The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1886-09-03
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
Third Discourse Of tho Series on
"Voices of Gardens and Fields"
The Bibles Fertility In symbols-God's
Observance of Little Things-An Hu-
man Doings Arranged and Watched
Over by . Loving Father.

Rev. T. Dewitt Tnlmage delivered the
third of his series Of discourses on "Voices
! of Gardens and Fields" at "The Hamp.
tons,n taking for his subject "The Cheap
Sparrow" and illustrating it from tue fol.
lowing text:
| Are not i've sparrows sold for two farth-
| ings and not one of them 10 forgotten before
God?-Luke Kill. g.
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 hind's sure foo. edness,
the eagles speed, the doves gentleness,
and even the sparrow's mepnness and
insignificance. 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 hat or q
lamprey. Now, says Jesus, il God takes
such good care of poor bird that Is not
worth Q cent, won't he care for you, an
immortalf
We associate God with revolutions. We
can see 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 1t 10 to see
God in the minute personal affairs Of our
lives.
We think Of God as making q record of
the starry hosts, but can not realize the
Bible truth that he knows how many hairs
are on our head. II 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
q 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 . dewdrop, or finds room to
stand without being crowded between the
alabaster pillars of 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 q Crom well, an
Alexander, or q 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 il no such mist. He sees everything.
We say Gods path Is in the great
waters. True enough, but no moro 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. Understand that
God does not sit upon m Indifferent or
unsympathstic throne, but that He sits
down beside you to-day, and stands be-
side me to-day, and no affair Of our lives
II 80 Insignificant but that Il IL Of impor.
tance to God.
In the first place God chooses for rs 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 &C.
cupation, and they spend q great deal Of
time regretting that they got in the wrong
trade or profession. Iwant 10 tell you
that God put into operation all the influ-
snces which led you to that particular
choice. Many Of you are not in the busi-
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 mechanic. You
thought one way, God thought another.
But You ought mot to sit down and mourn
over the past. You are TO remember that
Coda beneficent God, kind God, q Low.
Ing God-arranged all the circumstances
by which you were made what you are.
Hugh Miller says: 81 will be stone
mason.n God says: "You will be geolo-
gist." David goes out to tend his fathers
sheep; God calls him TO govern q 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 usi God saw your tenn
permanent and all the circumstances by
which you were surrounded, and believe
n'ne-tenths Of You are in the work Won
are best fitted for"
hear great racket in my watch. aud l |
ind that the hands and the wheels and |
the springs are getting out Of their places.
I send it down to the jewelers. and say:
"Overhanl that watch aud teach the |
wheels and the springs and the hands to |
mind their own business"
You know . man having large estate.
He gathers his working hands in the |
and says to one, "You 70 and |
trim that vine;" 10 another, "You 20 and |
weed those nowers;" 10 another, "You
plow that tough glebe, !" and each one goes
to his particular work. The owner of the |
. tate points the man to what he knows |
he can do best; and 20 IL ID with the Lord. |
He calls us up and points us to that field
for which We are best fitted. So that the |
lesson Tor to-day, coming from this SUBJ
ject, IL: "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
accident You 60 ont to hunt for house.
And you happen to pass up certain
street, and happen to Gee . sign and you
select that house. Was it oil happenine