Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1886-08-14
DR. TALMAGE'S SERMON.
THE CHEAP SPARROW.

HE ChEAE SfAhhUWs
Text: "Are not five sparrows sold for two
iarthings, and not one Of them Is forgotten
before Godp'-Luke xii, 6.
You see the Bible will not be limited In the
shoice of symbols There is hardly beast,
Dr. bird or insect which has not been called to
Illustrate some divine truth-the oxs pa
ienre, the ants industry, the spiders skill,
The kinds surefootedness, the eagles speed,
she doves gentleness, and even the sparrow'S
neanness and insigniicance. In Oriental
countries none but the poorest people buy the
parrow 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 popula
lion would not think of touching it any more
than you would think of eating bat or
hmprel. Now, says Jesus, if God takes
mch good care of poor bird that is not
worth a cent, won't he care for you, an i'm
mortal?
We associate God with revolutions. We
IAN see divine purpose In the discovery of
America, in the invention of the art of print
ng, in the exposure of the Gunpowder Plot,
IN the contrivanoe of the needle-gun, in the
'uin of an Austrian or Napoleonic despotiSm;
put how hard il is to see God in the minute
personal affairs of our lives We think of
sod as making a record of the starry host;
but cannot realize the Bible truth that He
4HpWS HOW IildUy udlIS tlIe Oh our u6ttu. IL
eems grand thing that God provided food
or hundreds of thousands of lsraelites in the
DESERT; but we cannot appreciate the truth
mat, when a sparrow is hungry, God StoopS
iown and opens its mouth and puts the seed
n. We are struck with the idea that God
ills the universe with His presence; but can
not understand how He encampS in the
crystal palace of the dewdrop, or finds
room to stand, without being crowded, be-
tween the alabaster pillars of a pond lily.
We can see God in the clouds Can we see
God in these flowers at our feetl We are apt
20 place God on some great stage-or try to
10 it-expecting Him there to act out His
stupendous projects; but we forget that the
life of Cromwell, an Alexander, or a Wash
ngton, or an archansel, is not more under
divine inspection than your life or mine.
Pompey thought there must be mist over
he 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 enoughi but no more
certainly than He is in the water in the glass
IN the table. We say God guides the stars in
their courses. Magnificent truth but no
more certain truth than that He decides
which read or street you shall take in coming
- church. Understand that God does not sit
apon an indifferent or unsympathetic throne:
but that He sits down beside you to-day, and
.tands beside me to-day, and no affair of our
lives is Sd Insignificant but that it is of i'm
portauce to God.
In the first place, God chooses for us our
occupation. am amazed to see how many
people there are dissatisfied with the work
they have to do. | think three -fourths wish
they were in some other occupation; and
they SPEND great deal of time in regretting
tlaj they got in the wrong trade or profess
sion. l want to tell you that God put into
operation all the influences which led you to
that particular choice. Many of You are not
in the business that you expected to be in.
You started for the ministry, and learned
merchandise; you started for the law, and
you are physician; you preferred agricul-
ture, aud you are 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, kind God. a loving God
arranged all these circumstances by which
you were made what you are.
Hugh Miller says: 81 will be a stone
mason" Godsays: "You will bea geologist"
David goes out to tend his fathers sheep
God calls him to govern nation. Saul goes
out to hunt his fathers asses, and before be
gets back finds the crown of mighty domin
ion. How much happier would we be if we
were content with the places God gave us
God saw your temperament and all the cir
-A-----e sflPS-"'r'u iUr our trra. oerly meetin
we were pleased to have such disti
9uisneu uivlne with us as Rev. j.
Price. He preached in Zion church :
sunday afternoon to large congreg
ton. His sermon was interesting and we
delivered. Alright he preached in the \
e. Church South (white) to a large. ate,
tive mixed congregation. His sermo
was one of the best we ever heard. M
Price is said to be the first negro VIII
ever preached in white church at tn
place, but he will not be the last if a
VINO come after him do their part as we
as he. We have never, at this place ba
the pleasure of listening to such eloquenc
before. His subject was the "America
Negro and His Future, and he DIRE,
crowds of white and black around hir
here as only Price could do.
He said, ''if there be future for an
race 1t must be the power of intellect
ana then gave number of examines an,
tests OF the Negroes mental capacity ma
'i' &C. 7. B. Nj.
Monroe, Aug. 9TH.