The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1915-09-16
Grantsville, Nd.
THE PEOPLES FORUM.
The Power of Little Things.

Little things are often moderated,
though in reality they may be admir-
able. They are great in their httleness.
The ants, the comics, the locusts and
the spider are trivial things. We take
no notice of them unless it be to crush
them, vet they are constantly teaching
US very practical lessons.
The ants noted for their skill, in
dustrv, perseverance and prudence
are always busy in season gathering
their food and have sagacity enough to
do it at the right time. Though they
are little they are united. Each does
its part and fills its mission. In this
they show their wisdom and are con-
stantly calling to US to be wise for the
future, and pay diligent heed to those
things which pertain to our eternal
interests. They bid US lay up our
treasures in heaven.
The majority Of men are not so wise
They build no house for their souls.
They tire of good and waste their time
or rush madly on with no treasure
above for eternity. GO to the ant. -
When the lion roars and lacks his pray
and suffers hunger, the ant has plenty.
So the Christian lays up treasures in
heaven, he prepares to meet his God
and gets crown that fades not away.
They learn the lesson of earnestness
| from the ant.
The ants for one poor grain, labor,
toll and strive.
\ ct we who have heaven to obtain.
How negligent we live"
The comics are weak and timorous yet
they have enough wisdom to know the
! best place for building their habitations
| They select the natural Businesses OF
| the rocks where in their feebleness they
are well guarded and secure. Secure
in their rock refuge, wise old one
stands sentinel and warns of danger by
a sound like whistle. We commend
their sagacity, but can we not learr
from them that a sense of our feeble
ness and indulgence should drive US tC
seek refuge in the clefts of the RocE
of Ages, to make Christ our habitation
where we shall find shelter and support
Many "a one can learn wisdom from
the coney. Weak they are, thes,
mortals, but they expose themselves tC
the sparkling glass and the wiles O
satan.
They brave mortal dangers, but seel
not shelter in the Rock OF Ages. Easil,
then the world devours them.
What are we to learn from tn,
locusts. They have no king, yet the!
go forth all of them by bands like al
army in battle array, 1t is no incon
venience to them to be without kine
for they are so orderly. Joel speaks o.
them as God great army. He wages
war by them as he did in Egypt againsr
Pharaoh Who or what can Withstand
their progress when they are sent forth
Singly they are nothing, united they
are irresistible. Like the gasshoppers,
children of the desert. they will stop g
train, destroy thousands of acres OF
grass or grain in a day, in fact every
thing green yanishes before them. They
are so dense that like the cloud they
| hide the sun, stop your progress anC
march on rising up or lighting down as
if by concent orderly, united and
voracious they submit to each other for
the good of all. No usurping, nc
scrambling, no quarreling they never
break ranks. 1t is not thus with the
wicked. They are selfish and self
seeking. Held by rope of sand they
break on every occasion. Cain-like
they say: Am | my brothers. keeper?
We too are little and weak but a sense
of this should only induce US to keep to-
gether that we may strengthen the
hands of one another and encourage our
hearts in the Lord.
What the ant is in the field, the spider
is in the corner, an instrument of great
industry. They weave their web so