Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1893-01-14


onomy xxxii, IL: "As an eagle stirrcth
up her nest, huttereth over her young,
spreading abroad her wings, taketh
them, beareth them on her wings,
so the Lord alone did lead" The
old eagle first sboves the young one out
of the nest in order to make it fly,
and then takes it on her back and
flies with II, and shakes IL off in the
air, and If it seems like falling, quickly
flies under it and takes 1t on her wings
again. So God does with us Disaster,
failure in business disappointment, be-
reavement, is only Gods way OF shak-
ing us out OF our comfortable nest in
order that we may learn how to fly.
You who are complaining that you
have no faith or courage or Christian
zeal, have had it too easy. You never
will learn to fly in that comfortable
nest. Like an eagle, Christ has carried
us on His back. At times we have been
shaken off, and when we were about to
fall, He came under us again and
brought us out of the gloomy valley to
the sunny mountain.
1t was thought in ancient times that
an eagle could not only molt his fcath-
ers in old age, but that after arriving
to great age, 1t would renew its strength
and become entirely young again. To
this Isaiah alludcs when he says: ''They
that wait on the Lord shall renew their
strength, they shall mount up with
wings of eagles" Even SO the Chris
tian in old age will renew his spiritual
strength. He shall be young in ardor
and enthusiasm for Christ, and as the
body fails the soul will grow in elartic-
ity, till ut death it will spring up like q
gladdened child into the bosom Of God.
Yea, in this ornith illogical study, see
that Job says: His days fly as an eagle
that hasteth to its prey" The speed Of
a hungry eagle when it saw its prey a
score of miles distant was unimagin-
able. 1t went like thunderbolt for
speed and power. So fly our days.
Yes, in this ornithology of the Bible
find that God is determined to impress
upon us the architecture of birds
nest and the anatomy of a birds wing.
Twenty times does the Bible refer to a
birds nest: "Where the birds make
their nest" "As n bird that VANDERBILT
from her nest" Though thou set thy
nest among the stars" THE birds of
the air have their nests" and so on.
Why does God call us so frequently to
consider the birds nest? Because it is
one of the most wondrous of all styles
of architecture, and lesson of provi
dental care which is the most impor-
tant lesson that Christ in my text con-
veys.
Oh, the goodness OF God in showing
the birds how to build their nest.
What carpenters, what masons, what
weavers, what spinners the birds are!
Out of what small resources they make
what an exquisite home, curved, pill
Jared, wreathed. Out of MOSES,
out of sticks, out of lichens,
out of horsehair, out of spiders
web, out of threads swept from
the door by the housewife, out OF the
wool of the sheep in the pasture field.
Upholstered by leaves actually sewed
together by its own sharp bill. Cush'
Toned with feathers from its own
breast. Mortared together with the
gum of trees aud saliva of its own tiny
bill Such symmetry, such adaptation,
such convenience, such geometry OF
structure.
Surely these nests were built by some
plan. They did not just happen so.
Who drafted the plan for the birds
nest? God! And do you not think that
if he plans such house for the chat
finch, for an oriole, for bobolink, for
sparrow, he will see TO it that you al
ways have home? I'VE are OF
more value than many spar
rows" Whatever else surrounds
you, you can have what the Bible
calls ''the feathers of the Almighty"
Do you not feel the touch of them now
on forehead and cheek, and was there
ever such tenderness OF brooding-'the
feathers of the Almighty. $50 also in
this ornithology of the Bible God keeps
impressing us with the anatomy OF
birds wing. over fifty times does the
old Book allude to the wing. wings
of dove" wings of the
morning" "Wings of the wind" "Sun
of righteousness with healing in his
wings" "Wings of the Almighty" "All
fowl of every wing" What does it all
mean? 1t suggests uplifting. 1t tells
you of fight upward. 1t means to re-
mind you that you, yourself, have wings
David cried out, ''Oh, that had wings
like dove that might fly away and
be at rest" Thank God that you have
better,wings than any dove of Longest
or swiftest fight Gagged now in bars
of flesh are those wings, but the day
comes when they will be liberated.
Get ready for ascension. Take the
words of the old hymn, and to the tune
unto which that tune is married, sing:
Rise, my soul, and stretch thy wing.
Thy better portion trace