The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-01-07
ibid PULPIT.
NOT ONE FORGOTTEN.
A Sermon for the New Year.


The idea of particular providence,
minute as to its details, and special as to
it's ends, concerning all the creatures of
God however lowly, and all their actions
however insignificant, linking all in a
single chain of divine provision and con-
troll, is one of which men have never
been able altogether to divest themselves,
and yet one to which they have been
strangely reluctant to give full and hearty
assent.
Of the causes which have operated to
produce latent and lingering skepticsm
in reference to doctrine so consonant to
reason, and so comforting to the servant
of God, there seem to be two particularly
deserving of notice
The first is the apparent insignifcance
of this world of ours when considered as
a part of the measureless universe of God
and the consequent improbability, that
amidst these vast myriads of worlds with
their teaming millions of inhabitants, the
Almighty Ruler should condescend to
busy himself with the minute relations
and infnitesimal concerns of all the crea-
lures upon the earth.
The second is the apparent irregularity
in the operation and enforcement of moral
laws in the economy of nature, as con-
trasted with the invariable sequence of
those laws that are purely mechanical
and physical; state of things which we
would by no means expect if the hand of
the great Moral Ruler is in all the events
of time.
These two causes have operated in all
ages to produce skepticism in reference to
hoo 1,,,1x j Z n
it was in the days of the patriarch Job
Behold, says Eliphaz, the Temanite,
Dob. xxi: ~, "is not God in the height
of heaven? and behold the height of the
stars, how high they are And then say
est, How doth God know? can He Judge
through the dark cloud? Thick clouds
are covering to Him that He seeth not
and he walketh in the circuit of heaven"
And so, as to the second cause, Job saws
(xxiii: 7, &c., Wherefore do the wicked
live, become DID, yea are mighty in pow
er? Their seed is established in their
sight with them, and their offspring be-
fore their eyes. Their houses are safe
from fear, neither is the rod of God upon
them. One dieth in his full
strength being wholly at ease and quiet.
And another dieth IN the bit
terness of his soul, and never eateth with
pleasure. They shall lie down alike in
the dust and the worms shall cover them.
, And so, to make but one fur
ther quotation, we have the same protest
In the days OF Solomon against the doc
trlne OF particular providence, the
ground CT protest being the chequered
nature of human life, and the apparent
inequality in the distribution of punish
ments and rewards. "All things (Eccle.
TX: y come alike to ALL There is one
event to the righteous and to the wicked
to the good, and to the clean and to the
unolean; to him thatsacrifceth and to him
that sacrifceth not; AS is the good so is
the sinner, and he that sweareth as he
that feareth an oath. "
Nor have these difficulties in the way
of firm faith in Gods overruling provi-
dence at all diminished since the DAYS of
Job and of Solomon. On the contrary,
as science has pressed her Investigations
and extended her domain, we have gained
conceptions of the magnitude of the uni
verse, and the comparative insignifcance
of our globe to which the men of Solo
mons times were utter strangers. So too
as the ages have advanced, the evil prin-
ciples of this world have more and more
completely developed themselves in an
tagonism to the good They have aggre-
gated to themselves more and more pow
er. Their yotaries have become more and
more skilful in the oppression of the right.
In this day Of vast moneyed corporations
and consultations Of capital and labor,
1T is even more true than in former times
that these are the ungodly who prosper
in the world" and that mo man know
eth either love or hatred by all that is
before them"
But amidst all the confusion and disor-
der incident to state of things like this,
it is the great Joy of the Christian heart
to rest in that doctrine of the overruling
providence Of God, which is so clearly
taught in His holy word, to think of the
little sparrows five of which brought less
than cent in the markets of the world
in our Lords day, and remember that
mot one of them is forgotten before God 81
Let us then as we look out upon this
new year, all of us with thoughtful solicit
tude, some of u.s. it may be, with anxious
foreboding, let us battle our spirits for a
little while in this sweet thought, mot
one of them is forgotten before God.