Little By Little. 


FROM the window near which I now write,

I saw, some time ago, some workmen clearing 

away the rubbish from a vacant lot over the way.

 Then others came who, spadeful by spadeful, 

dug deep foundations. Presently the masons 

began their work. Click! click! click! incessantly

 their hammers were going. One rude stone after

 another was fitted and adjusted in the solid

 walls, which soon began to rise above the level

 of the ground.Then the brick-laying began. Brick

 after brick brick after brick! So the wall rises.

 Now they have reached the second story, and 

now the third.Still the same quiet and gradual 

process is going on. Brick upon brick! Brick upon

 brick! Now they have reached the fourth story,

 and now the fifth. I looked from my window this

 morning, and the house is enclosed and 

completed. There it stands! An extensive and

 imposing five story edifice,towering far up, and 

capable of affordingample accommodations for

 purposes of trade or residence.

I cannot help thinking as I look at that

 house.It was but as yesterday that it was 

begun, yet there it stands completed. How was it

 put there?Little by little. There was no miracle

 wrought.No giant's strength was applied to it.

 No Herculeslabored upon it. Plain, common men

 did all the work. Brick upon brick! They 

toiledpatiently and steadily, but always doing

 their work little by little. Now look at it! How 

astonishing a result has come from those many 

little bits of labor, well planned and

 perseveringly performed!  I look further. 

I see other builders, in

 the Church of Christ. I see an eminent minister 

of the Gospel, not long since gone to his rest. 

His fame for piety, usefulness and learning, are

 wide as the Christian world. He stood in the

 first rank of the preachers of the Gospel. 

Volume after volume came forth from his 

exhaustless mind and his untiring hand. Millions

 of pages of his undying thoughts have been

 scattered in  various languages through many

 lands. What a  glorious reputation did he build

 up! What an  enviable work of usefulness did he

 do! How was it done? Brick upon brick! Little by

 little! A well- settled plan of life, a steady 

industry, an  untiring perseverance, something 

well done  everyday and behold the edifice!

I looked into the dwelling of a fine aged and

 eminent saint. The sweet perfume of holiness

 filled the dwelling. All venerated, all praised, all

 loved him.He seemed to live ever on the verge 

of heaven.His converse was with God and Jesus.

 He looked by faith on things unseen. His piety

 shone forth in every  word and work. How was

 this blessed character  formed? Not by the 

transformation of a day or  year did this sinful

 man acquire it. Little by little! One application 

to the blood of cleansing, then another. One 

temptation  resisted,then another. One besetting

 sin  conquered,then another. One little act of

 piety,  then another.Little by little. By 

persevering  industry,by steady effort, that 

blessed character was, with God's help, formed. 

Builders for time! Builders, in time, for

eternity! Despise not the little things of life, its

little opportunities, its little gains, its little

 temptations,its little sins, its little calls to

 usefulness.Let your plans be well laid, both for

 time and eternity. Be ever found adding one 

little to another.If you lay one brick on another,

 daily, insidiously, perseveringly; and when the

 magnificent castles in dream-land, for which

 others despise your unpretending, plodding 

round of daily exertion,shall have clean vanished

 and gone, your building will stand forth in sight

 of men and angels,firm, capacious, and beautiful

 forever.





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