The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-08-02

Inc neart OF those people III WIS o"'e"Ne
who have to calculate rigid economy, who
are perplexed how they will make the old
garment hold out q little longer, with
whom the great question is not winch Is
the best investment or the most lucrative
security, but how shall make the two
ends meets TO such people l bring the
coincidence OF this Christian truth.
You may have seen map on which Is
described, with red ink, the travels OF the
children of Israel through the desert to the
Promised Land. You see how they took
this and that direction, crossed the river
and went through the sea. Do you Know
| God has made a map OF your lie with
paths leading up to this bitterness ana
that success, through this river and across
| that scar but, blessed be God! the path al
! WAYS comes out at the Promised Land.
Mark that! Mark that!
remark again: That all those things
| that seem but accidents In our life are
under the divine supervision. We some
times seem to be going helmless ana
| anchorless. You say:
"If I had some other trade; il had not
gone there this summer; il l had lived in
some other house."
You have no right to say that Every
tear you wept, every step you have taken,
every burden you have carried, is under
divine inspection, and that event which
startled your whole household with hor'
ror, God met with perfect placidty, be.
cause he knew 1t was for your good. 1t
was part of a great plan projected long
ago. In eternity, when you come to
reckon up your mercies, you will point to
that affection as one of your greatest
blessings. God has strange way with
us. Joseph found his way to the prime
minister's chair by being pushed into a
pit; and 10 many Christian down Is up.
The wheat must be failed; the quarry
must be blasted; the diamond must be
ground; the Christian must be afflicted |;
and that single event, which yod supposed
stood entirely alone, was n connecting link
between two great chains, one chain
reaching through all eternity future, SO
small an event fastening two eternities
together.
A missionary coming from India 10 the
United States, stopped at st. Helena
while the vessel was taking water. he
had his little child with him. They walk
ed along by an embankment, and q rock
at that moment became loosenod, and,
falling, instan lily killed the child. Was II
an accident? Was it q surprise TO Godf
Had he allowed his servant, after life OF
conservation, to como to such tralS Not
such is my God. There are no accidents
in the divine mind, though they may seem
so to us. God is good, and by every single
incident of our life, whether IL be adverse
or otherwise, before earth and heaven
God will demonstrate his mercy.
/ hear man say: "That idea belittlei
God. You bring Him down to such little
things" Oh, have more thorough ap.
probation of God In little things than
have in Great things The mother does
not wait until the child has mashed itt
foot or broken its arm before she admin
listers sympathy. The child comes il
with the least bruise, and the mother
kisses It. God does not wait for some ire
mendous crisis in our life, but comes dowr
to us in our most insignificant trials and
throws over us the arm of His mercy.
Going up the White mountains som'
years ago thought Of that passage in thu
Bible that speaks of God as weighing
mountains In a balance. As looked a
those great mountains thought, can II b,
possible that God can put these grea
mountains in scsless II was an idea 70,
great for me to grasp; but when saw
blue.bell down by the mules foot, on my
way up Mount Washington, then under
stood the kindness aud goodness of God
1t ia not SO much of God in great things
can understand, but OF God In little things
There Is n man who says: "Thnt doc
trine can not be true, because things do <
so very wrong" Ireply, it is no incon
sistency on the part Of God, but a lack o
understanding Oh our part. l hear tho
men are making very fine shawls in SOM
factory. 20 in on the first floor and SO
only the raw materials, and I ask: "Ar
these the shawls that l have hear,
about!"
"No," says the manufacturer; Ego N
to the next iloor;" and 60 up, and ther
I begin to see the design. But the ma
says: ..l
"Do not stop here; 60 up to the top a 90
Of the factory, and you will see the ide
fully carried out"
do SO, and having come to the top, Sc
the complete pattern Of an exquisit
shawl. So In our life, standing down on
low level Of Christian experience, We
not understand Coils dealings. He tell
us to 20 up higher and higher, until W
begin to understand the divine meanin
with respect to US. and we advance unit
: we are at the very gate of Heaven, an
there see Gods idea all wrought out
perfect idea of mercy, of love, Of kind
ness. And we say:
"Just and true are all Thy ways"
1t Is all right at the bottom. Remembe
there Is no inconsistency on the part &
God, but It Is only our mental and spirit
ual incapacity.
Some Of you have been disappointed thi
J summer-vacations are apt to be disap
pointments-but whatever have been you
J perplexities and worriments, know that
Mans heart deviseth his why. but the Lor
directeth his steps
Ask these aged men in this church IL
10 not SO. II has been so in my own liz,
One summer started for the Adiron
dacks, but my plans were So changed tina
Handed In Liverpool. ! studied law an
l got into the ministry. l resolved to g
as missionary to China. and l staid |
the United States. Thought would Xix
to be In the East, and went to the Yves
all the circumstances OF my life, all m
work, different from that which ey
pected. ,..
A mans heart devlseth his way, but tn
! Lord directeth his step 9