The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1893-03-02
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIyINE'S sun
DAY SERMON.

TEXT: lind the Lord said unto Moses
Take unto thee street. sDfcss, stacle nnc
onHchG. Exodus Xxx, a.
You may not have noticed the shells o;
the Bible, although in this early part Of the
sacred book Goi calls you to consider and
employ them as He He'd Moses to consider
and employ them. The onycha OF nv text
IS she'll found on the banks OF the Rsi Sea
ana Moses and his army must have crushe
many Of them under foot as thew crossed
the bisected waters, onycaa on the beach
and onycha In the unfolded bed OF thu deep.
1 shall speak OF this shell as a beautiful aud
practical revelation of God, and as true as
the first chapter OF Genesis and the last
chapter Of Revelation or everything be-
tween.
Not only is this shell, the onycha. found
at the Red Sea, but in the waters OF India.
1t not only DELEGATES the eve with its conyo-
buttons OF beauty, white ami lustrous and
serrated, but blesses the nostril with pun
gent aroma. This Shellfsh. accustomed to
feed on spikenard. is redoient with that
oiorous plant-redolent when alive and re-
dolent when dead. It's shells waen burned
bewitch the air with fragrance.
In my text God commands Moses TO mix
this onchya with the perfumes of tine altar
IN the ancient tabernacle, and / propose to
mix some of its perfumes at the altar of
Brooklyn Tabernacle, for, having spoken 10
you on the Astronomy Of the Bible: or,
God Among the Stars" the Chronology OF
the Bible; or, God Among the Centuries %
the 'OrDithology Of the Bible; or, God
Among the Birds the ''Mineralogy of the
Bible; or, God Among the Amethysts;"
the 'Ichthyology OF the Bible: or, Col
Among the Fishes" | nov come 10 speak Of
the "Concholozy Of the Bible; or, Col
Among the Shells"
1t IS a secret that you may keep for me,
Tor have never before told it to any one,
that IN all the realms of the natural world
there is nothing to nue. so fascinating, 50
completely absorbing, 50 full of suggestive
ness, as she'll W1ate More entertaining
than bird which can sing, when a shell
cannot sing. Well, there you have made a
great mistake. Pick up the onycha from
the banks of the Red Sea or picS up a bivalve
from the beach OF the Atlantic Ocean and
listen, and you hear a whole choir of marine
volces-bass, alto, sopranc-in an unknown
tongue, but seeming to chant, as | put them
to my ear, THE sea is His and He made it,"
others singing, Thy way. o God, is in the
sea-" others hymning. "Ae ruleth the raging
of the sea-"
What" says some one else, docs the
shell impress you more than the starr" In
some respects, yes, because I can handle tae
shell and closely study the smell. while [
cabnot handle the star, and if L study it
must study it at distance OF millions and
millions OF miles.
What" says some one else, "are YOU
more impressed by the shell than the
flower" Yes, for it has far greater varie-
ties and far greater richness OF color. as
could show you in thousands Of specimens,
and because the shell does not fade, as does
the rose leaf, but maintains its beauty CEN
fury after century, 50 that the onycaa
which the hoof of Pharaoh's horse knocked
aside in the chase Of the Israelites across the
Red Sea may have kept its luster. to this
hour. Yes, they are SO particolored and
many colored that you might pile them uo
until you would have a wall with all the
colors OF the wall OF heaven from the jasper
at the bottom to the amethyst at the top
Oh, the shells! The petrife1 foam of the
sea. Oh, the shells The hardened bubbles
of the deep. o. the shells, which are the
diadems thrown by the ocean to the feet of
the continents How the shells are ribbed
grooved, cylindered, mottled, irdesc antl
They were used as coin by some of the Ma
tons. They were fastened in belts ty
Others aud made in handles of wooden im-
plements by still others. Moliusks not only
of the sea, but mollusks Of the land. Do you
know how much they have had to do with
the worlds history? They saved the church
of God from extinguishment
The lsraelites marched out of Eyypt
2,OOo, 600 strong, besides focks and herds.
Inc bible says the people took their dough
before 1t was leavened, their kneadng
troughs being bound up IN the clothes on
their shoulders. They were thrust forth out
OF Egypt and could not tarry; neither had
they prepared for themselves any victuals."
just think OF it: Forty years in the wilder.
ness, lnhdelity triumphantly asks, How
va fCrsf 4
without food? You say mamma fell. On.
that was after long while. They would
have starved fifty times before the mamma
1eH. The TACT rs, they were chizay kent
alive by the mollusks OF the lana or sheiled
creatures. Mr.. Fronton AMI Mr.. Sicard
took the same route from Egypt toward
Canaan that the lsraeiires tOoE, and they
give this as their testimony.
Although the children Of Israel must
have consisted OF about 9, 900, O0) souls, with
baggage and innumerab.e iocEs and herds.
they were not likely TO experience any in,
convenience in their march Several thou.
sand persons might walk abreast with the
greatest ease IN the very narr1west part Ok
the valley in which they first began to h.e
OF. 1t soon atterwart expands to above
three leagues in width. With respect to
forage they would be at no loss. Ths
ground is covered with tamsrisk, broom,
cioNer anu SAINT ION, OF Whlcl latter
especially camels are passion4teiy TOO 9. be.
sides almost every variety OF oiorUerJus
plant and herb proper for pasturage.
THE whole sides of the valley tArouga
which the children OF Israel marched are
stall tufted with brushw ooi. wh.cn dollt-
less afforded food for their beasts, to.ecaef
with many drier SORTS for lighting fire, ON
which the lsraelites could with the greatest
ease bake the dough they brou sht with them
on small iron plates, which form a constant
appencage TO the baggage OF an oriental
traveller. Lastly, the heritage underneath
these trees and shrubs IS completely covered
with snails OF a pro ligious SIZE and of the
best sort, an1, however uninvitiag sucl II
repast ought appear 10 us they are here cs-
teemed a great delicacy. They are so ulenti.
ful in this valley that : may be literally said
that 1t is difficult to take one step witaout
treading on them"
So the shelled creatures saved the host of
lsraeiites on the march to the promised
land, and the attack OF lntideity at tais
point is defeated by the facts, as inifdelity is
always defeated by facts, since it is founded
on ignorance. In writing and printing cur
interrogation point has at the bottom marx
like period and over it a flourish like the
swing OF Transfers whip, and we put thus
interrogation point at the end of question,
but in the Spanish language the inUerroga-
ton point is twice use1 for each question
At the beginning OF the question tue inter
rogation point Is presented upside down,
and at the close Of the question right side
Up. When inhdelity puts question about
the Scriptures as il aiways indicates ion \.