Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1893-01-20
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
The Eminent Brooklyn DiVine'S Sun
day Sermon.
Subject, "rhe Circle of the Earth"

text, intimated the SHAPE OF it-Gol sittin /!
upon the circle Of the earth. The most
beautiful figure in all geometry is the circle.
God made the universe on the plan of 5
circle. There are in the natural world
straight lines, angles, parllelograns dag
onals, quadrangles bus thess evidently ars
not Coos favoritas Almost everywhere
where you will find Hin omotrizing you
find the circle dominant, and if not tn
circle, then the curve, which is a circle tat
died youny. II It had lived long enough it
would have bsen full or0-a periphery
An ellipse IS q circls pressed only a little too
hard at the sides.
Giants Caussway, in ireland. shows what
God thinks OF mathematics. Tnere are over
So, 900 columns OF rocks-octagonal hexa-
gonal, pentagonal These rocks seem 70
have been made by rule and by compass.
Every artist has his molding room. where
he may make fifty shapes, but he chooses
one shape as preferable to all others. will
not say that the Giants Causeway was the
worlds molding room. but do say out Of a
great many figures God seems to have se,-
ected the circle as the best ut is He that
sitteth on the circle OF the EARTH The stars
in circle, the moon in circle. the sun in
circle. the universe in a circle, the throne Of
God the center o; that circle.
When mon build churches they ought TO
initiate ths idea OF the Great Architect and
put the audience in a circle, knowing that
the tides Of emotion roll more easily that
way than in straight lines. Six thousand
years ago God flung this world out OF His
right hand, but He did not throw it out in
a straight line, but curvilinear, with LEASE
Of love holding it 50 as to bring it back
again. The world started from His hand
pure and Z lenic. 1t has been rolling on
through regions OF moral ice and distemper.
How long it will roll God only knows, but
1t will in due time make complete circuit
and come back to the place whence it started
the hand OF God-pure and Edenic.
The history OF thu world goes in a circle.
Why is it that this shipping in our day is
improving so rapidly 1t is because men
are initiating the Old model OF Noah's ark.
A ship carpenter gives that as his opinion.
Although so much deride by small wiSs.
that ship Of Noah's 5ime boat the sjestio
and the EtTuria ami the City OF PARIS Of
which we boast so mVch. Where is tho
ship on the sea to-day that could outride
deluge in which the heaven and the earth
were wrecked, landing all the passengers In
safety-two OF eaca kind OF living creatures
thousands Of species'
Ponology will 20 on with its achieve
meuts until after many centuries the world
will have plums and pears equal TO the para
disaical The art Of gardening will grow
for centuries, and after the Downings and
Mitchells of tbs world have done their best
in the far future the art Of gardening will
come up to the arborsscencs Of the rear |.
II the makers o. coloreI glass 20 on improv-
ing they may in some centuries be able 10
make something equal to the east window OF
York minister, which was built in 1920. We
are six centuries behind those artists but
th5 world must keep on tOiling until it shall
make the complete circuit and como up TO
the skill OF those very men.
IL the world continues to improve in ma
sOnry We shall have after awhile perhaps
after the advance Of centuries, mortar equal
to that which saw last su inner in the wall
OF an exhumed English city, built in the
time OF the Romans 1000 years ago-that
mortar to-day as good as the day in which it
was made, having outlasted the brick and
the stone. | say. after hundreds Of years,
masonry may advance to that point. IL the
world stands long enough we, may have a
city as large as they had in old times-Baby-
lon Eve times the sizs Of London.
You 90 into the potteries in England an I
you find them making cups and vases after
the STYLE Of the cups and vases eXhume Ell
from POmpeii. TIE world is not going
back. Oh, no; but il is swinging in circle
an vii come back TO the styles of pottery
known so long ago as the days OF Ponpeii.
The world must Keep on progres,ing until it
makes the complete circuit The curve is in
the right direction; the curve will keep On
until il becomes the c.rc.s.
Well, now. my friends what 10 true in the
material universe is true in Gods moral
government and spiritual arrangement.
That is the meaning OF Ezekie's whesl. All
commentators agree in saying that the
wheel means God's providence. But wheel
is Of no use unless it turn, and it 1t turn
it turns around aud il it turns arounl il
moves in a circle. What then, Are ",
parts of a great iron machine whirle
around whether We will or not, the vic
Of inexorahle fatei mol So far from e.
l shall show you that we ourselves start the
circle of good or bad actions and that it viii
surely come around again to us unless by
divine Intervention it be hinderod. Thos'
bad or good actions may make the circuit OF
many years, but come back TO US they vii
as certainly as that God sits on the circle o.
the earth.
JfZsbel. the worst woman OF the Bible
slew Naboth because she wanted his vine
yard. While the dogs were eating tue bod
Of Naboth, Elisha the prophet put down hi
compass ana MARRIED a circle from tins do;
clear around to the dogs that should eat ia
body Of Jezebsl the murieress. "lmDo
sibleP the people said; that will nsvs
happen" VINO is that bsin hunZ out OF I'll
palace Window Jezsbsl. A few hours ate
they came around hoping t. bury her. TIE
mud only the palms OF her hands an th
skull. The dogs that devourel Jezsbe Rn
this dogs that devOurel Nabothl o. WAS
swift, what all awful circuit
a. a
sweeps through a century or through man
centuries. The world started with theoc
rlcy for government that is, God was tn
president AMI emperor Of the world. PeoDl
got tired OF a theOcracy. Tley said Ivy
DON'T want God directly interfering with II
aftlirs OF ths world. give Us a monarchy
The world had monarchy. From a mon
archyit Is going to hayea Unite monarch
After awhile tbs limited monarchy will b
given uD, and the republican form o. GOV
eminent will be everywhere dominant an
recognize1. Then tbs world will get tire,
Of the republican form of government. an
It will have an anarchy. which is no govern.
ment at all. And then all nations fin linz
out that man is not capable Of rightsousl)
governing man, will cry out for a th3ocracy
aud say: LIST God come back and conduct
the affairs Of tbs world"
Every step-monsrohy, limitol mon
Trey, republicanism, anarohy-only differ
slt steps between the first theocraoy and tbs
aSt theocracy, or Segneuts OF the great cir
lie OF the earth on which Col sits. But do
lot become impatient because you canuoi
zee the curve Of events. AMI therefore con.
'lude that Gods government is going to
break down. History tells us that in the
making OF tho pyramids il took 200 men
'w0 years 20 drag one great stone from tbs
Hurry ami put it into the pyranils.
Well, now, II men short lived can aff)r.
. work so slowly as that cannot Col in the
,uiiding OF the eternities AFFORD 10 wait!
What though God should take 10, 900 years
% draw a circlei Shall We take our littls
Tatch, which we have 10 wind up eVsrS
tight lest it run down, and hold il up beside
The CLOCK Of eternal agesi II, according u
he Bible, a thousand years are in Gods
| light as one day, then, according 20 that
calculation, the 5000 years OF the world's
/ existence have been only to God as from
Monday to Saturday.
But it is often the case that the reboun
/ squicker and the circle is sooner completed.
You resolve that you will do what goo
rou can. In one week you put word o.
| counsel in the heart OF a Sabbath -schoo
/ said. During that same week you give 4
etter OF introduction TO young man strus
/ Cling ia business. During the same weeb
! ron make an exaortation in prayer meet
! ng. It Is all gone; you will never hear o
| (, perhapa you think.
A few years after a man cones up 10 you
/ mi say, you don't know me, do your
! You say, mo, don't remember ever 4
awe seen you" why" he says, # was II
/ he Sabbath-school class oysr which 70,