Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1902-03-01

they have practiced in the last six
years: that he can look through the
iron wall of their fireproof safe; that
he has counted every dishonest dol
lar they have in their pocket, 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 is pronounced
shut the pew door and say as they go
out: Goodbye, religion III be Dack
next Sunday"
There are many Christians who say:
I'VE 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. If
we had some great occasion, ii we had
lived in the time of Luther, If we had
been Pauls travelling companion, If
we could serve God on a great scale,
we would do it, but We can't in this
everyday life There is, however, a
field of endurance and great achieve
ment. but it is in everyday life. There
are Alps to scale, there are Hellesponts
to swim, there are fires to brave, but
they are all around us now. This is
the hardest kind of martyrdo1n 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 it re-
quires more grace now to bring men
through persecution when nobody is
looking on. l could show you in this
| city woman who has had rheumatism
| for twenty years and has endured more
| suffering and exhausted more grace
| hap IA twenty martyrs
| pass triumphantly through the fire.
| If you are not faithful in grand mis-
sion. If you cannot stand the bite of
midge, how could you endure the
| breath of a basilisk?
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
universe is not ashamed to take care
| of one little flower. Plato had fable
which 1 have now nearly forgotten,
but it ran something like this: He
said spirits of the other world came
back to this world to find body and
find a sphere of work. One spirit came
and took the body of a king and did
his work; another 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
There is nothing left for me-" And
some one replied, ''Ah, the best one
has been left for you Ulysses said
Whats that?" And the reply was.
1.-The body of a common man, doing a
common work and for a common re-
ward" A good fable for the world and
just as good a fable for the church
) Whether we eat or drink or what
soever We do, let us do it to the glory
of God.
= Again, we need to bring the religion
: of Christ into our commonest trials
} For severe losses, for bereavement, TO
: trouble that shocks like earthquake
: and that blasts like d storm, we pre-
scribe religious consolation; but, bust
5 ness man, for the small annoyances o
] last week how much of the grace O
: God did you apply? oh you say
E these trials are too small for such ap
: plication.' My brother, they are shap
, ing your character, they are sourin
| your temper, they are wearing out you
t patience, and they are making you les
and less of 4 man. l go into sculp
tors studio and see him shaping
: statue He has chisel in one han
e and a mallet in the other. and he give
I a very gentle stroke-click, click, click
t / say. why don't you strike harder? ?
: OBJ he replies, that would shatte
I the statue. 1 can't do it that way
d must do it this way" So he works OF
S and after awhile the features com
J, out, and everybody that enters the stu
e dio is charmed and fascinated Wei
d God has your soul under process of de
I yelopment and it is the little annoy
| ances and vexations of life that al
e chiseling out your immortal nature
: is click, click. click, 1 wonder VIII
t some great providence does not com
D and with one stroke prepare you 10
: heaven. All, no. God says that is nc
{ the way And SO he keeps on by stroke
q of little annoyances, little sorrows, Iii
e tie vexations, until at last you shall b
y a glad spectacle for angels and fo
T men. 1t is the little troubles of lii
e that are having more effect upon yo
n than the great ones. A swarm of IL
r Gusts will kill a grainfield sooner tha
|. the incursion of three or four cattl
t You say ..Since lost my child, since
s lost my property, / have been diffel
e ent man. But you do not recogniz
l. the architecture of little annoyance
that are hewing. digging. cutting, shul
e ing. splitting and interjoining you
o moral qualities. Rats may sink a shi
r One lucifer match may send destru,
L ton through block of storehouse
S Catherine de Medici got her death frol
: smelling a poisonous rose Columbu
9 nv stonDing and asking for piece (