The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1890-04-30
NATURES VOICES
Always Uplifted In the Cause Of
Christ and Ills Religion.
How tho Study OF Natural Objects VIII
! Increase Our Religious knowledge
AN Interesting Sermon by Rev.
4. Dewitt Taimage, d. d.

Tho subject OF DR.. Talmage's recent
hermon at the Brooklyn Academy OF
Music was "The Voices Of Nature" and
mis- text Isaiah tx. 13: "The glory OF
lebanon shall come unto thee, the fig
tree, the pine tree, and the box together,
to beautify the place Of my sanctuary"
The preacher said:
On our way from Damascus we saw the
mountains OF Lebanon white with snow,
and the places from which the cedars
were hewn, and then drawn by OK teams
down to the Mediterranean Sea, and
then fioated in great RATS to Joppa, and
then again drawn by OK teams up to
Jerusalem to build Solomon's temple.
Those mighty trees in my text are called
the ''glory of Lebanon" Inanimate ma
ture felt the effects OF the first trans
gression. When Eve touched the for
biddon tree, it seems as II the sinful con-
tact had smitten not only that tree, but
rs II the air caught the pollution from
the leaves, and as II the sap had carried
the virus down into the very soil until
the entire earth reeked with the leprosy.
Under that sinful touch nature withered.
The inanimato creation, as II aware Of
the damage done 1t, sent up the thorn
and brier and nettle to wound, and
fiercely oppose, the human race. Now
as the physical earth felt the effects OF
the first transgression, so 1t shall also
feel the effect of the Saviour's mission.
AS from that ono tree in Paradise o
blight went forth through the entire
earth, so from one tree on Calvary an
other force shall speed out to interpene-
trato and check, subdue and override the
evil In the end II shall be found that
the tree Of Cavalry has more potency
than the tree OF Paradise. AS the ma
tions are evangelical, think corre-
spending change will be effected in the
natural world. verify believe that the
trees, and the birds, and the rivers, and
the skies will have their millennium. II
mans sin affected the ground, and the
vegetation, and the atmosphere, shall
Christ's work be less powerful or less
extensive? @
Doubtless God will take the irregular
ity and ferceness from the elements so
as to make them congenial to the race,
which will then be symmetrical and
evangelical. The ground shall not be
SO lavish Of weeds and SO grudgetul Of
grain. Soils which now have peculiar
proclivities toward certain forms OF evil
production will be delivered from their
besetting sins. Steep mountains, plowed
down into more gradual ascent, shall be
girdled with flocks OF sheep and shocks
corn. The wet marsh shall become the
deep-grassed meadow. Cattle shall eat
unharmed by csverns once haunted Of
Y wild beasts. Children will build play
houses In. what was once a cave Of SER
pents; and as the Scripture saith: "The
weaned child shall put his hand on the
cockatrice's den."
O, what harvest shall be reaped when
neither drought, NOR excessive rain, nor
mildew, nor infesting ins'ots shall ar
rest the growth, and the utmostcapsity
of the fields for protection shall be
tested by an intelligent and athletic
yeomanry. Thrift and competency char
scteriEing the worlds inhabitants, their
dwell nr places shall be graceful ard
healthy and adorned. Tree and arbor
and grove around about will look as II
Adam and Eve had got back TO Paradise.
GrsAt cities, now neglected and un-
washed, shall be ord rly, adorned with
architectural symmetry, and connected
with FAR distant seaports by present
modes OF transp rtation carried 10 their
greatest perfection, or by new inyen-
tions yet 70 spring up out Of the water
or drop from the air at tho back OF q
Morse or Robert Fulton belonging 10
futnite generations. Isaiah in my text
seems TO look forward TO the future con-
dition OF the sjhysical earth as condi-
tion cf great beauty and excellence,
and then prophecies that as the strongest
and most ornamental timber In Lebanon
was btou0ht down 10 Jerusalem and con-
sl noted into the ancient temple, so all
that IS, beautiful and excellent, in the
physicAf earth shall yet contribute to
the church now being built In the world.
"The glory Of Lebanon shall come unto
? thee; The fr tree, the pine tree, and tue
box together, TO beautify the place Of
my. sanctuary"
Much Of this prophecy has already
been fhlHllod, and proceed TO some
harsctiSal remarks upon the contribu-
tions winch the natural world 10 making
70 the kingdom OF God, and then draw
some.ihferenoes. The hrst contribution
that nature gives 10 the church Is her
tsstiin6ny In behalf OF the truth Of
Christianity. This Is an age Of profound
research. Nature can not evade mems
inquiries ~ once. In chemists labora-
tory she is put 10 torture and compelled
10 give M her mysteries, Hidden laws
have conc out Sof |theif hiding placd
The ekfth and the heavens, since they
have been ransaoked by geologist and
botanist and astronomer, appear 90 dit
fsrent from Whist they once were that
they may bs called "the new heavens
and the new earth"
This research and discovery will have
powerful effect upon the religious world.
They must either advance or arrest
Chrtskianity, make men better or make
80 worse. be the church's honor or
tno lhurch's overthrow. Christians,
Aws. Of this In the early ages Of dis
coso were nervous and fearful as TO
w ogress Of science. They feared
tnAsome natural law, before unknown,
v,nld suddenly spring into harsh coll
dion with Christianity. Gunpowder
md the CLEAN OF swords would not 80
4,nuoh have been faared bv ralioioniata