Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1902-02-20
they have practiced In the last six
years; that he can look through the

lar tney nave in their pocket, ana tnat
a 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 Is pronounced
shut the pew door and say as they go
out: Goodbye. religion. I'll be back
next Sunday"
think that the church of God and
the Sabbath are only an armory where
we are to get weapons. / look upon
the church of Christ and the Sabbath
day as only the place and time where
and when We are to get armed for
Christian conflict. but the battlefield is
on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,
Thursday, Friday and Saturday. "St.
Martins" and "Lenox" and "Old Hun
dred" do not amount to anything
unless they sing all the week. A SER
mon is useless unless we can take 1t
with us behind the pillow and the coun-
ter. The Sabbath day is worthless II 1t
lasts only twenty-four hours.
There are many Christians who say:
eve are willing, to serve God, but we
do not want to do it in these spheres
about which we are talking. and 1t
seems so insipid and monotonous. III
We had some great occasion. IL we had
lived in the time of Luther. II we had
been Paul's travelling companion, II
We could serve God on great scale,
we would do it, but we can't in this
everyday life" There is, however.
field of endurance and great achieve
ment. but it is in everyday life. There
are Alps to scale, there are Tablespoons
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 re-
quires more grace now to bring men
through persecution when nobody Is
looking on. l could show you in this
city a woman who has had rheumatism
for twenty years and has endured more
suffering and exhausted more grace
than would have made twenty martyrs
pass triumphantly through the fire.
~" ar no' 49, - az IA. =,
sun. IL you eann VIZ a.,
,hiuse' no" .ua.u 'o'
o'ea'n vi oas
10 not thihk tnat any work uoo
gives you to do in the world is on too
small scale Tor you 10 90. Inc wnoie
universe Is not ashamed 10 take care
OF one little hover. fiato had iaoie
which | have now nearly iorsotten'
but 1t ran something ike this: he
said spirits OF the other woria came
back to this world to hnd pody ana
find sphere OF work. One spirit came
and took the body OF king ana diu
his work; another spirit came ana look
the body OF poet and ala MS work.
after awhile Ulysses came, ana ne
said: why, all the line bodies are
taken. and all the grand work Is taken.
There is nothing left for me. Ana
some one replied. "Ah, the best one
has been left for you" Ulysses said.
What's that?" And the reply was,
common work and for common re-
ward" A good fable for the world and
Just as good fable for the church.
Whether We eat or drink or what-
soever we do, let US do II to the glory
of God.
Again, we need to bring the religion
Of Christ into our commonest trials.
For severe losses. for bereavement, Tor
trouble that shocks like an earthquake
and that blasts like a 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 man. l go into a sculp-
tors studio and see him shaping q
statue. He has chisel In one hand
ana a mallet in the other. and he gives
very gentle stroke-click, click. click!
say, why don't you strike harder?'
"Ob." he replies, that would shatter
the statue. l can't do 1t 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-
velopment. and it Is the little annoy
ances and vexations Of life that are
chiseling out your immortal nature. 1t
is click, click, click! 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
81 10 shall he