Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1892-11-03
AT THE TABERNACLE.
DR.. TALMAGE DRAWS A LESSON
FROM THE MIGRATORY BIRDS.


BROOKLYN. Oct 30.-The futter of bright
colored leaves which every wind blows
from the trees in the avenues around the
Tabernacle reminded the thousands who
entered its doors this morning that winter
is approaching. Dr. Talmage, with his
usual tact, turned the impression to ac-
count in his sermon, which was on the
text, jeremiah viii, Z, THE stork in the
heaven knoweth her appointed times, and
the turtle, and the crane, and the swallow
observe the time of their coming; but my
people know not the judgment of the Lord. Z
When God would set fast a beautiful
thought he plants it in tree. When he
would put il ahoat he fashions Z: into a
fish. When he would have it glide the air
he mods il into bird. My text speaks
of four birds Of beautiful instinct-the
stork, of such strong affection that It is
allowed Familiarity to come, in Holland and
Germany, and build its nest over the door
way. the sweet dispositioned turtledove,
mingling in color white and black and
brown and ashen and chestnut; the crane,
with voice like the clang Of a trumpet;
the swallow, swift rs q dart shot out OF
the bow of heaven, falling, mounting,
skimming sailing-four birds started by
the prophet twenty five centuries ago, yet
flying on through the ages, with rousing
truth under glossy wing and in the clutch
Of stout claw. suppose it may have been
this very season OF the year-autumn-and
the prophet ont Of doors, thinking of the
impenitence OF the people Of his day, hears
a great cry overhead.
THE PROPHETS OBSERVED NATURE.
Now you know il is no easy thing for
one with ordinary delicacy Of eyesight to
look into the deep blue of the monday
heaven, but the prophet looks up, and
there are flocks of storks and turtledoves
and cranes and swallows drawn out in
long lines for flight southwark. As is their
habit, the cranes had arranged themselves
into two lines. making an angela wedge
splitting the air with wild veocity-the
old crane, with commanding call. bidding
them onward, while the towns, and the
cities and the continents slid under them.
The prophet, almost blinded from looking
into the dazzling heavens, stoops down
and begins to think how much superior
the birds are in sagacity about their safety
than men about theirs, and he puts his
"The st0rk in the heaven knoweth her ap.
pointed times and the turtle, and the crane,
and the swallow observe the time of their
coming: but my people know not the iudg
ment of the Lord"
II you were in the field today, in the
cump of trees at the corner of the field
you would sJD q Convention OF birds, noisy
as the American congress the last night
Il 1,
parliament when some unfortunate mem
her proposes more economy in the queens
houschold-a convention of birds all talk
ing at once. moving and passing resolutions
on the subject of migration some propos-
ing to go tomorrow, some moving that
they 90 today, some moving that they GO
TO Brazil, some to Florida, some to the
tablelands of Mexico, but all unanimous
in the fact that they must 90 soon, for
they have marching orders from the Lord,
written on the first white sheet of the
frost and in the pictorial Of the changing
leaves.
There is not belted kingisher, or
ehaflinch, or a fire crested wren, or
plover, or a red legged partridge but ex,
poets 10 spend the winter at the south, for
the apartments have already been ordered
for them in South America or in Africa,
and after thousands of miles of fight they
viii stop in tie very tree where they spent
last January. Farewell, bright plumage,
Until spring weather, away Fly on, great
band Of heavenly musicians! Strew the
continents with music, and whether from
northern fields, or Carolinian swamps, or
Brazilian groves men see your wings or
hear your voice, may they bethink them
selves of the solemn words Of the text,
"The storl, in the heaven knoweth her ap.
pointed times, and the turtle, and the
crane. and the swallow observe the time of
their coming: bnt my people know not the
Judgment 81 L be lord.
3iATING MUSIC AS THEY Fly,
propose, so far as God may help me,
this morning, carrying out the idea OF the
text. to show hat the birds OF the air have
more sagacity than men, And begin by
parucuh.ri1iEg and saying that they min
gle music with their work. The most seri-
Gus undertaking Of birds life is this an
nual travel from the Hudson to the ANA
zoh, from the Thames to the Nile. Natu-
ralists tell rs that they arrive there thin
and weary ana plumage ruffled and yet
they 80 singing all the way; the ground,
the lower line OF the music. the sky, the
upper line of the music; themselves. the
notes scattered up and down between.
/ suppose their song gives elasticity to
their wing and helps on with the journey,
uwindling thousand miles into four hun
tired Would to God that we were as wise
US they in mingling Christian song with our
everyday work l believe there is such a
thing as taking the pitch of Christian de-
votion in the morning and keeping it all
the day | think we might take some of
the dullest, heaviest, most disagreeable
work of our life and set it to the tune of
"Antioch" or Mount Pisgah."
II is a good sign when you hear work
man whistle II is better sign when you
rear him hum roundelay It is a still
better sign when you hear him sing the
words of Isaac Watts or Charles Wesley.
X violin chorded and strung, if something
accidentally strike il, makes music, and !
luppose there is such thing a. having
bur hearts SO attuned by divine grace that
tven the rough collisions Of life will make
heavenly vibration. | do not believe
that the power OF Christian song has vet
been fully tried | believe that if YOU
rofsId roll tl. stOlJ Hundradf' dovolo.r,-