The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1896-07-02
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
THE NOTED DIvINE's SUNDAY
DISCOURSE.
Subject: "God In Everything"


the ground without your Father. MATTHEW
K, 20.
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 ox's
patience, the ants industry, the spiders
skill, the kinds surefootedness, the eagles
speed, the doves gentleness, and even the
sparrow's meanDess and insignit1cance. In
oriental cOuntGes none but the poorest peo-
pie buy the sparrow and eat it--so very little
meat is there Oh the bones, and so very poor
is 1t what there is of it. The comfortable
population would not think of touching it
any more than you would think of eating a
bat or a lamprey. Now. says Jesus, If God
takes such good care of a poor bird that is
not worth a cent, will He not care for you.
an 1mmOrtaP
We associate God with revolutions. We
,, can see divine purpose in the discovery of
America, in the invention of the art of print
ing. in the exposure of the gunpowder plot.
in the continuance of the needle gun, in the
ruin of an Austrian or Napoleonic despo-
tism; 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
be 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 a 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 cannot understand how he encamps in
| the crystal palace of a dew drop, or finds
| room 10 stand between the alabaSter pillars
| of the pond lily. We can see God in the
clouds. 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 projets but
we forget that the life of a Cromwell. an
Alexander or Il Washington or an archangel
| is not more under divine inspection than
your life or mine. Pompey thought there
| must be mist over the eyes Of God because
He 50 much favored Caesar. But there is no
| such mist. He SEES everything. We say
| Gods path is IN the great waters. True
| enough; but 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 certain
| truth than that He decides which road or
street you shall take in coming to church.
| Understand that God does not sit upon an
| Indifferent or unsympathetic throne, but that
He sits down beside you to-day, and stands
beside me to-day. and no affair of our lives
is so insignificant but that it is of import
ance to God.
In the first place. God chooses our occu-
patton for u.s. 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 OF her occupation, and they
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
all the influences which led you to that par
ticular choice. Many of you are not in the
InnC hot ,L,,i{ - h.,
started for the ministry and learned mer-
chandise; 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. You are to remember that God
arranged all these circumstances by which
you were made what you are.
Hugh Miller says, Il will be stone
mason" God says, You will be a geolo-
gist." David goes out to attend his father S
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 regal
dominion. How much happier would We be
II we were content with the places God gave
US! God saw your temperament and all the
circumstances by which you were surround
ed. and believe nine-tenths of you arc in
the work you are best fitted for. 1 hear a
great racket in my watch, and I find that
the hands. and the wheels. and the spring
are getting out of their places. ] send it
down to the jewelers. and say, "Overhaul
that watch and teach the wheels. and the
spring, and the hands to mind their OWL
business" You know man having large
estate. He gathers his working hands in the
morning, and says to one, 'You 80 and trim
that vine;" to another, "You 80 and weed
those flowers" to another. "You plow that
tough glebe;" and each one goes to his par
ticular work. The owner of the estate
points the man to what he knows he can dc
best, and so it is with the Lord.
l remark further that God has arranged
the place of our dwelling. What particular
city or town. street or house you shall live
IN seems to be mere matter of accident
You go out to hunt for house, and yor
happen to pass up certain street. and hap
pen to see sign, and you select that house.
; Was It all happening so? Oh, no! God
guided you in every step. He foresaw the
future. He knew all your circumstances
and He selected just that one house as bet
ter for you than any of the 10000 habita
, lions IN the city. Our house, however hum
BILE the roof and however lowly the portals
Is as near Gods heart as an Alhambra or
kremlln. Prove it, you say. Proverbs iii.
80, He blesseth the habitation of the Just.
remark further that God arranges all GU
friendships. You were driven to the wall
Aou Iouho q iiidu just DIT that CTlSlS WHO sym
pathlzed with you and helped you. 70,
say, "How lucky l was!" There was n
luck about it. God sent that friend lust a
certainly as He sent the angel to strengthen
Christ. Your domestic friends, your bust
ness friends. your Christian friends, God sen
them to bless you, and if any of them hav
proved traitorous, it is only to bring out tn
value of those who remain. If some die,
Is only that they may stand at the outpost
OF heaven to greet you at your coming.
You always will have friends, warm heart
cd friends, magnanimous friends, and whe
sickness comes to your dwelling there wi
be watchers. When trouble comes to YOU
heart. there will be sympathizers. Whe
death comes there will be gentle fingers I
close the eyes ana fold the hands and gentl
lips 10 tell of a resurrection. Oh we are con
passed by a bodyguard of friends! Ever
man, il he has behaved himself well, is SUI
rounded by three circles of friends-those {
the outer circle wishing him well; those j
the next circle willing to help him; Will
close up to his heart are a few who would di
for him. God pity the wretch who has nc
any friends.
remark again, that God puts dow
the limit to our temporal prosperit,
The world of finance seems to have n
God in it. You cannot tell where a man wi
land. The affiuent fall; the poor rise. Th
! ingenious fail; the ignorant succeed A
|, | ENTERPRISE Oppninty prauIIv chut, in 10 1