The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-07-16
Ca;(nnage
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaee, d. D.

hos Angeles, Cal., July l4.-ln TINS
sermon, melodious with the songs ant
fragrant with the odors of the summer
woods, we are taught the lesson OF
Gods love and providence for all his
creatures. The text is Luke xii. 6
Not one Of them Is forgotten before
God"
What are Gods providences? well
you answer, ITO use plain. simple. prac
teal. Ineligible English. they mean
Gods watchful and protecting care
over his creatures. For instance
have little baby born into the world
l do not go and leave my little one as
founding upon some doorstep, with
the cold snow for a pillow and with
the whistling January winds for a
lullaby. But l, as loving parent
take care that she has soft crib In
which to sleep AS she grows older |
care for her and provide for her until
at last she is able to take care of her
self. Now. II do all this for my child
| do fathers duty and prove myself
prOvident parent. When we.speak Of
Gods providences we speak about the
divine Fathers care for his human off
spring and for the preservation of his
animal. vegetable and mineral world
How comforting is the thought Of
the divine care! Even Thomas Carlyle,
the gloomy. Respondent philosopher.
felt 1t. In a letter to friend he wrote:
Thy Will I've done What else can
we say? The other night in my sleep
less tossings about, which were grow
Ing more and more miserable, these
words of that brief. grand prayer came
strangely into my mind as II written
with an altogether new emphasis. as If
written and shining for me in mild.
pure splendor on the black bosom Of
the night there. Then 1. as It were.
read them word by word with sud
den softness Of cOmposure which was
unexpected. Not perhaps for thirty or
forty years had once formally re-
pcated that prayer-nay. never felt
before how intensely the voice of mans
soul It is" What did Carlyle mean by
those sentences? He meant that man
as a helpless child was reaching mp to
God. because God. as a loving Father.
was always reaching down toward his
children.
But. though l should always realize
that God is loving Father caring for
me. his child. yet sometimes / am
willful enough to blind my eyes to this
divine fact. Therefore Christ comes
TO me and says. "Child, I would have
you learn the divine Fathers love
from study In natural history" Then
he takes me down into the busy mar
kets Of Jerusalem where food Is being
sold. He goes up to the counter Of one
If the stalls and says to the salesman
How much Is one Of these little spar
rows WORTH" "Oh." answers the
clerk. these sparrows are worth
practically nothing! They are only a
few of the millions Of small birds we
see flying about the hillsides and in
the meadows and the woods. We sell
these birds to the poor. who cannot af-
ford to buy mutton or lamb. Why, l
will give you five Of these little spar
rows for 2 farthings." Now. a
farthing IN Christ's time represented
the smallest OF copper coins. Its value
was far less than that Of our modern
penny. Then Christ looks pityingly on
me. troubled with doubt, and says:
"Are not five sparrows sold for 2
farthings. or for | cent. and not one
Of them Is forgotten before God? Fear
not: We are Of more value than many
sparrows." Now. my friends. lest you
forget, rs l have sometimes forgotten.
that God Is a loving Father caring for
you, his children, I thought that today
I would tell you the story of how God
Is providing for and protecting the lit
tie wild birds Of the woods. We have
often seen these little birds flying about
our country homes, but perhaps you
have never stopped to consider the
wonderful blessings that surround
their lives.
A Beautiful World.
In the first place, I want you to cast
your eyes about and see the beautiful
world In which the little wild birds
live. These feathered denizens Of the
woods seem small and Insignificant.
They are SO small that a true sports
man would not deign to waste a car
fridge upon one of them. But God does
not treat them as some of us do our
menials. He does not send his little
birds into dark room. as some Of US
make our servants sleep in musty gar
rets or In unattractive Outhouses. But
God gives to his little birds the best he
has He gives them the pure air Of
the mountains to fly In. He gives them
the bright, sparkling waters Of the
brooks, gllnted with sunshine and bub-
bling over the pebbled sands. to battle
In. He gives them the most beautiful
Of choir lofts, hidden among the leaves.
to sing In. He gives item the wild
roses and brilliant tints Of the spring
and summer flowers for their gardens.
He gives them the brilliant foliage Of
the forest for picture galleries. He
surrounds them with the beauties Of
nature everywhere. No grandeur Of
the rocks is too grand for the birds
No symphonies Of the winds are toe
sweet for their musical ears to hear.
No exuberance Of colors Is too gor>
Ar