The Globe-republican., 1892-11-18
At the Tabernacle.

At the Tabernscle.
This sermon was on the text, jeremiah
viii 2, THE stork in the heaven know
eth her appointed times and the turtle
and the crane, and the swallow observ,
the time of their coming; but my people
know not the judgment Of the Lord"
When God would set fast . beautiful
thought BE plants it in . tree. Wher
He would put it sfoat he fashions it into
. fish. When He would have it glide
the air He molds it into bird. My tex,
speaks of four birds Of beautiful instinct
the stork, of such strong affection
that it is allowed Familiarity to come, iu
Holland and Germany. and build its nest
over the doorway; the sweet disposi.
toned turtledove. mingling in color
white and black and brown and asken
and chestnut; the crane, with voice like
the clang of trumpet: the swallow,
swift IS dart shot out Of the bow OF
heaven. falling, mounting. skimming,
sailinR-four birds started by the proph-
ct twenty-five centuries ago. vet 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 out of doors. thinking of
the impenitence of the people of his day,
hears a great CRY overhead.
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. and
there are focks 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 an
gle-a wedge splitting the air with wild
| velocity-the old crane, with command
ing call, bidding them onward, while the
towns, and the cities, and tho 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 hand upon
the pen and begins to write. 1.-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"
If you were in the field to-day, in the
clump Of trees 1T the corner Of the field
you would see convention of birds, noisy
as the American Congress the last night
before adjournment, or as the English
Parliament when some unfortunate nem-
Der proposes more economy in the Queens
ousehold-a convention of birds all talk
ing 1T once, moving and passing resolu-
lions on the subject of migration. some
proposing to 60 tomorrow, some moving
that they 20 to-day, some moving that
they go to Brazil. some to Florida, some
to the tsblelands of Mexico, but oil
unanimous in t,e fact that they must 10
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 kfngfisher, or .
:hsffinch. or . fre-crested wren, or .
plover, or q red-legRed partridge but ex-
poets to 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
Tight they will stop in the very tree
where they spent last January. Fare
we'll, bright plumage! Until spring
weather. away! Fly on, great band of
heavenly musicians! Strew the CONT
nents with music, and whether from
Northern fields, or Carolinisn swamps,
or Brazilian groves men see your wings
or hear your voice, may they bethink
themselves of the solemn words of the
text Tho 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"
propose, so far as God may help me,
this morning, carrying out tho idea of |
the text to show that the birds of the |
air have more sagacitv than men. And |
begin by particularizing ard saying |
that they mingle music with their work. |
The most serious undertaking of . birds |
life is this annual travel from the Hud-
son to the Amazon. from the Thames to /
the Nile Naturalists tell US that they
arrive there thin and weary and plumage |
ruffied, and yet they 20 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.
l suppose their song gives elasticity to
heir wing and helps on with the jour
ley, dwindling thousand miles into
our hundred. Would to God that We
we're as wise as they In mingling Chris
ian song with our everyday work!
believe there is such thing o taking
he pitch of Christian devotion in the
and keeping it oil the day.
hirk We might take some of the dullest,
most disagreeable work of our
ife and set it to the tune of antioch"
n "Mount Pisgah."
It is q good sign when you hear .
workman whistle. 1t Is . better sign
vhen you hear him hum roundelay. It
s . still better sign when you hear him
ing the words of Isaac Watts or Charles
Wesley. A violin chorded and strung,
something accidentally strike it makes
music, and l suppose there Is such
hing IS having our hearts 50 attuned by
ivine grace that even the rough COLI
ions Of life will make . heavenly vibrar
ion. l do not believe that the power of
'hristian SONG hss-yet been fully tried.
believe that II you could roll the Old
Hundred" doxology through Wall street
would pat IN end to any financial dis
urbance! believe that the discords
nd the sorrows, and the sins of the
Vorld are to be swept out by heaven born
alleluiahS