St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1896-08-15

} that! Mark thatl
remark again. that all those things
that seem to b but accidents IN our
lie are under the Divine supervision.
We sometimes seem to Be Roinr helm.
taees and anchorlesA You SAY: s.n I
had some other trade; II I had not
gone there this summer; IL 1 had lived
IN some other house" You have NO
right to say that. Every tear you
wspt, every step you have taken, every
burden you have carried, il under
Divine inspection, and that event
which startled your whole household
with horror God met with perfect
placidity. because He knew IL was for
your good. 1t was part Of great plan
projected long ago. In eternity, when
You come to reckon up your mercies,
you will point to that afIliction Is one
OF your greatest blessings.
God has . strange way with us. Jo-
seph found his way to the prime min.
isters chair by being pushed into .
pit; and to many . Christian down h
mp The wheat must be failed; the
quarry must DO blasted; tho diamond
must be ground; the Christian must be
amicted; and that single event, which
you supposed stood entirely alone, was
the connecting link between two great
chains. and one chain reaching through
all eternity past and the other chain
reaching through all eternity future
90 small in event fastening two eterni-
ties together.
A missionary, coming from India to
the United States. stopped 1t st. Helena
while the vessel was taking water. He
had his little child with him. They
walked along by IN embankment, and
. rock Ut that moment became loosened
and. falling, instantly killed the child.
Was 1t IN accident? Was It . surprise
to God? Had He allowed his servant,
after life Of consecration, to come to
such trial? Not such 10 my God.
There arc no accidents In the Divine
mind, though they may seem 20 to us.
God 10 good, ana by every single incl
dent Of our life, whether II be adverse
or otherwise. before earth and Heaven,
God will demonstrate His mercy.
/ hear . man say: "That idea be-
Titles God. You bring Him down to
such little thinga" Oh, I have more
thorough appreciation of God in little :.
things than I have in great thinesl
Tho mother docs not wait until the
child has crushed its foot or broken its
arm before she administers sympathy.
Tho child comes in with othe least
bruiss and the mother kisses It. God
does not wait for some tremendous
crisis in our life, but comes down to M
In our most insignihcant trials. and
throws over M the arms Of His mercy.
Going up the White mountains some
years ago, ! thought Of that passage In |
the Bible that speaks Of God - weigh |
Ing mountains in the balance. A l |
looked ut those great mountains I |
thought: Can It be possible that God
can put these great mountains In
scales? It was an idea too great for |
me to grasps but when saw . blue |
boil down by the mules foot, on my |
way mp Mount Washington, then un-
derstood tho kindness and goodness Of |
God. 1t II not 20 much Of God In great |
things can understand, but of God IN |
little thingA
There IL . man who says: "That
doctrine can not be true, because
things do 90 20 very wrong" reply
1t 10 no Inconsistency on the part Of
God. but . lack Of understanding on our
part hear that men are making very
fine shawls In some factory. 60 In ON
the first floor. and SEQ only the raw ma
terials, and I ask: ''Are these the shawls
have heard about?" "No." says the
manufacturer; go up to the next
hoor;" and 20 up. and there l begin
to sec the design. But the man says:
do not stop here, 60 up to the top
door Of the factory, and You will SEQ
the idea fully carried out" do 90,
and. having como to the top. sec
tho complete pattern of an ex-
quisite shawl. So in our life, stand
ing down on . low level Of Chris
tian experience, We do not under.
stand Gods dealinga He tells NJ to
60 up higher and higher, until we be-
gin to understand tho Divine meaning
with respect to us, and We advance un.
til we stand ut the very gate Of
Heaven. and there sec Gods idea all
ont-a perfect idea Of mercy,
Of love, Of xindnesA And We say;
Just and true are all Thy waya" It
Il all right at tho top. Remember,
there Is NO inconsistency on the part
Of God, but 1t is only our mental and
spiritual incapecity.
Some OF You may be disappointed
this summer-vacations arc apt to be
isappointments-but whatever your
and worriments. know
that MANS heart deviseth his way;
that the Lord directeth his steps"
Ask these aged men In this church
4 It IL not 30. It has heen 90 in my
own life. Ono summer started for
the Adirondacks, but my plans were 20 {
changed that landed in Liverpool. 1
studied law and l got into the minis !
Try. resolved to 60 ~ . missionary /
% China, and stayed in tho !
United States. 1 thought would like c
70 be In the east, and went to the I
vest; all the circumstances Of life, all !
ny work, different from that which I
expected. "A mans heart deviseth
his way, but the Lord directeth his
steps"
So. my dear friends, this day take
home this subject Be content with
uch things as you have. From every
rrass blade under your feet learn
he less on Of Divine care, and never 4
ct the smallest bird hit across
rour path without thinking Of the
ruth. that two sparrows arc sold for E
farthinR, and ono of them shall not {
all on the ground without your Father. t
Blessed 30 His glorious name forever. o
Amen. .
Mans 0ooo04ooo. .
What wonders We arel What cana =
'ilities We have! What resources are I,
ura Resources b thought, resouresS d
{ love, resources Of energy. We may i,
raw upon them, but we can not or. n
aust them. They are inexhaustible. n
he powers within M ere Of God, for h