The Brookhaven leader., 1886-07-29

man DoIngs Arranged and Watched
over by . Loving Father.
Rev. I. Dewitt Talmage delivered the
third of his series Of discourses on "voices
of Gardens and Fields" at "The Hamp.
TONS" taking for his subject "The Cheap
Sparrow" and illustrating Il from the fol.
lowing text:
Are not I'VE sparrows sold for two farth-
ings. and not one of them 10 forgotten before
God2-Luke xiii, 6.
You see the Bible will not be limited In
the choice Of symbols. There is hardly q
beast OF 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 sure foot edness,
the eagles speed, the doves gentleness,
and even the sparrow's meanness and
insigniflc&nce. 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 II. The comfortable population
would not think of touching It any more
than you would think of eating bat or q
lamprey. Now, says Jesus, IL God takes
such good care of poor bird that Is not
worth a cent, won't he care for you, an
immortali
We associate God with revolutions. We
can see a 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 contrivance of the needle-
gun, in the ruin of an Austrian or Napo-
leonic despotism; but how hard II 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. 1t seems a 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 its mouth and puts the seed in. We
are struck with the idea that God fills the
universe with his presence; hut can not
understand how he encamps in the crystal
palace of a dewdrop, or finds room to
stand without being crowded between the
alahaster pillars Of pond lily. Can we
see God in these flowers at our feetf We
are apt to place God on some great stage
or to try to do it-expecting him there to
act out his siupendous projects; but we
forget that the life of a Crom well, an
Alexander, or a Washington, or an arch
angel, is not more under divine inspection
than your life or mine. Pompey thoul hit
there must be a mist over the eyes of God
because he so much favored Caesar. But
there is no such mist. He sees every thing.
We say Gods path is in the great
waters. True enough. but no more cer-
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 today, and no affair of our lives
is so insignif ant but tn at it Is Of impor-
lance to 6 cd.
In the first place God chooses for US our
occupation. l am amazed to see how
many people there are dissatisfied with
the " ork they have to do. think three
four hs wish they were in some other oc-
cupation, and they spend great deal Of
time regretting that they got in the wrong
trade or profession. want to tell you
that God put into operation all the influ-
ences which led you to that particular
choice. Many of you are not In the bust
ness that you expected to be in. You
started for the ministry and learned mer-
chandse; you started for the law and you
are physician; you preferred agricult-
ure and you became mechanic. You
thought one way, God thought another.
But you ought not to sit down and mourn
+ba To- bar hot
Coda benefcent God, a kind God, low
ing God-arranged all the circumstan ces
by which you we're made what you are.
Hugh Miller says: 81 will be stones
mason" God says: "You will be geolo-
gist." David goes out to tend his fathers
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
a mighty dominion. How much happier
would we be if we were content with the |
places God gave us! God saw your tenn
permanent and all the circumstances by |
which you were surrounded, and believe
nine-tenths of you are in the work you |
are best fitted for"
hear great racket in my watch, and / |
End that the hands and the wheels and
the springs are getting out of their places.
! 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 a man having large estate.
He gathers his working hands in the
morning, and says to one, "You go and
trim thatVine;" to another, "You go and
weed those howers;" 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
be can do best; and so it is 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 SUBJ
ject, is: "Stay cheerfully where 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 be a matter of
accident. You go out TO hunt for a house,
and you happen to pass up a certain
eet, and happen to see a sign and you
select that house. Was it all happening
so? Oh, mol God guided you in every step.
He forssaw the future. He knew all your
circumstances, and he selected just that
one house as better for you than any one
of the 10000 habitations of the city. Our
house, however humble the roof and how
ever lowly the portals, is as near Gods
heart as an Alhambra or a Kremlin.
Prove it you say. Proverbs, ill.,, 30:
Ii. haasaath tha ha t,it q ton of tha iuaf