Milford chronicle., 1958-02-07
Little-Hinges
BY Rev. Edward Kuhlnann
"0R what small hinges do large
consequences swing"

Some years ago, in respectful
commemoration of Abraham Lin
coins birthday, a Boston news
paper featured a cartoon titled,
Hardin County, 1907. Against the
background of wintry desolation it
pictured a man on horseback being
greeted by man on foot. The two
engage in a bit of commonplace
conversation that ran something
like this:
ANY news down at the village,
Ezry?" inquired the one.
We'll, Squire Mclean has gone
to Washington to see Madison
sworn in and old man Spellman
tells me this man Napoleon has
taken the most of Spain But
what's news in your county, neigh
Dor 2"
.Nothing-nothing at all-except
for a new baby down at Tom Lin
coins cabin. You see, nothing inn
portarst ever happens in these de-
serted hills of ours"
Nothing happehs-only little
baby in Tom Lincoln's cabin-jusi
a little baby, but ION what small
| hinges do large consequences
swing" A little baby born in log
cabin, but that baby is Abraham
Lincoln and to that happening
seemingly small Importance We
owe the emancipation of the slaves
and the preservation of the Union
blessings to which a grateful ma
tion will pay tribute again this
coming week.
Now let us turn back the clocf
of time just one hundred years
| from 1909 to 1909. In the middle
of the night at Epworth in Eng
land, a minister is awakened b.
the cracking of flames. Hurriedly
he summons his wife and children
and herds them to safety out of tn,
house. AS they watch the flames
enveloping their home they becom'
suddenly aware that one of tn,
children is missing. Rescue is at
tempted from below, but the stairs
are on fire. Then, quite unexpected
ly, the child appears at an upstair
window. An agile young man, leap
ing to the shoulders of another
snatches the child from the window
just as the roof collapses in flames
A few seconds. more, and it wOul'
have been too late, and John Wes
ley, founder of the Methods
Church, would have been lost to
career of illustriOus service.
Just a few seconds-the smalIes
fragments of time-but ION wha
small hinges do large consequen
ces swing" A few secOnds-sucl
little things-and yet they in tn
Providence of God were sufficien
to spare the life of one destined t
greatness in. the annals. of tn
Christian Church.
Abraham Lincoln, previously re
5 ferred TO, was born in February @
the year of 1909. He ushered int
the world at a time Europe wa
being made desolate by the con
fiagratiOn of war. When LincOl
was three Napoleon, at the cres
of his power, arrogantly informe
the Russian ambassador that h
planned to invade Russia an
!; would dethrone its royal house
|
, proposes, but God disposes." "Tel
/ your master" Numbered back tn
little Corsican, that | am he VIII
proposes and he that disposes."
, 1t was a challenge to. the livin
, God and God is not mocked'. Di
God move in some dramatic way
halt the little man so drunken wit
power? No, not at ALL Instead Il
sent His humblest messengers, tin
{ little snOwf1akes, to punish tn
!: arrogant boaster. Oh, how it snow
ed And the result? The snow pile
/ so high that Napoleon's march
e conquest was halted. He was con
PEELED to turn back and an especia
5 ly cold winter caused the loss of
major portion of the invading 70
D ces of six hundred thousand me
: Just snowf1akes-hOw, little the
: are-but ION what small hinges {
: large consequences swing?"
William Allan White picks L
n this thought of littleness and turf
5 it to a slightly different directio
d From little things he turns to VIII
e the world calls little people al
ment that is replete with humo
: He writes: Brace up, little gu
e Pull down your vest. Show yol
= collar button even if it is bras
For you will have the angels {
+ your side. Yoy may not know whe
n you are going, but how little d
David realize when he put the fl
IS little stones from the brook in
n his sling to slay Goliath that
was saving a people whose mi
d sion it was a thousand years abe;
to bring mankind philosophy tn
would save the world! David
not know that the Golden Rule al
the Sermon on the Mount were
e his Sling that day. He just let h
go-time did the rest. Indeed, tn
were little things that day, sill
.s and "a few stones, but ION VIII
20 small hinges do large conseque
IN ces swing?"
II