The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1892-12-24
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
Lessons from the Southwark Flight
Of the Birds.
The Power OF Christian song-Eod's Peo-
pie should Fly Higher. and, Like tho
Birds, Know When to Start
The FFosts of San.

| anu tbe swallow observe tho time OF thef
coming; but Nv people know not the judgmen
OF the Lord.-Jeremiah viii, z.
When God would set fast beautiful
thought, He plants it in a tree. Wher
He would put it afoat, He fashions il
into fish. When He would have il
glide in the air, He molds it into bird
My text speaks of four birds of beauti
full instinct-the storlz, of such strong
affection that it is allowed Familiarity
to come, in Holland and Germany, and
build its nest over the doorway; the
sweet-dispositioned turtle-dove, ming.
ling in color white, and black, and
brown, and ashen, and chestnut; the
crane. with voice like the clang of a
trumpet; the swallow, swift as 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 out-of-doors, thinking of
the impenitence of the people of his
day, hears great cry overhead.
Now, You know it is no easy thing
for one with ordinary delicacy of eye
sight to look into the deep blue of the
MONDAY heaven; but the prophet
looks up, and there are flocks of
storks, and turtle-doves, and cranes,
and swallows, drawn out in long lines
for fight southwark. As is their
habit, the cranes had arranged them
selves into two lines. making an angle,
wedge splitting the air with wild va,
locity, the old crane, with command
ing call, bidding them onward, while
the towns and the cities and the CONT
nents slide under them. The prophet,
almost blinded from looking into the
dazzling heavens, stoops down and be-
gins 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: ''The stork in the heaven know
eth her appointed times and the turtle
and the crane and the swallow observe
the time of their coming; but my peo-
pie know not the Judgment of the
Lord"
If you were in the field to-day, in the
clump of trees at 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 member proposes more
economy in the queens Households
convention of birds all talking at once,
moving and passing resolutions on
the subject of migration; some pro-
posing to go tomorrow. some NOV
ing that they go to-day. some NOV
ing that they go to Brazil, some to
Florida, some to the table-lands of
Mexico, but all unanimous in the fact
that they must go soon, for they have
orders from the Lord, writ
ten on the first white sheet of frost
and in the pictorial Of. the changing
leaves. There is not a belted king
Usher, or chaffinch, or fire-crested
wren, or plover, or a red-legged part |
ridge, but expects to spend the winter
1t the south, for the apartments have |
already been ordered for them in South |
America, or in Africa. and after thou
sands OF miles of flight they will stop
n the very tree where they spent last |
January. Farewell, bright plumage! |
Until spring weather, away! Fly on,
yreat band of heavenly musicians! |
strew the continents with music, and |
whether from northern fields, or Caro- |
inian swamps. or Brazilian groves,
men see your wings, or hear your
voice, may they bethink themselves of i
he solemn words of the text. 1.-THE |
tork in the heaven knoweth her APP
pointed time, and the turtle and the
.rane and the swallow observe the
ime OF their coming, but my people
znow not the Judgment of the Lord. !"
propose, SO far as God may help me,
his morning, carrying out the idea of
he text, to show that the birds of the
Iir have more sagacity than men. And
begin by pafticularizing and saying
hat they mingle music with their
york. The most serious undertaking
# birds life is this annual travel
rom the Hudson to the Amazon, from
he Thames to the Nile. Naturalists
ell us that they arrive there thin and
weary, and plumage ruff ed, and vet
hey go singing all the way; the ground,
he lower line of the music, the sky,
he upper line of the music; themselves,
he notes scattered up and down be-
ween. | suppose their song gives elias
lefty to their wing, and helps on with
he journey, dwindling one thousand
lilies to four hundred Would God
hat we were as wise as they in min
ling Christian song with ourevery-day
FORK! ! believe there is such thing
taking the pitch of Christian devotion
, the morning and keeping it all the
ay. think we might take some of
ne dullest, heaviest, most disagreeable
FORK of our life and set it to the tune
Antioch" or Mount Pisgah." i,
1t is good sign when you hear q
whistle. 1t is a better sign
hen you hear him hum roundelay.
is still a better sign when you hear
i'm sing the words of Isaac Watts or
harles Wesley. A violin chorded and
.rung. if something accidentally
srikes it, makes music, and suppose
lere is such thing as having our !
carts SO attuned by Divine grace that ,
ven the rough collisions of life will !
lake a heavenly vibration. / do not !
elieve that the power of Christian !,
'ng has yet been fully tried / be-