Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-07-19
SpARROWS OF THE BIBLE
TALMAGE EXPLAINS ANOTHER
FAMOUS SYMBOL.

Whence the ErfGn0 comes ~ nSh III ah
kind Ia in Need-Ihe Fruttiessness OF
worryipg-Rutbipg Out Sin and Be-
ginning Agsin.
''THE HAMPToNs," LoSG sLAND, July
tS.-The Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage. DID,,
10 continuing his series OF sermons on
"Noices OF Gardens aud Fields" His
subject today was: THE Cheap Spar
row." and the text, Luke xii, 6: Are
not five sparrows sold for two farthngs,
and not one Of them is forgotten before
God?' Following Is the discourse in
full:
You see the Bible VIII not be limited in the
choice Of symbols. There is hardly a beas ,
or bird or in scot which has not been called TO
illustrate some divine truth-the OK patlenc",
the ants ind ustry, tie SPIDERS SKIN, the nina :
sure-footednCss, the eagles speed, the o'Ne :
gentleness, and even the sparrow meanntSs
and insigni fcance. In oriental countries
none but the poorest people buy the sparrow
and eat it-so very little meat Il there on the
bones. and SO very poor Is ~, what there Is 81
it, The comfortable population would not
tnink OF touching { any more than you Woul1
think Of eating bat or lamprel Now, Sa'
Jesus. If God takes such good care OF poor
bird that ID not worth cent, won't he care fof
you, an immortaf
We associate God with revolutions. We
can zee a divine purpose in the discovery OF
Amer ca, in the invention OF the ART oil PRINT
ing, in the Exposure OF the gunpoWder plot,
IN the Contrlyance Of the needle gun, IN the
ruin Of an Austrian or NapoeonIc des potism;
but how hard 1t Il to see col in the minute
persona affairs Of our lives. W G think OF God
a making a record Of the starry host, but
cannot realize the Bible truth that he knows
how MANY hairs are on our head. II seems a
grand thing that Goa provided food for nun
dreds of thousands OF Israelites n the desert;
but we cannot Apprc late The truth that
when sparrow is hungry. Cod s'oops dow
and opens js mouth and puts the seed in. Wn
are struck with the idea that tod ms the
universe with His presence: but CannOe
understand how He encamps IN the crystat
palace Of dew drop, or finds room
20 stand, without being crowded,
between the alabaster pillows Of pond lily.
We can see GOD in the clouds. Can we see
God In these flowers at our feetT " e are apt
TO place trod on some great stage-or to try to
do tex Getting Him there to act out His
BtupendOus projects; but We forget that the
life Of a CrOm well. an Alexander, or Wash
Ington, or an SrchangeI, Is not more under
divine inspection than your lie or mine.
Pompey thought there must be a mist over
the eyes OF God because He much favored
Casar But there is no such mist. He sees
everything. We say Gods path IS in the great
waters. True enough! bat 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 truth! but no more GER
tain truth than that He decides which road
street you shall take in coming to church.
Understand that God does not sit upon an m
different or uusympaJhet1c throne, but that
He sits down beside you to-day, and stands
beside me 10 day, and no affair of our lives IS
30 insignificant but that 1t is Of Importance 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 wis
they were in some other occupation, and the
spend great deal of time in regretting that
they got IN the wrong trade or profession |
want to tell yOu that God put into operation
al the Influences which led you TO that par
hcular choice. Many of you are not in the
business that you expected to be in. You
started for the ministry and learned ner-
ohandIse; You started for the law and you
are physician; you preferred agriculture
and you became a mechanic. You thought
one way; God thought another But YOU
ought not to sit down and mourn over the
past. gu are TO remember that Cod a ben
sdoont God. kind God a loving Cedar
ranged ali these circumstances by which you
were made what you are.
Hugh Miller says: II viii be a stonemason."
Sod SAYS: you will be a geologist" David
goes out to tend his fathers sheep: God calls
him to govern nation. Saul goes out 10 hunt
his fathers asses, and before he gets back finds
the crown Of mighty dominion. How much
happier YOU d we be If we were content with
the places God gave us! God saw your tenn
permanent and ali the circumstances by which
you were surrounded, and | believe nine
tenths of you are in the work you are best
fitted for.
! hear a great racket in nv watch, and
find that the hands, and the wheels. and the
springs are getting out Of their places. |
send it down TO the jewelers. and say: cover
haul that watch, and teach the wheels, and
the spring, and the hands to mind their own
business"
You know a man haying a large estate.
He gathers his working hands III the morning,
and says to one: You go and turn that
vine - 10 another: ~ GU go and weed those
flowers" to another: "You plow that tough
gebe - and each one goes to his particular
nj hA az inf . ,a
man to what he knows he can do best, ana 50
il rs with the Lord. He calls us up and points
Us 10 That neld for which we are best fitted.
SO that the lesson for to-day, coming from
this subject, Is; Stay cheerfully where God
puts YOU"
remark further: That God has arranged
the place Of our dwelling. What particular
city OF town, street or house. you shall live in,
seems to be q mere matter of accident. You
90 ont to hunt for house, and you happen to
pass mp certain street, aud happen to see
rign. and you select that house. Was it all
happening soF o, no! God guided you in
every step. He forcsaw the future. He knew
all your crcumstances, and he selected lust
that ore house as better for you than any one
Of the ten thousand hsbtations in the city.
Our house, however humble the roof and how
ever lowly the portals. is rs near Gods heart
a. an Aiham bra or a Kremlin. Prove il, you
say: Proverbs ill.,, 30: He blesseth the habi-
tation Of the just
remark further: That God arrapges all
our friendships. GU were driven to the wall
!
pathized with you and helped you. You say:
SHOW lucky | was" There was no luck
hbout it. God sent that friend Just as certain
rs he sent the angel to strengthen ChrIat
Yonr domestic friends, your business friends,
your Christian friends, God sent them to bes
you, and If any Of them have proved traitor
Gus, 1t is only TO bring out the value Of those
who remain. II some die. IT ia only that they
may stand at the outpost of heaven to greet
you at your coming.
You always Will have frends-warm
hearted friends, magnanimous friends: and
when sickness comes tn your dwelling, there
will be watchers; when trouble comes to your
heart, there will be sympathlzers: when
death comes, there viii be gentle fingers "a
close the eyes and fold the hands and gentle
lips to tell of a resurrection. .. we are com
passed bya bOdYguard OF friends! Every man
If he ha behaved himself well. is surrounded
by three circles Of frieuds-tho-c of the outer
circle wishing him well; those m the next
circle willing 10 help him While close up %
bis heart are few who would die for him.
God pity the wretch VINO has not any friends
He has not behaved we'll
remark again: That Col puts down the
limit TO oar temporal prosperity. The world
OF finances seems . have no God in il. You
cannot tell where a man VIII land The anu
cot fall, the poor rise The ingenious iail;
the ignorant succeed. An enterprise opening
grandly shuts IN bankruptcy. while out 81 h
the millionaire builds his fortune. Ihe poor
man thinks it 10 chance that kecpt him down;
the rich man thinks IL is chance which hoistf
INN: aud they are both wrong. ltls SO hard
to realize that God rules the money market
aud has hook in the nose nj Tho gt ppL IN.