities. Rats
may sink ship. One lucifer match
may send destruction through block
of storehouses. Catherine de- Medici
got her death from smelling poison
GUS rose. Columbus. by stopping and
asking for a piece of bread and drink
of water at a Franciscan convent, was
led to the discovery Of the new world.
And there is an intimate connection be-
tween trlfles and immensities. between
nothings and everythings.
Now, be careful to let none Of those
annoynnces go through your soul unar-
raigned. Compel them to administer
to your spiritual wealth. The scratch
Of sixpenny nail sometimes produces
lockjaw, and the clip Of a most in
finiteslmal annoyance may damage you
forever. Do not let any annoyance or
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 tax on pins
and tax on buckles and tax on
shoes The individual. taxes do not
amount to much, but in the aggregate
to millions and millions Of dollars. And
/ would have you, o Christian man,
put 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 1t
would be a great revenue of spiritual
strength and satisfaction. A bee can
suck honey even out Of nettle. and II
you have the grace of God in your
heart you can get sweetness out of
that which would otherwise irrltate
no 10
pared for the great troubles Of life is
to conquer these small troubles. And
l have to tell you, o Christian men. II
you cannot apply the principles of
Christs religion on a small scale you
will never be able to apply them ON n
large scale. II 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 are 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 mercies Of life. We have to see
n 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 goat sleeve pinned up be-
fore we learn to think what a grand
thing God did for us when he gave US
Sealthy use Of our limbs. We are so
stupid that nothing but the misfor-
tunes Of others can rouse US up to our
blessings. As the OK grazes in the
pasture up to it, eye in clover, yet
never thinking who makes the clover,
and as the bird picks up the worm
from the furrow, not knowing that It
Is God who makes everything. from
the animalcule in the sod to the seraph
OH the throne, SO we go on eating,
drinking and enjoying, but never
thanking, or seldom thanking. or, II
thanking at all, with only half 4
heart.
compared our indifference to the
brute, hut perhaps l wronged the
brute. do not know but that, among
its other inatinctR IL NAV have An in