The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-07-28
THE CHEAP SPARROW.
a Sermon by DR.. Talmage.

| u OCl nun Uy LII. aAHid5p-
care not five sparrows sold for two
farthings, and not one of them is forgot
ten before God?"
You see the Bible viii not be limited
in the choice of symbols. There is hard
| ly beast, or bird, or insect, which has
not been called to illustrate some divine
| truth-the ox's patience, the ants in
| dustry, the spiders skill, the kinds
sure-footedness, the eagles speed, the
doves gentleness, and even the sparrow's
neanness and insignifcance. In Ori-
entail 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 eff eating bat or
lamprel. Now, says Jesus, if God
takes such good care of a poor bird that
is not %orth a cent, won't he care for
you, an immortal?
A TRUTH WE FAIL To APPRECIATE.
We associate God with revolutions.
We can see divine purpose in the dis
covery of America, in the invention of
the art of printing, in the exposure of
the Gunpowder Plot, in the contrivance
of the needle-gun, in the ruin OF an
Austrian or Napoleonic despotisn; but
how hard it is to see God in the minute
personal affairs of our lives We think
of God as making record of the starry
host, but can not realize the Bible truth
that he knows how many hairs are on
our head. II seems grand thing that
God provided food for hundreds of
thousands OF Israelites in the desert;
but we cannot appreciate the truth that,
when sparrow is hungry, God stoOps
down and opens its mouth and puts the
seed in. We ar0 struck with the idea
that God fills the universe with His
presence, but can not understand how
He encamps in the crystal palace of the
dew-drop, or finds room to stand, with
out being crowded, between the alabas
ter pillows of pond lily. We can zee
God in the clouds. 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 stupenduous projects; but we
Alexander, or Washington, or an
/
spection than your life or mine. Pom
pey thought there must be a mist over
the eyes of God because He go much
favored Caesar. But there is no such
mist. He sees everything. We say
Gods path is in the great waters. True
enough! but no more certainly than He
is in the water in the glass on the table.
We say God guides the stars in their
courses. Magnificent trutnl but no
more certain truth than that He decides
which road or street you shall take in
coming to chnrch. Understand that
God does not sit upon an Indifferent or
unsympathetic throne, but that Ee 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 inn
portance to God.
CHOICE OF OCCUPATION.
In the first place: God chooses for us
our occupation. | am amazed to see
how many people there are dissatisfied
wi th the work they have to do. think
hree-fourths wish they were in some
other occupation, and they spend great
deal of time in regreting thai they got
in the wrong trade or profession. i
want to tell you taat God put into oper-
alton all the influences which led you
to that particular choice. Many of you
are not in the business that you expect
ed TO be in. You started for the min
istry and learned merchandise; you
started for the law and you are ply
sician; you preferred agriculture and
YOU became 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 benefcent God, kind God,
loving God-arranged all these cir
cumstances by which you are made what
| you are.
Hugh Miller says: 81 will be stone
mason" God says: "You will be a
geologist." 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 mighty dominion.
| How much happier would we be ii we
were content with the places God gave
usl God saw our temperament, and all
| the circumstances by which you were
surrounded, and / believe nine-tenths of
you are in the work you are best fitted
. -. :, ..ol,
near gIeas lacAes ~ my 49,, IN
anu M. d nnd Ina. .ne hanas, at.inr anu one one
"f 49, tssr alu I.ca sn Psa sagd G = swn = the the
u a s'Ielr plaIes ..6I send ~ uymn .n h ~ sIe
JeMeiels anu sas osefnaui .na' .h mas.n'
AM .s Seain Ell Tue "neeis' anu; anu .ne spL,ng'
anu .ne hahus " iliiiiu 'nen own p"s'-
heSS. -,
lou hIoM IL Mal naslns IA
essa.e. ne gaeheis nls Molking naIus ssWoas
III sne morning, anu says W Que, tou
70 ana trlm lna. sihe' 20 anosnel' I
lou 90 ana Weeu .l lnose noweIs, y :,
anJ escb one aaes pU~ 70 his @ nart;enlasr WORK
The owner of the estate points the man
.ia. r;.b ~ o" 4he Iord he calls ns M M
snd i ro;nts = n rs - - that f;ala for which wa
are are hast fitted So that the lesson fo,
to'5av coming from this subject. Is,
aStay cbeerfnIIv where God nuts Won. !
9'
OUR PLACE OF DWELLING.
rrk fnrtbar That e,od has ar
anae.a a, The ,lacs af our dwelling VIVA,
nars;crlar AZ. c;tr t,r Or town, street or houss
re-. e. s's shali I've - searas to IL : nar,
..- ~. a-s1 C aa.;sans Won % ont to hnn,
| iEdttci VI 1sSi1 90 - - oe~' ~ - 90