Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1892-09-30
REV. DR.. TAIMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIvINE's SUN
DAY SERMON.
SUBJECT, NATURES WONDERS AND
HEAVENS GLomEs. '-(FAREwELL
SERMON IN LoNDoN.)

TEXT: 1.-THE spider tdLeth hold toith he,
hands and is in kings palaces es"-Prov.
CRIBS XXX, 2S.
Permitted as l was a few dayS aro to at
tend the meeting OF the British Scientific
Association at Edinburgh, found that no
paper read had excited more interest than
that by Rev. DR.. McCook, of American, on
the subject OF spiders. 1t seems that nv
talented countryman, banis5ei from his
pulpit for short time by i'll health, had in
the fields and forest given himself TO the
study OF insects. And surely il it is not be-
meath the dignity of God to make spiders it
is not beneath the dignity of mau to study
them.
We are all watching for phenomena. A
sky full of stars shining from January to
January calls out not so many remaks as the
blazing OF Cne meteor. A whole flock OF
robins take not SO much Of clr attention as
one laundering bat darting into the window
on summer eve. Things OF ordinary sound
and sight and occurrence fail to reach us.
and yet no grasshopper ever springs; upon
our path, no moth ever dashes into the
evening candle, no mote ever floats in the
sunbeam that pours through the crack OF the
window shutter no barnacle on ships hull,
no burr on chestnut no limpet clinging to
arock, no rind of ali artichoke but would
teach us lesson il we were not so stupid.
God in His Bible sets forth for our consider
alton the lily, and the snowflake, and the
locust and the stork's nest, and the hind's
foot, and the aurora borealis, and the ant
hills.
In my text inspiration opens before us the
gate of q palace an we ara inducted amid
the pomp OF the throne and the courtier
and while we are looking around upon the
magnifcence inspiration points US to
spider plying its shuttle and weaving its net
on the wall. 1t does not call us to regard
the grand surroundings Of the palace, but to
solemn and earnest consideration Of the
fact that "The spider taketh hold with her
hands and is in kings palaces"
1t is not very certain what was the par
ticular species OF insect spoken of In the text,
but shall proceed IN learn from it the ex-
quisteness Of the divine mechanism. The
kings chamberlain comes into the palace
and looks around and sees the spider on the
wall AMI says, Away with that intruder"
and the servant of So!onon's palace comes
with his broom md dashes down the irs ct
saying "What loathsome thing il is."
But under the microscopic inspection | fin
1t more wondrous of construction than the
embroideries on the palace wall and the up
hclstery about the windows.
All the machinery of the earth could not
make any thing so delicate and beautiful as
the prehensile with which that spiier
clutches prey, or as any of its eight eyes.
We do not have TO so so far up to see the
power Of God In the tapestry hanging
around the windows Of heaven. or in the
horses or chariots OF fra with which the
dying day departs, or to look ut the noun
tain swinging out its sword arm from under
the mantle of darkness until it can strike
with its scimeter of helightning.
love better to study God III the shape Of
a fy's wing, in the formation OF a fishs
scale, in the snowy whiteness OF pond lily.
| love to track His footsteps in the mount
ain moss, and to hear His voice in the hum
OF 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 a
habitation for God in an apple blossom, and
tune a bes's voice until it is fit for the eter-
nal orchestra, ard can say to a FREELY, LET
there be light;h and from holding an ocean
In the hollow of His hand, goes forth
to find heights and depths and length and
breadth OF omnipotency in dewdrDp, and
dismounts from the chariot of midnight
hurricane to cross over on the suspension
bridge Of spiders web
You may take your telescope AMI sweep it
across the heavens in order to behold the
glory of God, but shalt take the leaf hold
Ing the spider and the spiders web, and
shall bring the microscope to my eye; ami
while gaze and LOOK and study and am
COMPOUNDED will kneel down in the grass
and cry, "Great and marvellous are Thy
WORKS, Lord God Almightyp
Again, my text teaches me that insignid-
cance is no excuse for inaction. This spider
that Solomon saw on the wall might have
said: III can't weave a web worthy OF this
great palace; what can do amid all this
gold embroidery I am not able to make
anything fit for so grand place and so l
will not work my spinning jenny" Not 50
said the spider. "The spider taketh hold
with her hands" Oh, what lesson that is
for you and mel You say il you had some
great sermon to preach, IL you only had a
great audience to talk to. if you had great
army to marshal, IL you only had con-
stitution to write IL there was soma
tremendous thing In the world for you to do
then you would show US. Yes you would
show usl
had refused to snuff the candle because he
could not be high priestf What il the
humming bird should refuse to sing its songs
into the ear of the honeysuckle because it
cannot like the eagle, dash its wing into the
sum- What is the raindrop should refuse to
descend because 1t Is not Niagaraf What
II the spider OF the text should refuse 70
move It's shuttle because 1t cannot weave 9
Solomon's robef Away with such follvl q
You are lazv with the one talent, you would
be lazy with the ten talents. II Milo can
not lift the calf he never will have strength
to lift the OK. In the Lords army there 10
order for promotion, but you cannot be a
general until you have been captain, o
lieutenant and a colonel. 1t Is step by step,
II Is inch by inch, ID Is stroke by stroke that
our Christian character Is huilded. There.
Iore DC content 70 do what God commands
you 10 DO.
God Is not ashamed to do small things, He