Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-09-12
IN TIE CHURCHES.
ALL THE CITY PASTORS IN THEIR
ruLpIrs SUNDAY.
Mr.. BARR BACK FROM EUROPE,
e He breaches TO His Congregation or
the subject of God's Wntchfutness
Baptist Churches.

The attendance on the churches Sun
day was much the largest since the earl!
summer Nearly all the ministers wer,
In their pulplis. The exercises every
where were bright and into them oil IN
people entered heartily.
Rev. w. A. Barr preached to his peopl
at Monumental Episcopal church. Re
pairs are still going on at the church
and the only service held was Sunday
morning. In the lecture-room. Mr.. Bari
took as his tex; Matthew X. 29-Sl
p. Are not two sparrows sold for a
farthing and one Of them shall not fall
TO the ground without your Father.
~. But the very hairs OF your head
are all numbered.
81. Fear ye not. therefore. We are Of
more value than many sparrows.
Using this illustration Of the sparrow,
Mr.. Barr said: "The Lord Jesus enforces
what we may designate as the most
extreme form Of the doctrine Of Gods
universal providence. The sparrow is
here the symbol OF the apparently in
significant in the worlds economy. The
sparrow was Of so little value among
men that two OF them sold for almost
nothing And yet this insignificant spar
row could not fall 10 the ground without
the notice OF the Father in Heaven. And
~ this were true, how much more did
the most trifiing concerns OF man. made
I'm the sublime image OF Cod engage the
attention Of the Father?
There can be no doubt that the Saviour
both I'm life and word. illustrated and
emphasized the doctrine Of Providence.
And this. among other things essen
ha
the heather conception Of God. Too
often the heather thought OF God has
been that satirized by the prophet as
OF one who Is asleep or absent upon a
journey. Nay" continued the preacher
1T IL frequently the conception Of the
most enlightened philosophy. In its view
God sits somewhere far apart from
the universe, wrapped in the cloud Of
His majesty. watching the machine He
has made run down. Not only 50. but
too often the Christian. In his ordinary
thought. puts limitation upon Gods
providence. He thinks of it as concerned
with the great affairs Of the world and
human destiny but as not reaching to
the minute details of life. This view is
commonly expressed in a distinction
drawn between a general and particular
providence.
but this distinction is as illogical as
II Is unchristian. Who does rot know
that the greatest events Of history turn
upon incidents that seem trihing to hu-
man gaze? 1t Is but a trifie that Joseph
should be sent TO his brethren upon
certain day; but a trihe that the mer-
chants should be passing that way, and
yet upon these trifes will turn the future
history Of the people of God. And many
an individual has felt that the whole
"a of fc o., 81
incident as trihing as the choice OF one
street rather than another upon a par
ticular day. The fact is that unless what
people choose 10 designate as a particu-
lar providence be true. there exists no
providence Of any kind.
GODS PROVIDENCE EVER.
In an experience such as mine during
the past summer, one is impressed with
the fact OF Gods providential care in
peculiarly forceful way. Journcying day
by day and week by week over land. and
sea I'm circumstances that we instructive
~ associate with possibilities Of disaster,
one is made to feel that only through
Gods protecting care may he reach the
haven where he would be- And yet. what
Is thus wildly impressed on us is just as
truly going forward I'm the most prosaic
circumstances of life. 1t is Of the Lords
mercies that we are not consumed; they
are new every morning.
There are two mysterious facts con-
nected with Gods care and rule in hui
man AFFAIRS. one is that man is free to
choose and plan himself, and yet God
works ont his own plans with no inter-
ference in mans freedom. And the other
is that. while Gods providence is exercis-
ed In blessing to His creatures they seem
TO have IL in their power TO abuse that
providence. lie marks out q path OF
blessing for each of us, but IL is ours,
either TO find or miss IT, We can find
and keep IL only through faith and obed-
ence. And only when we live from day
TO day. having our life hid with Christ
in God, can we find and keep that path
that as the shining light, will grow
brighter and brighter unto the perfect
day"
Methodist sunday-schooI Society.
The regular monthly meeting OF the
Methodist sunday-School Society OF Rich
mond was held at Little Trinity church
Sunday afternoon at $3.50 o'clock. Hon
Addison Maupin presiding, DR.. f. w.
Stiff secretary