Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1897-03-11
THE DIVINE SUPERINTENDENT.
God Cares for All That Influences
Human Character

00d C0rco TOT AIl Tn0t InmuenCGO
Human Character.
The Divine superintendent of the
workings of the universe and OF the af-
fairs If men is an important article of
ChrisJian belief. Nobody who believes
in prayer doubts it. God, we say, is in
the events of history, in the work Of
His church, and is not unmindful of
the doings Of the wicked. But it is one
thing to have a general article of belief,
1t is another to realize the truth OF il.
Practically, most men limit the Di-
vine superintendence to certain fields
Of operation. They see Gods power
in the universe and the evidence Of
His laws in natures; they believe He
gives close attention to things embraced
in the religious sphere, and they love
to think that the conduct of every in
dividual Is a matter of concern to Him.
But there are many things of value
and interest to them with which they
in no wise associate Him. They are
little things, too little for the Almighty
to care about. For example, there are
multitude of personal acts assumed to
be morally colorless. The question OF
right or wrong does not enter into
them. The infinite Father, absorbed
with greater concerns, makes no note
of them.
Is this really so? Not IL the words
of Christ mean anything. The hairs Of
your head are all numbered. There Is
nothing which concerns you which es-
capes the Divine attention. He who
numbers the hairs of the head knoweth
also the thoughts of the heart Ifnoth-
ing, even so insignificant n thing as
the hair of the head or a thought OF
the heart, is unknown to Him, of course
nothing is unobserved by Him. The
Divine superintendent is not confined
to great things, such as flying worlds,
the fate OF nations, the work of the
church, the spread of intelligence, the
deepening of conscience, the improve
ment of n peoples morals. 1t is all
If not even sparrow
falls without Divine observation, or n
sheep is lost without awakening Divine
concern, surely human thoughts and
actions, human joys and sufferings,
little though they may be, claim Di-
vine consideration; for man is OF
or many sheep.
The thought that One whose eye
never slumbers, whose hand never rests,
is in vigilant superintendent over
every individual life, mny be pleasant or
distressful, according to our relation
to Him. While His mercies come to
oil, His promises are to them who love
been conformed to His likeness that
the reality of His constant supermtend-
ence is most precious. The Lord Ia
mindful of His own. His own are
precious to Him. He knows their down
sitting and their uprising, understands
their thoughts afar Oft, and is acquaint-
ed with all their ways. No act or
thought or experience is too little to
escape Him. ..a..
1t follows that life is larger and more
comprehensive and more important
than many have supposed. My Father
cares about everything that ] care
about. The thoughts and acts which
seem too little to concern Him are not
unimportant to me, and therefore not
unimportant TO Him. They go to make
or mar character, and that is of supreme
concern. When those great lenses
which give modern telescopes such
wondrous power are nearly completed
all polishing tools are laid aside, and
they are brought TO their delicate per-
lection by touches of the thumb dipped
in the finest of rouge. The lines OF
finty glass are changed by so light
thing as the finger-tip. Character is
perfected by little touches. And it Is
beautiful thing that the Infinite Be-
ing who made the worlds and holds
them in His mighty hand superintends
with wondrous patience and surpass-
ing gentleness every process In shaping
and perfecting the character.
Does this truth make life seem greater
and more difficult and more respon-
siblc? If so IT. also enlarges the COM
pass of prayer and makes the Divine
fellowship more real and helpful
". Y. IndeDendent.