New-York tribune., 1874-11-09
GODS PROVIDENCE GENERAL.
Tn, Rep. DR.. Bsous at Az SoulS Church (Unildrtdn)

Rel Bilious Al SoulS ChaToA tOntdTton)
The Rev. Dr. Bellows preached yesterday
morning In All Souls Church from the text Are not two
sparrows sold for farthing' and one OF them shall not
fall ON the ground your Father. But the very
hairs OF your head all numbered Fearye not there
FORE ye are OF more value than many sparrows" Mat
thew %, 80
When we read that there 5OO00oo Of nxed stars
and that the of them 100000 times further from
Us than We from the we not only realize the
yastness OF the physical universe, but over
whelmed with the immensity of the Creators care
We ask ourselves in dismay can God care Tor oxen;
much more for sparrows; can He exercise special
providence over each of His creatures Can he know
or care happens 10 ndivdulsi Are not the con-
Germs OF the king trihes In His eyes, ana ne
Shouehts sorrows sins faith hopes, OF average mon
ana women beyond any prObabie recognition OF Hls
ewes or direction from His handf TO these oOuDIs,
which must always have been slumberng in thought
fl minds modern acquaintance with the unmeasgraoe
extent OF the universe has gwen & great sctvi,y @ h
risen in scientific minds, has tended 10 weaken the
hold OF personal Providence upon human conndence;
Jcsus however boldly meets this dstrustul frame OF
mnd the beautiful and precious words or our text
Ii Is Just ditioult, however, 10 believe In God
VINO Intimately knows and directs the entire interests
of a world Ike our own, as in one VINO Knows and d.
and limited iutehgences ike coua1ed to fixed
space and time, nave few materials for UNDERSTANDING
intellectually benefited by the doubt or denial of his
PrOvienceI Is 1t any relief to reason to De compelled
and complex universe without Cause or Governor,
without a Providence superintendent We cannot
DENY the reality Of own existence or that
of countless worlds and orders or DelnS Is
that in itself alone less an inscrutabe mystery
than the being and providence of infinite Godf Can
any douter get from the presence or confoundn9
mystery and wunderi believe in the eter
nity OF an unbecnning Infinite Spirit be must believe
in the eternity matter and that matter contains some
principle of life, intelligence ana moral sensibiy cap
able developing into the instincts Of animals and The
mind Of man Is IT any easier 10 eFec @ %hfn fbs G m
credit existence and providence Of Godf The truth
L. the cOmblued aud experience OF humanity nas
settled into the belief IN nVing, lnnne, alnignty'
and unfolding personal Cod tine least perpIexng,
the most easy aud credible answer 70 the eyerchal-
iengng facts OF nature aud fe Those who regard this
solution snpersttous, precpltate or ncred.De nave
no her offer which IS not more offensive to reason
ana feeling. We need not quarrel with the method Oh
nature; but If nature or matter had the wondrous
nTece o pane stakpaTe Luther say
nothing OF and Chstet US take the dust OF the
prescience and providence OF God Himself WHAT have
scientists nd Of IN the way OF mystery ana lnGred
biny by their inv OF matter with all the latent
powers of Infinite mndf WHY Is not their protopiasm
The hnsRSSe aS1uS ~ STd all 1ha director and paner
inteigences reach by simpler ana more SnTIstaa s
boundess po Ser and wisdom aud skll, made Directs
and uphods the universe IN all It's order ana wealth. OF
can trace of from animals; of animals
erals slime and nre; Of slime and fire from notion
and force. But what is tnls last word force
life dIreetion,i plastic power. What Is 1t but
q name for the mystery Of being what does it do but
cover over sclentlac lGnor1nce rance ana leave the
original and Divine. Wilt II does not stand
tSat human reason catnot athOm the being of an un
created and everything central mind II could do so
would nearly equal to that Mind as almost not
10 need the faith ana worship 1t excltes. Is not the
most wonderful capacity man possesses at OF attain
Ing TO bare conception or apprehension or such
being But what would GOd be whose nature and
being were wlthin the comprehension Ot sucn hnlte
creatures as wei II space Is DOundess so mat no mlt
emacs instruments can touch It's eyerrecedlng wan
az any point and the mind sinks helpless ceiore The
attempt to realize It's extension. what must the Being
be mat dils ali space contains II IN His Sprltf
Our difficulties in believing iui a special Providence
are doubtless mGcn increased by observing
that the Divine Intelligence and wisdom
according to general rules principles. having GER
tan analogy TO the OF hlne1om, applicable TO all,
the presence or even knowledge OF the supreme Gov
ernor. and having still less agreeable analogy TO the
nations aud Effects without its Own knowledge, and
beyond us own power to vary them Inc nrst notion OF
wisdom and power aud love, would not unnaturaliy De
consequence, to punish vice and sin on the spot
and reward virtue at once. But would it
sScn .Us a. rule, there could be any room
for methods or second causes, or FOR any creation
or development or elangei Way is not God bound to
create only perfect WORLDS occupied by perfect beings
living perfect holiness and perfect bliss Do we not
discover the total inadeQlacy OF our powers TO answer
II was not without long and desperate struggle
the natural conception OF Two nearly equal Dut opposite
spirlts-One OF good, the otner of evil one scattering
blessings. and the other eurses-wAs driven out VI
human philosophy. Tie old noiOn OF the assumed
maevoeDce OF matter the opposite aud foe of spirit
less goodness Of at least one mighty spirit.
But If there be an idea wLcn modern
idea of unity in the and order Matter and
spirit bound to be friends and not enemies. Evil is
regarded as the shadow OF gOod-navng absolute
existence; and even SIM pain and sorrow as the chips
fly from the ehsels that hew and shape the intel
lectua and moral in the rising temple OF trnth
happiness aud holiness. IL may well be God for
pieed and cannot estimate painful details we seem
10 behold by own standards In my ignOrancs In
great factory OF siiks amid so much nose, confusion,
failure, delay variety OF processes, eau discern or
anticipate hIfle or nothing OF what the familiar
superintendent of the factory keeps IN his
wide view all the time. .. e., the finished
thread, not one spot rent, and keeping no memory
which it has passed How be would smile my
ignorance mpatience at aversion TO these pro.
finished picture before has dipped his brush
bot Of pa.a If the sculptor his statue in the
quarry, now much more does God behold HIS Wor. COM
pete from the morning. OF ages bacE, wnen
He rst projected the physical universe into It's labor
II is wonderful testimony to TIE religious nature Of
nan-which the least disputabe witness TO the
ence of his CreatOr-that care and want
are not the OF skeptcs aud
She sufferers by the inequalities OF lie aud fortune
are not those who fud them charges against Just
and holy that 1t rather the prosperous the ed
Gated the fortunate who IN the contemplation OF pow
erty and ignorance not their Owu discover sources OF
complaint against the Divine goodness IL doubts must
with tue culture and development OF reason Is
them; and difficulties that reason first presents.
deeper reason must remove or answer.
The perception OF law, sdspacing personal superln-
tending Providence perhaps the first and gravest di;
nculty that reason encounters. But DO laws
active opee eTe~ IN Aaa aSS poca e Tey aTe
nfeless DEGREES that have and executors
executing IN appearance are dependent on forces when
IN the last result turn ont TO be for mysterious
not separaole from person. The laws OF
Se MS LIE presencs ARE sss mSGe STouS ecTe
his children. But does wise parent notice
onarres Does she run every cry Does she punish
Se xisesf most waehfG and most suecef
and edu