SPARROWS. 
417 
guage was addressed to the first chosen disciples, men far hoKer 
than we ; but all have been redeemed by the precious death of 
Christ, and every human soul, therefore, may justly feel itself to 
be " of more value than many sparrows ;" not one is " forgotten 
before God." We all, the most humble and insignificant, may 
find comfort in the passage. It is remarkable that this revelation 
of the directness of the providence of God, the oversight and 
care bestowed by the Almighty on the meanest of his creatures, 
and his tender watchfulness over his servants, should have been 
given when foretelling the grievous trials and persecutions which 
awaited the chosen disciples of the Lord. The same God who 
feeds the young ravens that cry unto him, sees also the falling 
sparrow ; he sees the evil, but permits it ; when sorrows and troub- 
les come, they must be necessary in his sight for some good and 
wise purpose — it may be that the evil we mourn is needed foi 
some immediate personal end which we are too blind to perceive, 
or it may be required to strengthen, in the sight of men and 
angels, some one of those great truths by which a universe is 
governed. In either case, well does it become the sinful child of 
man to suffer meekly ; alas, that it should be so difficult to " let 
patience have her perfect work !" Let us at least always repel 
the false, unfaithful notion that we are ever, under the darkest cir- 
cumstances, left to the blind dealings of chance, or fate, that we 
are ever forgotten before our God ! 
It is very possible that the little sparrows of Judea were flit- 
ting about in the presence of our Lord at the moment those gra- 
cious words were spoken : " Not a sparrow falleth to the ground 
without your Father, — fear not, therefore, ye are of more value 
than many sparrows." These birds Avere sold for less than one 
1:5* 
