Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1892-11-11

the crane and the slUnltou Oiserue the tim,
or their coming; hut nv people kHoW not tn,
judgment Of the Lord. d."-Jeremiah viii.
When God would set fast a beautiful
thought He plants it in a tree. When He
would put it ahoat He fashions it into "A
fish. When He would have it glide the ar
lie molds it 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 anc
Germany. and build its nest over the door
, way; the sweet dspostioned turtledoye
{ mingling in color white and black and
brown and ashen and chestnut; the crane
with voice like the clang of a tru mpet; ths
swallow, swift as a dart shot out of the bow
OF heaven, falling, mounting, skimming
I 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-autumu-and the prophet out
OF doors, thinking Of the impenitence Of the
people OF his day, hears a great cry over
bead.
Now you know it 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, ana there are
hocks OF storks AMI turtledoves and cranes
and swallows drawn out in long lines tor
fight southwark. As is their habit, the
cranes had arranged themselves into two
lines maElng an angela wedge splitting
the air with wild veocity-tne old
crane, with commanding call, bidiing
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 bir Is
are in sagacity about their safety than men
HAIR ut,I ka, 10 l. 80 la,, 81
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 Judgment of the
Lord
II you were in the field to-day, in the
clump OF trees at the corner OF the field you
would see a convention of birds, noisy as tho
American congress the last night before ad
turnment, or as the English parliament
when some unfortunate member proposes
more economy in queens hous aholi-a con-
vention OF birds all talking at once, moving
and passing resolutions on the subject OF
mlgrator: some proposing to go to-mor-
row, some moving that they go to-day,
some moving that they go TO Brazil, some
to Florida, some TO the tablelands of Mexico,
hut all unanimous in the fact that they must
go soon, for they have marching oriers
from the Lord, written on the first white
sheet ot the frost and in the pictorial of the
changing leaves.
There is not betet kingfisher, or a
Chaiiinch, or fire crested wren, or a
ployer, or a red legged partridge but ex-
poets to spend the winter at the SOUTH for
the apartments have already been ordere /
for them in South America or in Africa,
and after thousands Of miles OF flight they
will stop in the very tree where they spent
last January. Farewell, bright plumage!
Until spring weather, away! Fly on, great
band Of heavenly musiClansl Strew the
continent with music, AMI whether from
northern fields, or Carollninu swlmps or
Brazilian groves men SEQ your wings or
hear your voice, may they bethink them.
selves of the solemn words OF the text Tho
stalk in the heaven knOwth her appointed
times, and the turtle and the crane and the
swallow observe the time of their coming,
hut my people know not the judgment OF
the Lordr'
propose, so 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
larIzinR and saying that they mingle muse
with their works. The most serious under
taking of BIRDS life is this annual travel
from the Hudson to the Amazon, from the
Thames to the Nile. Naturalists tell us that
they arrive there thin and weary and plu-
mage ruliied, and yet they SO singing all the
way; the ground, the lower line of the
music; the sky, the upper line OF the music;
themselves, tho notes scattered up and down
between.
1t is n good sign v hen you hear a WORK
man whistle. 1t is a better sign when you
hear him hum rouudelay. 1t is still
better sign when you hear han sing the
words of Isaac Watts or Charles Wesley.
A violin chorded and strung, il something
H., .N.ti,a 10 nlyns nj |
suppose there is such thing as having our
hearts so attuned by divine grace that
even the rough collisions of life will make a
heavenly vibration. | do not believe that
the power of Christian song has yet been
fully tried ! believe that If you could roll
the 'Old HundreT doxoogy through Walt
street it would put an end to any financial
dsturbancel | believe that the diScords,
and the sorrows, and the sins OF the world
are to be swept out by heaven born halle
luiahs.
Some one asked Haydn, the celebrated
musician, why he always composed such
cheerful music. "Why," he said, 81 can't
do otherwise. When | think Of God my
soul is SO full of joy that the notes leaI
and dance from my pen l wish we nigh
all eIult melodiously before the Lord.
With God for our Father and Christ foI
our Saviour and heaven for our home, an
angels for future companions and etern ty
for a lifetime, we should strike all the notes
OF Joy. Going through the wilderness OF
this world lot us remember that we are on
the way to the summery 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 Savours worthy praise,
Glorious In His works and ways.
Ye are travelling home TO God,
In the way your fathers trod;
They are happy now. and we
Soon their happiness shall see.
The church of Col never will bs a tri-
umphant church until it be e>omes 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
flight southwark they take their places
midheaven and 90 straight as an arrow to
the mark The longest rifle that was ever
brought to shoulder cannot reach them.
Would to God that we were as wise as the
stork and crane in our flight 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
ought not to come within u mile OF reaching
us.
Oh, for some of the faith OF George Null
Ter, OF Eu CLAN an Altro Cooinln one,
of the church militant INV OF tla churIh
triumphant! So poor is the typo Of piety in
the church of Col now that men actually
carlcature the idea that there is any such
thing as a higher life. Moles never did be
lieve in eagles But my brethren, because
we have not reached these heights ourselves,
shall we derde the fact that there are any
such heightsS
man was once talking to BrunSl, the
famous engineer, about the length u the
railroad from Lon1on to Bristol. The on.
T., U