The free press., 1893-07-13
REV; DR".TALMAGE.
THE=BROOKLYy WvISES SUN
DAY SERMON.
subject: s'"The. Song Of Birds %

TExr, shaU the fouls of the
heqUen hare 6eir habitstion, ,ohich sing
among the branches. Psalms, CIV, II.
There is an important and improving sub
ject to which most people have given no
thought and concerning which this is the
first pulpit discussion-namely, ''The Song Of
Birds II all that has been written concern
ing music By human voice or about music
sounded on instrument by finger or breath
were put together, volume by the side OF
volume. il would hll hundred alcoves ofthe
national libraries.
First. | remark that which will surprise
many, that the song Of birds is regulated
and systematic song, capable OF being written
out in note and staff and bar and clef as
much as anything that Wagner or Schumann
or Handel ever put on paper. As we pass the
grove where the fiocks are holding matin or
yesper service we are apt to think that the
sounds are extemporized, the rising or falling
note is a mere accident, it is flung up and
down by haphazard, the bird did not know
what it was doing, it did not care whether it
was long meter psalm or madrlgal. what
q mistake
The musician never put on the music rack
before him Mendelssohn's ''Elijah" or Bee
thoyen's Concerto" in G or Spohr's B fat
symphony with more definite idea as to
what he was doing than every bird that can
sing at all confines himself to accurate and
predetermined rendering. The oratorios, the
chants, the carols, the overtures, the inter-
udes. the ballads, the canticles that this morn
ing were heard or will this evening be
heard N the forest have rolled down through
the ages without a variation. Even the
chpmunks song was ordained clear back in
the eternities. At the gates OF paradise it
sang in sounds like the sylables "Kuk ~
"Kuk % ''Kukr' Just as this morning in a
Tel obar II EsE11y ihESKnk p
"Kukl" !" The thrush at the creation uttered
sounds likethe word Teacher !" Teacher" !"
Teacher r' as now it utters sounds like
''Teacher % Teacher ~ "Teachern' n'
In the summer OF the year l the yellow
hammer trilled that which sounded like 81"
"If! ''If r as in this summer it trills "If!
"Ifr' 'Ifr' The Maryland yellowthroat in
herits and bequeaths the tune sounding like
the words "Plty me, pity me, pity me" The
white sparrow's "1seep, tseep" woke our
great grandfathers as it Will awaken our great
grandchildren. The 'Tee-ka-tee-ka-tee-ka"
Of the birds in the first century was the same
as the "Tee-ka-tee- -ka-tee-ka" of the nine
.eenth century.
The goldfnch has for 5000 years been
singing .'De-ree-dee-ee-ree." But these
sounds, which we put in harsh words,
they put in cadences, rhythmic, soulful
and enrapturing. Now if there is this
order and systenatization and rhythm
all through GOu creallOU uOeS IL uOI
imply that we should have the same
characteristics in the music We make or
try to make? Is it not a wickedness that
30 many parents give no opportunity for the
culture OF their children in the art of sweet
sound? If God stoops to educate every blue
bird, oriole and grosbeak in song, how can
parents be so Indifferent about the musical
development ofthe tmmortals in their house
hold?
We want hemisphere campaign of hosan-
mas. From hearing blind beggar sing Mar
tin Luther went home at forty years OF age
to write his first hymn. In the autumn l
hope to have a congregational singing school
here during the week which shall prepare
the people 1or the songs of the holy Sab
bath. If the church OF God universal is 60
ing TO take this world for righteousness,
there must be added a hundredfoH OF more
harmony as well IS q hundredfold of more
volume TO sacred music.
Further, / notice in the song of birds
that it is q divinely taught song The
rarest priIna donna OF all the earth could
not teach the robin one musical note. A
kingfsher flying over the roof OF a tenn
pie aquake with harmonies would not
catch up one melody. From the time
that the first birds throat was fashioned
on the banks of the Gihon and Hiddekel
until to-day on the Hudson or Rhine the
winged creature has learned nothing
anthem. The ieathered songsters learned
all their music direct from God. He gave
them the art in u nest OF straw or moss or
sticks and taught them how 10 lift that song
INTO the higher heavens and sprinkle the
earth with Its dulcet entertainments. God
fashioned, God tuned, God launched, God
lifted muslci And there is a kind of music
that the Lord only can impart to you, my
bearer
Songs like that which Paul commended to
the Colossians when he said, '.Admcnish one
another IN psalms and hymns and spiritual
songs, singing, with grace in your hearts, to
the Lord. songs like Moses sang after the
tragedy of the Red sea, songs like Deborah
ana Barak sang at the overthrow of Sisera,
songs like Isaiah heard the redeemed sing as
he came TO Zion. Oh God, teach US that
kind OF song winch Thou only canst teach
and help us to sing it on earth and sing it in
heaven 1t was the highest result of sweet
sound when under the playing OF Paganini
one auditor exclaimed reverentiy, "On,
God !" and another sobbed out, "Oh, Christ W
Further remark in regard to the song of
birds that it is trustful and without any lear
OF what may yer come. Will you tell me
how il l. possible for that wren that spar
row. that chickadee. to sing so sweetly wneD
they may any time be pounced upon by a
hawk and torn wing from wing? There arei
cruel beaks in th1cket and in sky ready to
slay the song birds. Herods on the wing.
Modocs of the sky. Assassins armed with
iron claw. Murderers of song floating tp
and down the heavens. How can the birds
sing amid such perils? Besides that, how is
the bird sure to get food? Millions of birds
have been starved. Yet 1t sings in the dawn
without any certainty of breakfast or dinner
or supper. Would it not be better to gather
its food for the day before vocalizing.
Besides that, the hunters are abroad
Bang! goes gun In one direction. Bang
goes gun in another direction The song
will attract the shot and add to the peril
For every bird thousand perils and disas-
ters lowering and sweeping round and round.
Yet there it sings, and 1t is a trustful song.
The bird that has it the hardest sings the
sweetest. The lark from the shape of her
claws may not perch on a tree. In the grass
her nest is exposed to every hooftha passes.
One of the poorest shelters OF all the earth is
the lark's nest. If she sings at all, you will
expect her to render the saddest OF threno-
dies. No, no. She sings exultingly an hour
without pause and mounting 5000 feet with
out losing a note.
Further in the sky galleries thera ara