Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1893-03-03

REV. DR.. TAIMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIyINE's SUM-
DAY SERMON.
"GoD AMONG The SHELLS"

TEXT: And the Lord said unto Moses
Take unto thee street spices, stdcte dnt
onycha. EXODUS Xxx, "a.
You may not have noticed the shells OF
the Bible, although in this early part of the
sacred book Col calls you to consider and
employ them as He lied Moses to consider
and employ them. The onycha OF nv text
Is shell found on the banks of the Red Sea,
ana Moses and his army must have crushe |
many OF them under foot as they crossed
the bisectei waters onycha on the beach
anu onycha In the unfolded bed Of the deep.
shall speak Of this shell as beautiful and
practical revelation of God, and as true as
the first chapter of Genesis and the last
cnapter OF Rev elation 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 delectates the eye with its convo-
lutions OF beauty, white and lustrous and
serrated. but blesses the nostril with a pun
gent aroma. This shelfi>h accustomed to
feed on soikenard, is redolent with that
o1orous pant-redolent when alive and re-
dolent when dead. Its shells wnen burned
bewitch the air with fragrance.
In my text Col commaut is Moses to mix
TINS onchya with the perfumes OF the altar
IN the ancient tabernacle and | propose to
mix some OF its perfumes at the altar OF
D'SSh'J LOT, uhNlDR SPOKEN 10
you ON the Astronomy Of the Bible; or,
God Among the Stars the Chronology OF
the Bible; or, God Among tas Centuries 4"
the 'Ornithology of the Bible; or, God
Among the Birds;h the 'Mineralogy OF the
Bible; or, God Among the Amethysts;"
the "Ichthyology OF the Bible; or, Col
Among the Fishes" now come to speak OF
the "Conchology Of the Bible; or. Col
Among the SHELLS"
IL kok o..
for have never before told it to any one,
chat in all the realms OF the natural world
there is nothing TO ME so fascinating, so
completely absorbing. 80 full Of suggestive
ness, as she'll Wnat? More entert aiming
than bird. which can sing, when she'll
cannot singl Well, there you have made q
great mistake. Pick up the onycha from
the banks of the Red Sea or PICK up bivalve
from the beach OF the Atlantic Ocean and
listen, and you hear n whole choir OF marine
/ vo!ces-bass, alto, sopranc-n an unknown
tongue, but seeming TO chant as put taem
TO my ear, The sea is His and De made it,"
/ others singing, Thy way, q God, is in the
sea-" Others hymnng, "de ruleth the raging
1 Of the sea-
"Whnt" says some one else, docs the
shell impress you more than the starY In
some respects, yes, because can handle the
shell ana closely study the shell, while
| bhbHOL buc star, anu IL L STUDY ~
must study 1t 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,
aud because the shell does not fade as does
the rose leaf, but maintains its beauty cen
tury after century. so that the onycha
which the hoof of Pharaoh's horse knoc iei
aside in the chase OF the lsraeiites across the
Red Sea may have kept its luster TO this
hour. Yes, they are SO particolored an |
many colored that you might pile them up
until you would have wall with all the
co!ors OF the wall OF heaven, from the jasper
at the bottom to the amethyst at the top.
Oh, the shells! The petrfel foam OF the
sea- Oh, the shellsl The hardened bubbles
OF the deep. Oh, the shells, which are the
diadems thrown by the ocean to the feet Of
the contnt MT. How the shells are ribbed,
grooved, cylndcred, mott'ej, iridescentl
They were used as coin by some Of the Ma
tions. They were fastened in belts by
others, aud made in handles OF WOO len i'm.
plements by still others. Molusks not only
of the sea, but molusks 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 ISraelites marchei out of Egypt
900 strong, besides hocks and herds,
I he Bible says ''the people took their dough
before it was leavened their kneading
troughs being bound u2 IN the clothes ON
their shoulders. They were thrust forth out
of Egypt and could not tarry; neither had
they prepared for themsayes any victuals." "
Just think OF III Forty years in the wilder
ness. Intidelity triumphantly asks How
could they live forty years in the wilderness
without food? You say mama fell. Oh,
that was alter long while. They would
have starved fifty times before the mamma
fell The fact Is, they were chiefly kept
alive by the molusSs OF the land or sheIled
creatures Mr.. Fronton AMI Mr.. Scard
took the same route from Egypt toward
Canaan that the lsraelites took, and they
give this as their testimony.
although the children OF Israel must
have consisted of about 2 200. 900 souls, with
baggage aud innumerabe hocks and herds,
they were not likely to experience any in
convenience in their march. Several thou
sand persons might walk abreast with uie
greatest ease IN the very narrowest part OF
the valley in which they first began to file
off. 1t coon afterward expands to above
three leagues in width. With respect tc
forage they would be at no loss. The
ground is covered with tamarisk, broom,
clover and saint foin, OF which latter
especially camels are passionately foo :, be
sides almost every variety OF odoriferou
plant and herb proper for pasturage.
''The whole sides of the valley through
which the children OF Israel marched art
still tufted with brushwo oo1, which doubt
less afforded food for their beasts, together
with many drier SORTS for lighting fire, OIL
which the lsraelites could with the creates
ease bake the dough they brought with then
on small iron plates, which form constan
appendage to the baggage OF an orlehta
traveller. Lastly, the heritage underneath
these trees and shrubs Is completely covere
, with snails OF prohigious SIZE and OF th
( best sort, and, however uninviting suci
, repast ought appear to us, they are here es
. teemed a great delicacy. They are so plent
, ful in this valley that il may be literally sal
, that 1t is difficult to take one step withou
treading on them"
So the shelled creatures savei the host @
A Israelites on the march to the promise
land, and the attack OF inhdelity at th
: point is defeated by the facts, as inhdelity
: ALWAYS defeated by facts since it is founde
( on ignorance. In writing and printing ou
: interrogation point has at the bottom mar
: like a period and over 1t a flourish like tn
/ swing o. a teamster's whip, and we put tn
0 Interrogation point at the end OF question
8 but in the Spanish language the interrosa
= ton point is twice uSeI for each question
At the beginning Of the gu sstioi the inter
rogation point Is presented upside dowI
ami at the close of the question right sid
up When iufdelity puts question abot
i the Scriptures, as it always indicates ign
rance, the question ought to be printed VIII
q, two interrogation points, one at the oegir
T, ming and one at the close, but both upsiC
:, down.
= lhank God for the wealth OF mollusks Q
:, nm and down the earth, whether feedr
" the Israelites on thtr way TO the land NOV
;, ing with milk and honey, or, as we are be
= ter acquainted with the mollusks, VIII
flung to the beach OF lake or sea; There a
three great families OF them. IL shou
Il ask you TO name three OF the great roy
n families Of the earth, perhaps you would
y snond the house of Stewart the house
~ Hapsburg, the house Of Bourbon, but