HONORING GOD IN LITTLE THINGS

Convictions Against Sunday Travel -- Camp Meeting in Oregon -- God Honors Those That Honor Him -- Disappointments, "His Appointments"

Take us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes. -- Song of Sol. 2:15.

     He who becomes slack in little things will soon question the importance of greater things.

     Little things do not make character so much as they reveal it. Straws show which way the wind blows better than telegraph poles do. Lot thought it a small thing to take advantage of Abraham's generosity and pitch his tent "toward Sodom." King Saul thought it a light thing to assume the office of priest and offer sacrifice before going into battle. The one lost everything but his soul, and the other lost even that.

     There are two ways of looking at little things. One way is to magnify them out of proportion with greater things for example, to dwell upon and magnify the sinfulness of wearing gold, holding life insurance, riding on Sunday street cars, eating pork, drinking tea or coffee, and a dozen other things that many good people feel to be serious offenses. The other extreme is to say nothing that would give offense along these lines; in fact, defend them more or less by precept and example.

     It is sad, but true, that there are few who are properly balanced. Few have strong convictions about little things, without overdoing it and saying too much. They stress these things out of proportion with truths more vital.

     But, on the other hand, it is unfortunate that the majority take the line that brings least resistance and ostracism. It is unfortunate that a big man should insist on doing those things which cause weaker brethren to stumble. Why not have a little of the magnanimity of Saint Paul when he said, "If meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth." Again he says, "Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing he alloweth." It is wonderful to live where one's own conscience cannot upbraid or reprove that thing which he alloweth.

     "Oh, you must not notice such little things!" Well, if they are big enough for a great God to mention, I take it they are important enough for me to mind.

     If a man is big enough to hold responsible positions and judge properly in great matters concerning church or state, then his convictions in minor things ought to be taken for full face value. One good brother criticized me for publishing a book on health and said, "Brother Shelhamer, it is too bad that a man of your ability should spend money and time telling people what to eat and drink." My answer is that many great men have spent their lifetime studying atoms and bugs. Why then should I be censured for telling people how to be healthy, happy and wise?

     The great immortal Lincoln said, "I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live up to the best light I can get."

     Charles G. Finney said, "When any one has equal doubts concerning the doing or omitting of certain actions, all that can be said is that he must live up to the best light he can get. But when he doubts a certain course of action, but has no reason to doubt the lawfulness of its omission and yet goes ahead and does it, he proves that he wants to do it whether it is right or wrong. He sins against God and his conscience and must repent or be damned."

     This is pretty strong, but we believe it is a safe position to take. Why not be on the safe side? Why not behave in such a way that conscientious souls cannot stumble over us? I, for one, mean to do this. Call me an extremist if you will, but it gives me great satisfaction, after these forty years of radical preaching, to have godly people say, "I am so glad to see you as plain and conscientious as when you first began." I cannot afford to grieve or disappoint them. I must not, so help me God!

     There are apparently little things in our day around which revolve great principles. Sabbath desecration is one. Notwithstanding the fact that many holiness people ride on street and some on steam cars on Sunday, the writer has never felt clear so to do. When a minister sets or encourages a wrong precedent, it lends more force to that particular departure than when a layman does the same thing. More than this, if such a minister be looked upon as a spiritual man his example is doubly harmful. We cannot be too exemplary on lines of conversation, improving the time, plainness of attire and remembering the Sabbath day to "keep it holy." He who holds conscientious scruples along these lines loses nothing, and possibly may gain a great deal. It is always best to be on the safe side.

     I was in a camp in Oregon which was to close on Sunday night. The following Sabbath I was to be in a similar meeting in Ohio, but in order to do so I must leave on the Sunday night train, thus necessitating several hours' ride before midnight. It was either do this or wait twelve hours for the next through train which would necessitate Sunday travel at the other end of the line. Well, what should I do? Go to the woods, of course, and hear from God. After so doing I felt clear to wait the twelve hours and trust God to land me somewhere the next Saturday night. The result was that I was much helped of God in preaching Sunday night, after which, with others, a young man prostrated himself at the altar and, after a long struggle, found peace with God. Later he wrote me that he was still saved and felt called to preach. Did it pay to stay and miss the Sunday night train?

     Another incident: We were booked for a camp in West Virginia. Accordingly, we left Atlanta in time to reach our destination before Sunday. But on arriving in Cincinnati two hours late, we found we had missed the eastbound train. This made it impossible to reach camp until early Sunday morning. It would have been easy to reason that we were not responsible for the delay, hence must reach our destination where we could do some good even if we had to travel into the first hours of the Sabbath. But what about the Word that says, "Shall we do evil that good may come?" Sometimes God deals with men today as He did with Hezekiah -- "left him, to try him that he might know all that was in his heart." 2 Chron. 32:31. After getting still before God in spirit, the thought came that my brother-in-law lived at Zanesville, Ohio, which was right on my way, and he had previously written urging me to stop off some time and preach for them. I looked at the schedule and found that I could get there Saturday at 10 p, m. " All right," said I, "I will do that very thing." When I arrived there was a camp meeting in progress, of which I had not known, and then I could clearly see that if we always eyed the glory of God, we might be able to spell "Disappointment" with an H -- and make it read, "His appointment."

     After I preached twice on Sabbath the committee gave me a "lift on the way," and again I renewed my journey, praising God for delays that without grace would worry and annoy. I had a special anointing for the West Virginia camp.