Faithfulness in Littles, John
Colwell, Little Foxes, The Little Sins that Mar the Christian Character,
1882 Catch the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines, for
our vines have tender grapes, Song of Songs, 215 The little
things of life are most important. Those who affect to despise the
importance of little things are in danger of becoming little
people. Certainly no great man will ever
do so. He will, the rather, prove his
greatness by a hearty recognition of the truth of the wise saying,
He who despises little things shall fall little by little.
The great teacher drew some of his most beautiful and important
lessons from little things, such as little flowers, little birds,
little dewdrops, little children. He insisted on faithfulness in
littles. As the coral reefs, which rear
themselves high above the crawling sea beneath, are all made up
of minute skeletons of microscopic animalcules, so life, mighty
and solemn as having eternal consequences, life that hangs
over the sea of eternity, is made up of these minute incidents,
of these trifling duties, of these small tasks, and only those
who are faithful in the least are, or can be, faithful in the
whole. Little things make either the
joy or the sorrow, the success or the ruin, the safety or the
danger, the grandeur or the smallness of human life. Illustrations
of this principle abound. Little neglects lead to great
ruin. Little precautions lead to great
safety. Little wastings make great losses. Little savings make great gains. Little troubles make us miserable. Little virtues make us godly. Little vices make us wicked. Therefore says Inspired Wisdom,
catch the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines, which is
equivalent to saying, I know you will keep out the more hateful
and destructive full-grown foxes by stopping all the large holes
in the vineyard fence. Your danger lies in overlooking
the smaller gaps by which the little foxes may enter, and thus
spoil your vines by robbing them of the tender grapes. How forcibly
may this advice be urged upon Christian people They will be
almost certain to secure the vineyard against the intrusion
of shameful vices, destructive sins, and great scandals. But are they always so careful
to stop the smaller breaches in the fence of their Christian
character against the little foxes, lesser sins, smaller vices,
and trifling moral blemishes which, nevertheless, spoil the
loveliness and perfection of their lives. Judging from observation
and experience, we fear not.