Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1892-10-08
REV. DR.. TALN
ME BI,OOkLYN DINI>HS Sun
DAY SERMON

cribs Xxx, g.
Permitte1 as ! was p few DAYS ago 20 at
tend the meeting 81 the British Scientific
Association at Edinburgh. | found that no
raper read had excited more interest than
that by Rev. DR.. McCook, Of An crican. on
the sub iect Of spiders. 1t seems that my
talented countryman, banishet from his
pulpit for a short time hv Ill health. tad IN
the fields and forest given him self u the
study II insects. And surely If il ia not be-
meath the dignity Of God 10 make spiders II
is not beneath the dignity Of raaa u stuiY
them.
We are all watching for phenomena. \
SKY full Of stars shining from January u
January calls out not so1nany r-:naks a. tir
blazing Of one meteor. A hoe flock ~
robins take not so much 81 our attention -
one laundering bat dartIDE into tue ygIn1ov
on q summer eve. Thincsof riina sound
ani sight AMI occurrence fatI = reach u
and yet no grassnODper 'Eer Spr n@st upon
our path, no mOtn ever d shes INTO the
evening candle, no mote ever fonts in lie
sunbeam that pours III the crack 81 the
window shutter, no tarnac.e Oh shlp's hull,
no burr on a chestnut, 10 iimpct c~iin,ing -
arock, no riud Of an artichoko hut would
teach US n lesson i we were no: - stupid.
God in His Bible -ets forth for our consider
alton tn" lily. and the snowflake. and tne
locust, and the stork'a nest, and tho Einl's
foot, ana the aurora boreali>, All The ant
hills.
la my text inspiration opens before Us taa
gate Of q palace, AMI we arr III .u.tct amt
the pornp Of the throne and the cpurtier.
and willie We are looking around to5n the
Inagnifcence inspiration points u 10 q
spider plying It's shuttle an weaving its n3t
on the wall. 1t does not call u.s. u regard
the grand surroundings Of the palace, bat u
Il solemn and earnest consideration Of tho
fact that The spiier taketh hold with her
hands and is In kings palaces"
1t il not very certain what was the par
ticulnr species OF insect spoken of ia the text,
but / shall proceed o learn from il the ex-
quisitcness OF the divine rnechan SIN. The
kings chamberlain comes INTO the palace
and looks around and sees the spid. n on the
wall ant says, Away with that INTRUDER
and the servant q SoiOmon's palace comes
with his broom and iasics down the insect,
saying, "N nat u lpithsome thing it is
But under the microscopic Inspection | Tin
IL more wondrous Of construction than tn.
embroiIcr.e on the palace wall AMI the u
hosiery about the windows.
All the machinery Of the earth could not
make anything 50 delicate and beautiful as
the prehensile with which that spli Ter
clutches its prey, or as any Of its eight eyes.
We do not have 10 go 50 far up - see the
power Of God in the tapestry hanging
around the windows OF heaven. or in the
horses or chariots OF frs with which the
dying day departs, or to look at tho noun
tain swinging out its sword arm from under
the mantle of darkness until il can strike
with It's scimeter Of the lightning.
| love better to study God In the shape of
n fy's wins, in the formation Of "a fish'a
scale, in the snowy whiteness of Il pond lily.
! love to track His footsteps in tho mount
ain moss. AMI TO hear His voice in the hum
or the rye fields, and discover the rustic Of
His robe OF light in the south wind. Oh,
this wonder Of divine power that can build Il
hahitation for God in an apple blossom, and
tune Il bees voice until it is tit for the eter-
nal orchestra, and can say to "a FREELY, Let
there be Light aud from holding an ocean
in the hollow of His hand, goes forth
to find heights and depths and length and
breadth or omnipotency in a dewirop, and
disInounts from tho chariot OF midnight
hurricane to cross over on the suspension
bridge of q spiders web
You may take your telescope and sweep it
across the heavens in order to behold the
"lory Of God, but | shall take the leaf hold
ing the spider and the spiders Web, and |
shall bring the microscope To my eye, and
while l gaze and look and study and am
confounded | will kneel down IN the grass
and cry, Great and marvellous are Thy
works, Lord God Almighty"
Again, my text teaches me that insigniti-
canoe Is no excuse for %inaction. This spider
that Solomon saw on the wall might have
said: II can't weave n web worthy OF this
great palace; what can | do amid all this
fkOlu oAlbIbllt4J l. dIll " iDIe y ulahe
anything tit for SO grand Il place, and SO |
will not work my spinning jenny" Not 50
said tue spider. The spider taketh hold
with her hands" Oh, what a lesson that is
for you and me! You say If YOU had some
great sermon To preach, II You only had q
great audience tn talk u, If you hal "A great
army to marshal, if you only hal "A con-
stitution to write, II there Was some
tremendous thing III the world for YOU To do
then you would show Us. Yes, you woaHld
show US!
What il the Levlte III the ancient tenple
had refused TO snuff the clniio because hs
could not DO q high priest What II the
hummlu bird Shouts retueato sing Its songs
into the ear uf the honey slckle because 1t
cannot, like tho eagle, dash its win ntu thu
SUM hat is the raiitrop shouli roIu,s To
descend because IL Is not "A Niagara, What
II the splucr OF the text should refuse to
move Its shuttle because IT cannot weave a
Solomon's robe! Away with such folly II
you are law with the one talent. YOU would
De law with the ten talents. If Milo can
not mt the calf he never will have strength
10 mt the OK. In the Lords army there is
order for promotion, hut vou cannot Ia a
general until you have been a captain. a
lieutenant and a colonel. T. i step bv step.
1t Is inch by inch, II is stroke by stroke ,aat
our ChriStiau character i huilie,i. There
Tore be content 10 do what Goi ccmmauls
You IL do.
God is not ashamed - 10 snail III rs Ha
isho' ashamed 70 b" touni rh5Selin n grain
.t Sand, or helping 4 hp1ns sec t. cln>trrtt
is cell vita ma .aqatcAU .,eu-aev or
fuig"lnE 4 shell n tAh >irf. Or >hqDinr tha
hi Of caafirrh. II Gnltoes. Hndats
well. hat ynu ~ owe. Ia II a rr-a,
work or a sn1l war II tn t5Ients. employ
M me f"n II 'iv' n CTS employ all tha
I'VE, x one tltent, epnIpv Tie one. Ii onlv
me 4f us an Hfn ~ mart AH n fal,Y,s ..,.1~,-