The weekly sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1886-1887, 1886-07-22
TALMAGE'S SERMON n.
THE VOICES OF THE GARDENS AND
FIELDS.

The Great Brooklyn Preacher Derives
Comfort from Considering "The Cheap
Sparrow as the object of Divine ke-
sard-Ways in which God Gu1des anu
Directs His People.
Specially Reported for The Sentinel.
"THE HAMpToNs," Long Island. Sum-
day, July 18: The Rev. T. Dewitt Tai
mage DID,, is continuing his series OF
sermons on "Voices of Gardens and
Fields" His subject today was. The
Cheap Sparrow" and his text, Luke XII,
We: care not five sparrows sold for
two farthings, and not one of them is
forgotten before God?" The sermon
is eminently characteristic of the preach
er, enforcing lessons of value to ali, be-
cause having to do with the affairs OF
common life; and containing passages
to comfort and console those in trouble
Following is the discourse in full:
You see the Bible will not be limited
in the choice of symbols. There is
hardly beast or bird, or insect, which
has not been called to illustrate some
divine truth-the oxs patience, the ants
industry. the spiders skill, the kinds
| sure footed ess the eagles speed. the
| doves gentleness, and even the sparrow's
| meanness and insignifican"e. In Oriental
countries none but the poore t people
| buy the sparrow and eat lt-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 i any more than you would
think of eating bat or lamprel. Now.
says jesus, if God takes such good care
| of poor bird that is not worth cent,
won't he care for you, an immortal?
| We associate God with revolutions.
| We can see divine purpose in the dis
covery 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 despotism 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 cannot realize the Bible truth
that He knows how many hairs are on
our head. 1t seems grand thing that
God provided food for hundreds OF
thousands of Israelites in the desert;
but we cannot appreciate the truth that,
when Il sparrow is hungry, God stoCp5
down and opens its mouth and puts the
seed n. We are struck with the idea
that God fills the universe with His
presence; but cannot understand how
He encamps in the crystal palace of
dewdrop or finds room to stand, without
being crowded, between the alabaster
in the clouds. Can we see God in these
flowers at our feet? We are apt to place
God on somc great stage-or to try to GO
it-expecting Him there to act out His
stupendous projects but we forget that
the life of a Cromwell, an Alexander, or
Washington, or an archangel, Is not
| more under inspection than your life or
mine Pompey thought there must bea
mist over the eyes of God because He SO
much favored Cesar But there is no
such mist. He sees everything. We
say Gods path is in the great waters.
True enou-h! but no more certainly
than He is in the water in the glass on
d the table. We say God guides the $ ars
+ in I: ;r cn-rsnS. VI .,:i::c""t y III but
: no ulor,. certain tru h IL Z hat IT., d
g citles which rna or It et't So 5 all take
> in coming to chu' c". | = erSiand thai
y Go docs not sit upon an Indifferent
: unsympathetic throne, hut that He sits
l. down besid.. YOU to-day. am stands be
n side me to-day and 20 al.ir of UT live:
\ is so insignificant but that it is of iiEpor
Z lance to God.
:. our occupation. I am amazed to SCI
J. how many people there are dissatisfied
with the work they have TO do. l thinl
E; three-fourths wish they were in SOM
ut other occupation, and they spend grea
p deal of time in regretting that they go
in the wrong trade or profession. 1 want
"A
e. the influences which led you t. this partie
ular choice. Many OF you are not In tn
III business that you expected TO he In. 70
IL, ~ started for the ministry and learned mel
chandise; you started for the law an
a YOU ar. a physician; you preferred ayr
H. culture and you became mocha. II
III You thought one way; God thought az
i'm other. But you ought not to sit dow
ks and mourn over the past You are
-, remember that Coda beneficent Coz
L a
OF these circumstances by which you wei
err made VIVA lou are.
~ Hugh Miller says: g will he ston
al mason" God says: " You will be
geologst." Davi goes out to tend h
. fathers sheep; God calls him to govel
fathers asses, and before he gets ba'
finds the crown of mighty dominic
Ii How much happier would we be il
were content with the places God ga
ia us! God SAW your temperament and &
"a the circumstances by which you we
"A surroundel and / believe nine-tenths
~ you are in the work you are best fit
kn5 for.
~, hear q great racket in my watch, IL
a find that the hands, and the wheel
kSM and the springs are getting out OF thu
s@ PLACES. / send it down 10 the Jeneiel
sssa and say Over. ilui that watch al
20 teach the wheels, and The spring. and t
vi hands to min their own business
~ You know "a man having a large estat
a: He gathers his working hands in
p morning, and says to one: g You go a
- trim that vine;" to another: ''1
S"5 plough that tough slebe;" and each o
the goes to his particular Work. Inc !
oual | If I a q tate points the man to what
ores knows h. can do hest, and so it Is w
we the Lord. He calls up and pc nts
to that field Tor VIII CHI we are best htt'
-i-t- So that the lesson for to-day, comi
from this subject, is: 'Stay cheerful
: y where God puts ou.
l remark further: That God has
ranged the place of our dwelling WI