Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1896-07-03
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
The Eminent Washington pivine'S
Sunday Sermon.
Subject: "GOd is Everything"
bject: "GOd is EverYthinG."


tho ground without your Father. "-MattAeW
y. 49,
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, tho spiders
skill, the hind's surefootedncss, the eagles
speed, the doves gentlepess. and even the
sparrOw's meanness and inslgniilcance. In
oriental countries none but the poorest peO-
pie buy the sparrow and eat it-sO very little
meat is there on the bones, and 50 very poor
is it what there is Of it, The comfortable
population would not think Of touching 1t
any more than you would think of eating
bat or lamprey. Now. says Jesus. ii God
takes such good care of Il poor bird that is
not worth a cent. will He not care for you,
an immortaI
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 cOntriyance Of the needle gun, in the
ruin Of an Austrian or NapOlcOnic dc5po-
tism: but how hard it IS 10 see God in the
minute personal affairs OF our liyes We
think Of God as making 4 record Of the starry
host, but cannot realize the Bible truth that
he knows how many hairs are on our head.
It seens n grand thing that God provided
food for hundreds of thousands Of lsraelites
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 ilncs
room 10 stand between the alabaster pillars
OF the pond lily. We can see Col 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 projects. but
we forget that the life Of n Cromwell, an
Alexander or q Washington or an archanGel
is not more under divine inspection than
your life or mine Pompey thought there
must be a 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 certainly than lie is IN
the water in the glass on the table. We say
God guides tbs stars in their courses.
Magnificent truth But no moro certain
truth than that He decides which road or
street you shall take in coming to church.
Understand that Col does not sit upon an
Indifferent or unsympathetic throne, but that
He sits down beside you to-day, and stands
beside me today, and no affair oI our lives
IS 50 insignificant but that it is Of import
ance to God.
In the first place. God chooses our Occu-
patton for us. 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 otherOccupation, and they
spend great deal of time in regretting that
they got in the wrong trade or profession. l
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
business that you expected to be in. You
started for the ministry and learned mer-
chandise you started for the law and you
are Il physician; you preferred agriculture
and you became mechanic. You thought
one way; God thought another. But You
ought not 10 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. II will be a stone
mason" God says, "You will be gsolo-
gist" David goes out to attend his fathers
sheep; God calls him to govern nation.
Saul goes out TO hunt his fathers asses. AMI
before he gets back finds the crown Of regal
dominion. How much happier would we be
if we were content with the places God gave
circumstances by which you were surround
ed. and believe nine-tenths of you are in
the work you are best fitted for | hear Il
great racket in my watch, and / find that
the hands, and the wheels, and tho spring
are getting ont Of their Places. ] send it
down to the jewelers. and say, "Oyerhaul
that watch and teach the wheels. and the
spring, and the hands to mind their own
business" Ycu know man having large
estate. He Gathers his working hands in the
morning, and says to one, "Iou 80 and trim
that vine" TO another, "YOu 80 and weed
those flowers" to another. "YOu plOw that
tough g,ebe;" and each one goes to his par
ticular WORK. The owner Of the estate
points the man to what he knows he can do
best, and 50 it is with the Lord.
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 a Tere matter Of accident.
You 90 out to hunt for a house and you
happen to pass up Il certain street. and hap
pon 10 see Il sign, aud YOU select that house.
Was it all happening 50? Oh. no! God
guided you in every step. He forcsaw 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-
tions in the city Our house. however hum
bic the roof and however lOwiy the portals,
is as near Gods heart as an Alhambra or =
| kremlin. Prove it. you say. Proverbs ILL,
SO. He blesseth the habjtatOn of the just. "
remark further that God arranges all our
friendships. You were driven to the wall.
You found a man Just at that crisis who SYM
pathIzed with you and helped you. You
say, "How lucky l wasi" There was no
luck about it, God sent that friend just as
certainly AS He sent the angel to strengthen
Christ. Your domestic friends, your bus-
ness friends. your Christian friends. God sent
them to bless you, and if any Of them have
proved traitorous, it is CnIy to bring out the
value of those who remain. If some die, 1t
is only that they may stand at the outposts
of heaven to greet you at your coming
| You always will have friends, warm heart
Cd friends, magnanimOus friends, AMI when
sickness comes To your dwelling there will
! be watchers. When trouble comes TO yOur
heart, there will be sympathizers. When
Ceath comes there will te gentle fingers 20
close the eyes ana fold the hands and gentle
| lips 10 tell Of resurrection. Oh. we are com
passed by bOdyguard Of friends! Every
| man. If he has behaved himself well, Is sur
rounded by three circles Of frcnds-thOse Oi
the outer circle wishing him well; those in
the next circle willing to help him; while
close up TO his heart are a few who would die
Tor him. God pity the wretch who has not
any friends!
/ remark again that God puts dowr
the limit to our temporal prosperity
The world Of finance seems to have NJ
God in it. You cannot tell where a man will
land. The afiuent fall; the poor rise. The
ingenious fail; the ignorant succeed. AT
enterprise opening SrandIy, shuts in bank
ruptcy, while out of the peat dug up from
some New England marsh the millionaire
builds his fortune. The poor man THINKS j
is chance that kceps him down; the ricl