The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1896-07-03
DIVINE BENIFICENCE.
DR.. Talmage Discourses Upon Gods
Protecting Care.
Tho Humblest of His Creatures are Equal
ly the Subject of His Watchful-
ness with the Greatest-Ho
Knows Best.

49,
based on the text:
Are not two sparrows sold for farthing
and one Of them shall net fall on the groun
without your Father. Matthew X, 90.
You see the Bible will not be Unite,
In the choice of symbols. There i
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 meanness and insignifi
canoe. 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 touch
ing it any more than you would think
of eating bat or lamprey. Now, says
Jesus, if God takes such good care of
will He not care for you, an immor-
tai?
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 Gunpowder plot in the contriv-
ance of the needle-gun, in the ruin of
an Austrian or Napoleonic despotism;
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 can not realize
the Bible truth that He knows how
ms hoi y-S
grand thing that God provided food
for hundreds of Israelites in the des-
ert; but we can not appreciate the
truth that, when sparrow 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 uni
verse with His presence, but can not |
understand how He encamps in the
crystal palace of dewdrop. or finds
room to 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 try to do it-expecting
Him there to act out His stupendous
projects; but we forget that the life of
a Cromwell, an Alexander, or a Wash
ington, 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 SO much favored Cesar. But there
SIS no such mist. He sees everything.
We say Gods path is in the great wa.
tiers. True enough; but no more GER
Ia inl fhar1 III t. l.. l
glass on the table. We say God guides ]
the stars in their courses. Magnificent 6
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 up :
on 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 in
significant but that it is of Importance :
to God. J,
In the first place. God chooses our
occupation for us. I am amazed to q
see how many people there are dissat- a
isted with the work they have to do !
think three-fourths wish they were 1
In some other occupation, and they
spend great deal of time regretting q
that they got ia the wrong trade or J
profession. L want to tell you that +
God put into operation all the infiu- y
ences which led you to that particular a
choice. Many of you are not in the a
business that you expected to be in. a
You started for the ministry and q
learned merchandise; you started for n
the law and you are physician: you v
preferred agriculture and you became
a mechanic. You thought one way; u
God thought another. But you ought =
not to sit down and mourn over the y
past. You are to remember that God h
all these circumstances by 4,
which you were made what you are. h
Hugh Miller says: 81 will be a 4
stonemason," God says: "You will be
a geologist." David goes out to at q
tend his fathers sheep; God called
him to govern a nation. Saul goes n
out to hut his fathers asses, and be- +
fore he gets back finds the crown of :,
regal dominion. How much happier II
would it be If we were content with n
the places God gave usi God saw your h
and all the circum- a
stances by which you were surround a
I'd, and believe nine-tenths of you "
are in the work you are best fitted for. 4,
hear great racket in my watch, and 8,
find that the hands and the wheels 4
md the springs are getting out of tc
heir places. sent Il dow to the jew n
,lers and say: Overhaul that watch, Al
ind teach the wheels. and the spring, al
Ind the hands to mind their own bust ~