The Princeton union., 1892-09-29
SERMON ON PALACES,
The Spider Used for an object Lesson
by DR., Talmage in His Farewell
Sermon.
hquisiteness Of the Divine Mechan-
ism Shown in the Construction
Of This Lowly Insect.

OF This LoWly Insect.
LoNDoN,-The closing week of
Rev. DR.. Talmages preaching tour
was marked by several gatherings
which in magnitude and enthusiasm
eclipsed all that had preceded them.
Before the sermon DR.. Talmage was
entertained at q banquet in the large
banqueting hall OF the Crystal Palace,
by 100 distinguished clergymen and
laymen of every denomination and
from every continent, even including
Australia. g.. ...
DR.. Talmage WAS then presented, in
behalf Of his English admirers, with q
beautiful costly gold watch of unique
design, inscribed: "Presented to Rev.
DR.. Talmage, at Crystal Palace, Lon
don, in commemoration Of his preach
ing tour through England, in the sum-
mer OF 1892" DR.. Talmage was then
escorted to the great hall where the
vote OF thanks was unanimously in
dorsed and ratified by the entire
audience. -.=... ....5..
He then preached his farewell SER
mon and shook hands with hundreds
at the close. This was the second
sermon ever preached in the Crystal
Palace, the first having been deliver
ed by Pastor Spurgeon 35 years ago
on the Crimean War. The text select
ed is from Prov. XXX, %; "The spi-
der taketh hold with her hands and is
in kings palaces" -..a...
Permitted as was a few days ago
to attend the meeting of the British
Scientific Association, at Endinburgh,
found that no paper read had excit.
ed more interest than that by Rev.
DR.. McCook, of America, on the subject
of spiders. 1t seems that my talented
countryman banished from his pulpit
for short time by ill-health had in
the fields and forests given himself to
the study OF insects. And surely if it
is not beneath the dignity of God to
make spiders, it is not beneath the
dignity OF man to study them.
1t is not very certain what was the
particular species of insect spoken OF
in the text but I shall proceed to
learn from it the exquisiteness of
THE DIVINE MECHANISM.
The kings chamberlain comes into
the palace, looks around and sees the
spider on the wall, and says: "Away
with that intruder," and the servant
OF Solomon's palace comes with a
broom and dashes down the insect,
saying: "What loathsome thing it
is" But under micro ~copic inspec-
tion find it more wondrous OF con-
struction than the embroideries OF the
palace wall, and the upholstery about
the windows. All the machinery OF
the earth could not make any thing so
delicate and beautiful as the prehen-
sile with which that spider clutches it's
prey, or as any of its eight eyes.
Again, my text teaches me that in
significance is no excuse for inaction.
This spider that Solomon saw on the
wall might have said: II can't weave
a web worthy of this great palace;
what can do amid all this gold en-
broidery? am not able to make
anything for so grand q place, and so
/ will not work my spinning jenny"
Not so with the spider. ''The spider
taketh hold with her hands," Oh,
what a lesson that is
TOh 1OO AMI ME.
Again, my text teaches me that re-
pulsiveness and loathsomeness will
sometimes climb up into very elevated
places. You would have tried to have
killed the spider that Solomon saw.
You would have said: '"This is no
place for it. If that spider is deter
mined to weave 9 web, let it do so
down in the cellar of this palace, or in
some dark dungeon" All the spider
of the text could not be discouraged.
1t clambered on, and climbed up,
higher, and higher, and higher, until
after q while it reached the kings
vision, and he said 'The spider
taketh hold with her hands, and is in
kings palaces" And so it often is
now that things that are loathsome
and repulsive get up into very elevated
places.
The Church of Christ, for instance,
is a palace. The king Of heaven and
earth lives in it. According to the
Bible, her beams are of cedar, and her
rafters of fir, and her windows of
agate, and the fountains of salvation
dash q rain OF light. 1t is n glorious
palace-the Church of Gods; and yet,
sometimes, unseemingly1 and loath.
some things creep up into it-evil
speaking, and rancor, and slander,
and backbiting, and abuse, crawling
up on the
WALLS OF THE CHURCH.
spinning q web from arch to arch, and
from the top of one communion tank
ard to the top OF another commun-
ion tankard. Glorious palace in which
there ought only to be light, and love,
and pardon and grace; and yet u spi-
der in the palace. -
Again my text teaches me that per-
Severance will mount into the kings
palace. 1t must have seemed long
distance for that spider to climb in
Solomon's splendid residence, but it.
started at the very foot Of the wall
and went over the panels of Leba-
non cedar, higher and higher until it