The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-07-30
TALMAGE's SERMON.
Third Discourse of the Series on
@Voices of Gardens and Fields"
The Bibles Fertility in symboIs-God's
Observance of Little Things-Am HUI
man Doings Arranged and watched
Over by a Loving Father.


TONS" taking for his subject "The Cheap
Sparrow" and illustrating it from the fol.
lowing text:
Are not five sparrows sold for two farth-
ings. and not one of them is forgotten before
GOd?-Luke xii, 6.
You see the Bible will not be limited in
the choice of symbols. There is hardly a
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 sure footedness,
the eagles speed, the doves gentleness,
and even the sparrow's meanness and
insigniicance. 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 it, what
there is of it. The comfortable population
would not think of touching it any more
than you would think of eating bat or
lamprey. Now, says Jesus, If God takes
such good care of a poor bird that is not
worth a cent, won't he care for you, an
immortal?
We associate God with revolutions. We
can divine purpose in the discovery
of America, in the invention of the art of
prin ting, in the exposure of the Gunpov-
der Plot, in the contrivance 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 grand thing
that God provided food for hundreds of
thousands of Israelites in the desert; but
we can not appreciate the truth that, when
a 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; but can not
understand how ne encamps in the crystal
palace of a dewdrop, or finds room to
stand without being crowded between the
alabaster pillars of a 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 it-expecting him there to
act out his stupendous projects; but we
forget that the life of a Crom well, an
Alexander, or Washington, or an arch
angel, is not more under divine inspection
than your life or mine. Pompey thought
there must be mist over the eyes of God
because he so much favored Cesar. But
there is no such mist. He sees every thing.
We say 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. Unders tand 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.it is of impor-
tan ce to God.
In the first place God chooses for US our
occupation. 1 am amazed to see how
many people there are dissatisfied with
the work they have to do. 1 think three
fourtbs wish they were in some other &C.
cupation, and they spend a great deal of
time regretting that they got in the wrong
trade or profession. 1 want to tell you
that God put into operation all the infu-
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-
chandise; you started for the law and you
are physician; you preferred agricult-
ure and you became a 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, a kind God, low
ing God-arranged all the circumstances
by which you were made what you are.
Hugh Miller says: 81 will be stone-
mason" God says: f'You viii 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 I
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 a man having large estate.
He gathers his working hands in the
morning, and says to one, "You go and
trim that vines" to another, "You go and
weed those fiowers;" 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 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 sub
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 matter of
70 Inn foar hO4gGR
and you happen to pass up a certain
street, and happen to see a 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 ali 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 KFemiin.
Prove it you say. Proverbs, iii, 80:
Re bIesseth the habltation of the just.
remark, further: That God arranges
all our frien dships. You were driven to
the wall You found man just at that
crisis who sympathized with you and
helped you. You say: "How lucky 1
vast" There was no luck about it. God
sent that friend just as certain as He sent
the angel to strengthen Christ Your
domestic friends, your busin ess friends,
your Christian friends, God sent them to
bless you, and if any of them have proved
traitorous it is only to bring out the value
of those who remain. If some die, it is
only that they may stand at the outpost
Of heaven to greet you at your coming.
You always will have friends, warm
hearted friends, ma gnanimOus friends,
and when sickness comes to your dwelling
there viii be watchers; when trouble
comes to your heart there will be sympa
thizers; when death comes there win be
gentle fingers to close the eyes and fold
The hands and rantla Inns To tel of q