Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1890-05-09
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINE'S SUN
DAY SERMON
Subject: Natures Voices"

boz together. to beduf5fy the place Of my
sdnctuary"-Isa. k, 49,"
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 hOated in great
RATS 10 Joppa and then again drawn by OK
teams up tO Jerusalem 10 build SOiOmOns
temple. Those mighty trees IN my text are
called the glory Of Lebanon" Inanimate
nature felt the effects Of the first transgres-
sion When Eve touched the forbidden tree
1t seems as If the sinful contact had snitten
not only that tree. but as if the air caught
the pollution from the leaves, and if the
sap had carried the virus down into the very
soil until the entire earth reeket with the
leprOsy. Under that sinful touch nature
withered. The lnanimate creation, II
aware Of the damage done 1t, sent up the
thorn and brler and nettIe to wound and
fercely oppose the human race.
Now a. the physical earth felt the effects
OF the first transXreSSiOn. 80 it shall also feel
the effect OF the SaviOurs mission. As frOm
that one tree in Paradise a blight went forth
through the entire cartn, 50 from one tree on
Calvary another force shall speed out to in
terpencu ate and check, subdue and override
the evil. In the end it shall be found that
the tree Of Calvary has more potency than
the tree Of Paradise. AS the nations are
evangelical. think a corresponding change
will be effected in the natural world. | verify
rivers, and the skies will have their millenni-
um. II man SIN affected the ground, and
the vegetation, and the atmosphere, shall
Christ > work be less powerful or less extern
sive>
Doubtless God will take the irregularity
and tierceness from the elements 80 as to
make them cOngenial to the race vet to be
so symmetrical and evangelical. The ground
shall not he so lavish Of weeds and 50 grudge-
full of grain. Soils which now have peculiar
duction will be delivered from their besetting
SINS. Steep mountains plOwed down into
more gradual ascent shall be girdled with
hOCkS Of sheep and shocks of corn The wet
marsh shall become the deep erased meadow.
Cattle shall eat unframed by cavernS once
haunted of wild beasts Children will build
play houses in what was once a cave Of SER
penis; and, the Scripture saith: THE
weaned child shall put his hand on the cock
atriCeS dem
Oh what harvests shall be reaDed when
neither drOuth, nor excessive rain, nor mil
dew, nor lnfeSting insects shall arrest the
growth, and the utmOstCapaclty Of the fields
for production shall be tested by an intelli-
gent and athletic yeOmanry. Thrift and COM
potency characterlZlng the worlds inhabit-
ants their dwelling places shall be graceful
and healthy and adorned. Tree and arbor
and grove around about will look as if Adam
and Eve had got back to Paradise Great
cities, now neglected and unwashed shall be
try and connected with far distant seaports
by present modes of Transportation carried to
thelr greatest perfection, or by new inven-
lions yet to spring up out of the water or
drop from the air at the beck Of Morse or a
Robert Fulton belonging to future genera
tiOns.
Isaiah IN ny text seems to look forward to
the future condition of the physical earth as
condition OF great beauty and excellence,
and then prOpheSies that as the strongest and
oTl1Ay tai fiF,,ho ToIC
brought down to Jerusalem and constructed
into the ancient temple, so all that is beauti-
flu and excellent in the physical earth shall
yet contribute to the church now being built
III the world. The glory Of Lebanon shall
come unto thee; the fir tree, the pine tree,
and lhe box together, to beautify the place
OF my SancLuarV.2
Much of this prophecy has already been
fulfilled, and proceed to some practical re-
marks upon the contributions which the
natural world Is making to the kingdom of
Goo, and then draw some differences. The
first contribution that nature gives to the
churcA Is her testimony in behalf of the
truth of christianity. This is an age of pro-
found research. Nature cannot evade mans
inquiries as once. In chemists laboratory
she is put to torture and compelled to give up
her mysteries. Hidden laws nave come out
Or tnef hiding place. The earth and the
heavens, since they have been ranSacked bv
geolOGiSt and botanst and astronomer. apear
they may be called the new heavens and the
new earth"
Ihls:asearch and discovery will have pow
ertlH effect upon the religious world. They
must either advance or arrest Christianity
make men better or make them worse be the
church honor or the church's overthrow
Christians. aware OF this in the early ages OF
discovery. were nervous and fearful as to the
progress of science. They feared that some
natural law. before unknown, would sudden
Z 1rNr, boz, l., III,
lty. GmpOwder and the CLEAN of swords
would not 50 much have been feared byre-
HglonlstS as electric batteries, vOltaic piles
and astronomical apparatus. II was feared
tnat Moses and the prophets would be run
over by skeptical chemists and philosophers
Some of the followers of Aristotle, after rha
invention of the telescope refused to look
through that instrument, lest what they saw
would overthrow the teachings of that great
philosopher. But the Christian religion has
no apprehension now.
Bring on Your telescopes and micrOScoDns
and SpeCtroScOpeS-and the more the better
The God of nature is the God of the Bible,
and III ali the universe and in all the et-rni-
ties tie has never once cOntradicted Himself
Christian merchants endow universities, and
III them Christian professors instruct the chill
dren of Christian communities. The warm
est and most enthusiastic friends of Christ
are the braveSt and most enthusiastic friends
of science. The church reiOices as much
oven ever discovery as the WOfId re1OlceS.
Good men nave found that there is no war be-
tween science and religion. That which
al first has seemed to be the weapon
Of the lntidel mas turned out to be the
weapon OF the Christian
Scientific discussions may be divided into
those which are concluded, and those which
are still III progress, depending for decision
upon future investigation. Those which are
concluded have invariably rendered their
verdict for Christianity, and we have faith
n helIny-a ,,nl,