St. Landry democrat., 1886-08-07
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
Third Discourse of the Series on
"Voices of Gardens and Fields"

The Bibles Fertility in Symbo1s-God'a
Observance of Little Things-An HUI
MAN Doings Arranged and Watched
Over by Loving Father.
Rev. 7. Dewitt Talmage delivered the
third of his series of discourses on "Voices
of Gardens and Fields" at "The Hamp.
TONS" taking for his subject 'The Cheap
Sparrow" and illustrating it from the fol.
lowing text:
Are not five snarrows sold for two farth.
sngs. and not one of them is forgotten before
God?-Luke xii, 6.
You see the Bible will not be limited In
che choice of symbols. There is hardly q
beast OF bird, or insect, which has not
been called to illustrate some divine truth
the ox's patience, the ants industry, the
SPIDERS skill, the kinds sure fcotedness,
the eagles speed, the doves gentleness,
and even the sparrow's meanness and
insignifcance. 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 it, what
there is of it. The comfortable population
would not think of touching it any more
than you would think of eating bat or q
iamprey. Now, says Jesus, if God takes
such good care of a poor bird that is not
worth a cent, won't he care for you, an
immortal?
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 continuance of the needle
gun, in the ruin Of an Austrian or Napo-
aeonic despotism; but how hard it is to see
God in the minute personal affairs of our
dives.
We think of God as making a record of
the starry hosts, but can not 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 can not appreciate the truth that, when
= 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; but 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 a Crom well, an
Alexander, or 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 is no such mist. He sees everything.
We say Gods path is in the great
waters. True enough, but no more GER
sainly 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-
eides which road or street you shall take
In coming to church. Understand that
God does not sit upon an Indifferent or
unsympathetic throne, but chat He 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 impor.
tan ce 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 oc-
cupation, and they spend great deal of |
time regretting that they got in the wrong
trade or profession. Iwant to tell you |
chat God put into operation all the infu- |
ences which led you to that particular |
choice. Many Of you are not in the bust |
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 not to sit down and mourn
over the past. You are to remember that
Coda benefcent God, kind God. a low
ing God-arranged all the circumstan ces
by which you were made what you are.
Hugh Miller says: 81 will be stone-
God says: s'You will be geolo-
gist." 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
q mighty dominion. How much happier
would we be IL we were content with the
places God gave usl God saw your tenn
permanent and all the circumstances by
which you were surrounded, and believe
of you are in the work you
are best fitted for"
hear great racket in my watch, and
ind that the hands and the wheels and
,he springs arc getting out of their places.
send It down to the jewelers. and say:
Overhaul that watch and teach the
wheels and the springs and the hands to
mind their own business"
You know a man having large estate.
lie gathers his working hands in the