Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1886-08-04
Mr.. HALMAGE'S SERMON.
TIE CHEAP SPARROW.

| or bird or ms lct which has not been called to
illustrate some divine truth-the oxs pa
ticn.e, tho ants industry, the spiders skill
the kinds suretOotcdnoSs, the eagles spe ID,
the doves gentlcncss and even the sparrows
neanness and insignihrance. In Oriental
countries none but the poorest people buy the
sparrow and cat it, so very little meat is
there on the bones, and SO very poor is it,
what there is of it. The comfortable popua-
ton would not think of touching it any more
than you would think OF eating bat or u
lamprel. Now, says Jesus, il God takes
such good care of poor bird that is not
f, worth cent won't he care for you, an i'm
mortal.
We associate God with revolutions We
can see divine purpose IN the discovery Of
America, in the invention Of the art of print
ing, in the exposure of the Gunpowder Plot,
in the contrivanCe Of the noedle-gun, in the
ruin Of an Austrian or NapOleonic deSpotsm;
but how hard it Is to sec God in the minute
personal affairs of our lives! We think Of
tod as making record of the starry host,
but cannot realize tho Bible truth that He
knows how many hairs are on our head. 1t
seems grand thing that God provided food
for hundreds OF thousands of lsraetes in the
desert; but we cannot appreciate the truth
that when sparrow is hungry, God Stoops
down and opens its month and puts tie seed
fills the universe with His presence; but can
not understand how He elcampS in the
crystal palace of the dewdrop or finds
room to stand, without being crowded. be-
tween the alabaster pillars of n pond lily.
We can see God in the clouds. Can we seq
God in these flowers at or iect' We are apt
to place God on some great stagc-or try to
do it-expecting Him there to act ont His
stupendous pro ects; but we forget that the
life Of n Cromwell an Alexander, or a Wash.
ington, or an archangel, is not more under
divine inspection than your life or mine.
Pompey thought there must he a mist over
the eyes Of God because He so much favored
Cesar. But there is no such mist Ho sees
every thing, We say Gods path is in tho
| great waters. Trle enough! but no more
certa My than He is in the water in the glass
on the table We say Col guides the stars in
their courses. Magnificent truth! but no
more certain truth than that He decides
which read or street you shall take in coming
to church. Understand that God does not SIT
upon an Indifferent or unsymplthetic throne;
bat that He sits down beside you to-day, and
stands beside me to-day, and no affair of our
lives is S insignificant but that it is of I'M
portancc to God.
In the first place, God chooses for us our
occupation. ! an amazed to see how many
people there are dissatisfied with the WORK,
they have TO do. ! think three fourths wish
they were in some other occupation; AMI
they spend great al of time in rcgrettng
Il at they got in the wrong tale or profess
sion. | want to tell you that God put into
onorotion Mi tie Influences which lei Won tn
that rarticular choice, Many of yoy 4re not
in the business that Won expected 70 be in
Non started for thc ministry and loornnI
merchants you startc for the law. and
you are Physician you preferred agrcul-
lure, ara you gre u lllSthallc You thouGhb
one way; uoa Thought another. But you
ouShV not 10 So DOWN ana lpourn over the
l"st, no', aIe " re,''e Gn Into uouIa
oullc,leehV uo,tl KIM uou' ioVlnS uolL
! arranged all these circumstances by which
you were made what you are.
Hugh Miller says: Il will be n stone
mason Godsays: You will bea geologist. II
I David goes out to tend his fathers sheep.
God calls him to govern anation. Saul goes
out to hunt his fathers asses, and before he
gets back finds tho crown of mighty domin-
ion. How much happier would we be if We
were content with the places God gave u.s.
God saw your temperament and all the cir
cumstances by which you were surrounded
and believe nine-tcnths Of you are in the
work you are best fitted for.
hear great racket in my wat h, and
find that the hands and the wheels and the
springs are getting out OF their places.
send it down to tn. jewellers AMI say: cover
hanl that watch and teach the wheels and
the spring and the hands to mind their own
business
You know a man having large estate
He gathers his working hands in the morn
ing, and says to one: "You so and trim that
yine;' to another: you 90 and weed tbo;t
81, i,";""s ~ to another: "Iou plow that tough
81 H. H. [, II o." COS TO his particular
,,.iat ~" non ~. ,ne e,taIo points the
IL ,;, W',S 10 ho S,lh 90 best and SC
ms 70 tiat , All Sa lie L"ils US upand point
So that tSe e.ca U' f GnI We are Dcst fitted
this ia't 10. i,St", hoat f,ilfv WHARF io1
mt ,.l,I, r,,2. v 49, ''''''
Iremark further. That God has orroncod
the pace of our dwelling What nnrtiruiay
cityor town street n. bHnso Won shaIi iyo i IL,
seems to be a mere matter Of acci,lont Won
co out to hunt for n hose and Won hannah
10 pass nm n certain street md honnen 70 coo
sign. and Won select that bousn EVo. II nj
happening so, o. no, God ruidei Won in
every step He foresaw the future He knn,y
all your circumstances and he eaIontoj inc,
tn, ono house as better for Won than INV
one of the ten thousand habitstions in Tia
city Our house however bumIle tba rnnf
and however Iowly the portals is ne near
Gods heart as an Ilbambra or n Kronnlin
Prove IL, Won saw, Proverbs III n. ,tUo
blessed tbe habitotion Of rho irSt y law
| remarl, further. that God nrronoos nj,
our friondsb,ns Won ware driven ~ rha
wall Won found n man inst ut that crisis
who symnath; rod witI voT and beInad Won
Won saw! How lucky wasIn There was
No iucl, about IL ODD conf tbot friend met
as certain os He sent tbe ANGEL to strengthen
Christ Yur dsmestic fr,ondS vour busi.
moss friends, your Christian friends. God