Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1892-11-05
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
The Eminent Brooklyn Divine's Sun.
day Sermon.
Subject: aMixrstion Of Birds.s

Jay Sermon.
Subject: Indigestion Of Birds.n
TExTs The storss IL. the hsdren kno,csH.
her appointed times, and the turtle, and
Ne crane, aud the s.caiio,c Observe the time
81 MeF coming, but nv people knoto not the
judgment Of the Lord Jeremiah viii, Z
When God would set fast beautiful
thought He plants it in a tree. When He
would put it afoat He fashions it into a
hsh. When he would have it glide the air
ne moids 1t into bird. Ny text speaks
OF four birds of beautiful instinct-the
stork, of suca strong affection that it is
allowed femilarly TO come. in Holland and
Germany. and build It's nest over the door,
way: the sweet dispos.tioned turtledove
mlngiing in eo,or white and black and
brown and ashen ami chestnut: the crane
with voice like the clang of umpet ths
swallow, swift dart, shot ont of the bow
OF heaven, falling, mounting, Swimming,
saiiing--four birds startoi by the prophet
twenty-five centuries ago, yet hyiny on
through the ages with rousipg 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 out
OF doors, thinking of the impenitence OF the
head.
Now you know it is no easy thing for one
with ordinary dellcacy of eyesight to Look
INTO the deep blue OF the MONDAY heaven
but the prophet looks IN, and there are
Hocks of storks and turtie1oves and cranes
and swallows drawn ont in long lines for
hight southwark. As is thsr habit, tee
cranes had arranged themselves into two
lines, making an angela wedge splitting
the air with wild yelocitY-the old
crane, with commanding call, bidding
them onward, while the towns, ard the
cities, and the continents slid under thsm
The prophet. almost blinded from looking
INTO the dazzling heavens stoops down and
leglns to think how much superior the bir,.s
are IN sagacity about their safety than men
about theirs, and he puts his hand uDon ths
pen and begins to write, The stork in the
heavens 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 juigmsnt OF the
Lord"
X you were in the field to-day, in the
a!ump OF trees at the corner of the field you
would see convention of birds noisy as the
American congress ths last night before ad.
iournment, or as the English parliament
when some unfortunate member proposes
more economyin queens hous shold-a con-
'entlon OF birds all talking at once moving
and passing resolutions on the subject OF
migration; some proposing TO go to-nor-
row, some moving that they go to-day,
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
go sooD, for they rave 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 a belted kingfshar, or a
chaffinch, or fire crested wren or a
piover OF a red legged partridge but ex-
poets to spend the winter at the south, for
the apartments have already been orderel
for them in South America or in Africa
and after thousands OF miles of flight they
VIII stop in the very tree where they spent
last January. Farewell, bright plumagei
Until spring weather away! Fly on, great
band of heavenly musicians. Strew the
continent 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
stalk in the heaven knowth her appointed
times, and the turtle and the crane and the
swallow observe the time of their coming:
bus my people Know not tbs ju lgmsnt OF
the Lord
propose, 50 far as God may help me, this
morning carry out the idea of the text, to
show that the birds of the air have more sa-
gacity than men And l begin by particu-
lar.zing and saying that they mingle music
with their WORKS. The most serious under
taking of bira's life is this annual travel
from the Hudson to the Amazon, from the
Thames TO the Nile. Naturalists tell rs that
they arrive there thin and weary and rlG-
mage ruffied, and yet they go singing allthe
way; the ground the lower line of the
music: the sky, thu upper line OF the music;
themselves, the notes scattered no aud down
between.
II is good Sign when you hear Il WORK
man whistle. 1t is a better sign when you
hear him hum a roundelay. 1t is still
better sign when yon hear him sing tho
words of Isaac Watts or Charles Wesley.
A violin chorCed AMI strung, if something
accidentally strike it, makes music, and /
suppose there is such thing as having our
hearts Sc attuncd by divine grace that
even the rough collisions of life will make
heavenly vibration. | do not believe that
the power Of Christian song has yet been
fully tried, | believe that if you could roll
the ''Od Hundred" doxology through Wall
street it would put an eni to any financial
disturbance! l believe that the discoris,
and the SORROWS and the sins OF the world
are to DO swept out By heaven born halle
luiahs
Some ono asked Haydn, the celebrated
musician, why he always composed such
cheerful music why" he said, 81 can't
DO otherwise. When i think of God my
soul is 80 trll of joy that the notes leap
and dance from NV pen wish we might
all exult melo1iously before the Lord.
With God for our Father and Christ for
our Saviour, and heaven for our home, and
angels for future companions, and eternity
fer lifetime, we should strike all the notes
Oh JOY Going through the wilderness of
this world let us remember that we are on
the way to the summary cline of heaven,
and from the migratory populations flying
through this autumnal air learn always to
keep singing,
Children Of the Heavenly King,
As ye journey sweetly sing;
Sing your Saviolr's worthy praise
Glorious In His works and ways.
1e are travelling home TO God,
In the way your fathers ttod;
Ihey are happy now, and we
Soon their happiness shall see
The church of Col never will be a tri-
umphant church until it becomes singing
church.
go further and remark that the birds OF
the air are wiser than we in the fact that
in their migration they fly very high. Dur
ing the summer, when they are in the
fields, they often come within reach of the
gun, but when they start for the annual
light southwark thsy take their places
midheaveu and go straight as an arrow to
The mark. The longest rife that was ever
brought to shoulder cannot reach them.
Would to God that we were as wise as the
stork and crane in our fight heavenwardl
We fly so low that we are within easy range
OF the world the flesh and the devil. We
are brought down by temptations that
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