Year: 1866

him; therefore trust thou in him."


After detailing the causes and extent


of the Affections of Job, the speaker
| proceeded to discuss the general propo-


sition, that God has wise and holy


purpose in all that he does, and there


fore justly demands our whole trust


and confidence.


Intelligent men do not act without a
purpose, and shall the All-wise One be


charged with greater folly than men are
guilty of? Purpose or design is neces-


sary to every act or series of acts among


an. an dnteliigent beings, and all sacred


history shows that God had purpose


in all that he has done. All his works


OF creation, providence and redemption
bear witness to this truth. But some


may doubt the doctrine OF Gods spe-


cial providence. This is a doctrine of


fundamental Importance, and therefore
dem ands careful attention, The Scrip


lures clearly teach it. "a sparrow can


not fall to the ground without his no.
tlce: II God SO clothe the grass of the


field, Will he not much more clothe


you?' All the pages of history in the
| Bible attest this doctrine. Beside this,


how can God hear and answer prayer


how can he fulfil prophecies and prom


ises, If he does not. exercise special


providence in and over all things?


But while this is true, and while much


that is wicked is suffered to transpire,


yet God is not the author of wicked
ness. He gives the murderer time and


means and energy to strike the fatal
| blow, but He is not guilty of the muir


der. Do you ask, why did he suffer the
| wicked man to. do the deed? In an


swer, ask yourself why he created you


at all, when he certainly knew before


hand that you would commit wicked


ness While you are in His hand, YOU
| are at the same time an accountable


agent, and become to all intents and
| purposes the author of your own sins


All history, sacred and profane, is
| butthe record of the execution of Gods


purposes. All that wonderful series OF
events occurring between the calling of
Abraham and the crucifiXion of Christ,


tend to the one central point, which is
Calvary. The history of the church
| from the days of the Apostles down 10
the present time, and onward beyond
| the limited range OF human vision,
tend 10 the fultilment OF the promise
that time shall come when the knowI-
edge of the glory of the Lord shall cover
the earth as the waters cover the sea-
All events OF all time are but parts OF
the grand scheme to be fully completed
| on the last day. We may not Under
stand the design of particular events as
| they occur, but this does not vitiate the
purpose for which they were intended.
His counsel shall stand, whether we
approve or condemn.


Then, If God exercises a special prov
dence in allthings tending to one grand
result, how complicated must his proyi-


dences be? They are like the meshes of
| great net spread over all space and
| for all time, with every wish connected
with every other, and the whole so vast
| that neither angels nor men are able to
comprehend it. The smallest details in
our lives are parts OF the great system
I . NkNnn .
morning stars sang together for joy,
down into the still far distant future,


when the mighty angel shall pro-
calm with aloud voice that "time


shall be no longer" Thd birth
and death of generations-the rise


and fall of dynasties and nations-the
| progress of science and civilization


are but the footprints of the Almighty


as he works out the final cause of all
things.


Exhibiting goodness and mercy in
all his works, God has a Just claim to


the confidence and love of all his intel
| ligent creatures. 1t is our high privi-


lege to trust in him: But we must do
this intelligently. We must know what
we are entitled to trust him for. We
| must understand his promises, for we
are authorized to exercise this trust only
for what has been promised. It will
not do for you to thrust your hand into


the fire and trust God to keep you from
| being burned. Your trust must rest in
some promise of his word, and must not


conflict with the established laws of
nature. ssA


Moreover, this trust must be coupled
| with the use of means. The husband


man prepares his ground and plants
his seed, while he trusts, God to give him


a valuable harvest; so we must improve
| the means If we would exercise an in
telligent hope of salvation. These prin-
ciples should have an important plan
in directing our course as citizens, as


we'll as Christians. The discovery and
occupation of this continent is an i'm
portant part of the purpose of God.
What it shall vet become, no man can
! tell. From the first tree that fell before
the woOdman's axe, onward through


the whole gigantic work of its civiliZa-
tion-when forests give place to fields
of waving grain-when the cabin of the
pioneer is succeeded by the stately man
sion-the rude hamlet by the busy
and the packhorse by the ponderous
train of cars-all are steps in Provi-


dence that beckon US to look forward
to grand results. The wars that have


shaken the land from lis centre to its
verge, embracing in their train of blood


and death, the savage scalpinG knife,
the continental musket, and the far
more destructive weapons of the late
fierce struggle, all point to grand re-
suit The savage is compelled to give
place to a civilization that he sought to
retard or destroy. The power of


monarchy was widely broken to
pieces and men asserted their
right to self government. The dark
stain of human slavery that had
been fastened on our fair escutcheon,


was destroyed by its own efforts at self
aggrandizement, and I thank God that
it is destroyed. The way is being pre-
pared for the coming of the day of
millenial glory. But what place this
continent shall occupy among the other
| portions of the earth in the great pur-
| pose yet to be unfolded, is beyond the
4 power of living man to tell. Our own
| portion of il is still sadly distracted.
/ Her hatred of years still exists. Bitter
ness still continues between the North
and the South. Whether we are to be
punished for our sins like wandering
/ Israel, or whether there is to be some
/ great revulsion-some signal display of
| Gods power as in the days of Esther,
we cannot tell. Though we say we
shall not see it ''yet judgement is before
/ Him, therefore trust thou in Him."
I Let us see to it that we do our part as
I good citizens, and as Christian people,


and then with our trust placed in God,
we may rest assured that He Will make
: all things work together for our good.


Trust ye in the Lord forever, for in
/ the Lord Jehovah is everlasting
strength"


/ FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH


Rev. D. W. Fisher. Pastor.