The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-07-30
TALMAGE'S SERMON.

TALMAdES SEKMON.
Third Discourse Of the Series on
voices Of Gardens and Fields"
The Bibles Fertility In symbols-God's
Observance Of Little Things-An Hu.
man Dolngs Arranged and watched
Over by . Lovisg Father.
Rev. +. Dewitt Talmage delivered the
third of his series Of discourses ON ''Voices
Of Gardens and Fields' ct 1.-THE Hamp.
TONS" taking for his subject "The Cheap
Sparrow" and illustrating It from the fol.
lowing text:
Are not i've sparrows sold for two Earth.
ings. and not one OF them 10 forgotten before
God!-Luke xli, 6.
You see the Bible will not be limited In
the choice Of symbols. There 10 hardly .
beast or bird. or insect, which has not
been called to illustrate some divine truth
the ox's patience, the ants industry, the
spiders skill, the kinds e.footedness,
the eagles speed, the doves gentleness.
and even the sparrow's meanness and
insigniflcance. In Oriental countries none
but the poorest people buy the sparrow
and eat it-so very little meat is there on
the bones, and so very poor Is 1t, what
there Is Of It. The comfortable population
would not think of touching It any more
than you would think Of eating bat or q
lamprey. Now, says Jesus, if God takes
such good care of poor bird that is not
worth q cent, won't he care for you, an
immortal
We associate God with revolutions. We
can see divine purpose in the discovery
of America, in the invention Of the art Of
printing, in the exposure of the Gunpow-
der Plot, in the continuance of the needle.
gun, in the ruin OF an Austrian or Napo-
leonic despotism; but how hard it is to see
God in the minute personal affairs Of our
lives.
We think of God as making a record Of
the starry hosts, but can not realize the
Bible truth that he knows how many hairs
are on our head. It seems q grand thing
that God provided food for hundreds of
Thousands Of Israelites in the desert; but
we can not appreciate the truth that, when
sparrow is hungry, God stoops down and
opens It's mouth and puts the seed in. We
are struck with the idea that God fills the
universe with his presence; but can not
understand how he encamps in the crystal
palace Of q dewdrop, or finds room to
stand without being crowded between the
alabaster pillars Of pond lily. Can we
see God in these flowers at our feet? We
are apt to place God on some great stage
-or to try to do Inspecting him there to
act out his stupendous projects; but we
forget that the life of q Crom well, an
Alexander, or Washington, or an arch.
angel, is not more under divine inspection
than your life or mine. Pompey though hit
there must be mist over the eyes of God
because he so much favored Caesar. But
there is no such mist. He sees everything.
We soy Gods path Is in the great
waters. True enough, but no more GER
tainly than that he is in the water in the
glass on the table. We say God guides the
stars in their courses. Magnificent truth !
But no more certain truth than that He de-
cides which road or street you shall take
in coming to church. Understand that
God does not sit upon an Indifferent or
unsympathetic throne, but that He sits
down beside you to- day, and stands be.
side me to-day, and no affair OF our lives
Is so insignificant but that 1t is Of impor.
tance to G cd.
In the first place God chooses for rs our
occupation. / am amazed to see how
many people there are dissatisfied with
the work they have to do. think three
fourihs wish they were in some other &C.
cupation, and they spend great deal Of
time regretting that they got in tho wrong
trade or profession. want to tell you
that God put into operation all the influ.
ences which led you to that partisular
choice. Many Of you are not in the bust.
ness that you expected to be in. You
started for the ministry and learned MGR.
chandise; you started for the law and you
are physician; you preferred agricult-
ure and you became q mechanic. You
thought one way, God thought another.
But you ought not to sit down and mourn
over the past. You are to remember that
Coda beneficent God, kind God, o Low.
ing God-arranged all the circumstan ces
by which you were made what you are.
S6ySs Will NC q BtOuc~
mason" God says: "You will be geolo-
gist." David goes out to tend his father's
sheep; God calls him to govern a nation.
Saul goes out to hunt his fathers asses,
and before he gets back finds the crown Of
q mighty dominion. How much happief
would we be II we were content with the
places God gave us! God saw your tom.
permanent and all the circumstances by
which you were surrounded, and l believe
nine-tenths of you are in the work you
are best fitted for"
find that the hands and the wheels and
the springs are getting out Of their places.
I send it down to the jewelers. and say:
''Overhaul that watch and teach the
wheels and the springs and the hands to
mind their own business"
You know . man having large estate.
He gathers his working hands in the
morning, and says to one, "You 60 and
trim that vines" to another, "You 60 and
weed those flowers" to another, "You
pillow that tough glebe," and each one goes
to his particular work. The owner Of the
estate points the man TO what he knows
he can do best; and so it IL with the Lord.
He calls us up and points Us to that field
for which We are best fitted. SO that the
lesson for to-day, coming from this sub.
ject, is: "Stay cheerfully whore God puts
you"
remark, further: That God has ar.
ranged the place Of our dwelling. What
particular city or town, street or house
you shall live in seems TO b matter Of
accident. You 60 out to hunt for house,
and you happen to pass up certain
street, and happen to see q sign and you
select that house. Was It all happening
so: Oh, NO! God guided you in every step.
He foresaw the future. He knew all your
circumstances, and he selected Just that