The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1896-07-02
I.,A \! :. SERMON

.sAre there not two sparroWs sold for
"a farthing? and one OF them shall not
fall on the ground without your
father" 81;
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. ,A'surefootedness, the eagles
speed the doves gentleness and even
the sparroW's meanness and insignif-
canoe. In Oriental countries none but
the poorest people buy the sparrow
and eat it-so very little meat is there
on he bones, and so poor is it, what
there is Of it. The comfortable popula-
ton would not think Of touching itsany
more than you would think of eating
a bat or a lamprey. Now, says Jesus,
if God takes such good care of poor
bird that is not worth a cent, will he
not care for you, an immortal?
We associate God with revolutions.
We can see a divine purpose in the
discovery of America, in the inyen-
ton Of the art of printing, in the ex-
posure of the GunpoWder plot, in the
continuance Of the needle-gun in the
ruin of the Austrian or Napoleonic des-
potism; but how hard it is to see God
in the minute personal affairs of our
lives! We think Of God as making a
record of the starry host, but cannot
realize the Bible truth that he knows
how many hairs are on our head. 1t
seems a grand thing that God provided
food for hundreds of thousands of
Israelites in the desert; but we cannot
appreciate the truth that when a SPAR
row is hungry, God stoops down and
opens it's 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 dewdrop, or
finds room to stand between the ala
Ibaster 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-expect-
ing him there to act out his stupendous
projects, but we forget that the life
of a Cromwell, and Alexander, or a
Washington, or an archagel, 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 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. Mag
niticent 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 unsympa-
thetic 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 i'm
portance to God.
In the first place, God chooses our
occupation for us. I am amazed to
Ssee how many people there are dissat-
isfied with the work they have to do.
/ think three-fourths wish they were
in some other occupation, and they
spend great deal of time in regretting
that they got in the wrong trade or
profession. I want to tell you that
God put into operation all the inf1u-
~cnces which led you to that particular
choice. Many OF you are not in the
business that you expected to be in.
You started for the ministry and learn
ed merchandise; you started for the
law and you are a physician; you pre-
ferred 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 arrang-
ed all these circumstances by which
YOU were made what you are.
Hugh Miller says: 81 will be Il
-stonemason;" God says, You will be 4
gcologist." David goes out to attend
his fathers sheep; God calls him to
govern a nation. Saul gous out to hunt
his fathers asses, and before he gets
back finds the crown of regal domin-
ion. How much happier would we be
al we were content with the places
God gave us! God saw your tcmpera-
ment and all the circumstances by
which you were surrounded, and be-
licve nine-tenths of you are in the work
you are best fitted for. l hear a great
racket in my 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,
<'Overhaul that watch and teach the
wheels, and the spring, and the hands
to mind their own business You
Know a man having a large estate. He
gathers his working hands in the
morning and says to one, you go and
trim that vine;" to another, "You go
and weed those flowers to another,
"'You plow that tough glebc;'' and each
one goes to his particular work. The
owner of the estate points the man to
what he knows he can do best, and so
1t is with the Lord.
remark further that God has ar
ranged 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 you happen to pass
up a certain street. and happen to see
Il sign, and you select that house. Was
it all happening so? Oh, no! Goo
guided you in every step: He foresaW
the future. He knew all your circum
stances, and he selected just that one
house as better for you than any OF
the 10000 habitations in the city. Oul
house, however humble the roof anC
however lowly the portals, is as neal
Gods heart as an Alhambra or {
Kremlin. Prove it, you say. Proverbs
iii.: 33, '.He blesseth the habitation o.
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