Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1894-11-07
REV. DIR. TALMAGb
TIE BROOKLYN DIvINEs Sun.
DAY SEKMON,
Subject: Autumn Thoushts.'

TEXT. 'The stork in the heaven knoweth
her appointed time. and the turtle, and the
crane, and the swallow observe the time of
their coming, but my people know not the
Judgment OF the Lord."-Jeremiah viii, Z.
When God would set fast beautiful
thought. He plants it in tree. When He
would put 1t afoat, He fashions it into a fish.
When He would have it glide the air. He
rnolds II into bird. My text speaks of four
birds Of beautiful instinct-the stork of such
strong affection that it is allowed Familiarity
TO come in Holland and Germany and build
its nest over the doorway: the sweet
dispositioned turtiedove, minGling in color
white and black and brown and ashen and
chestnut, the crane. with voice like the
clang of a trumpet; the swallow. swift n
dart shot out of the bow OF heaven. falling,
mounting, skimming, sailinC-four birds
started by the prophet TWENTY-FIVE centuries
ago, yet flying on through the ages. with
rousng truth under glossy wing and in the
clutch of stout claw. l suppose il may have
been in this very season of the year-autumn
and the prophet out OF doors, thinking of
the fmpenitence OF the people OF his day,
hears great cry overhead.
Now, you know it Is no easy thing for one
with ordinary delicacy of eye-sight to look
into the deep blue of MONDAY heaven, but
the prophes looks up. and there are fiocks
OF storks and turtledoves and cranes and
swallows drawn out in long lines for fight
southwark. As is their habit, the cranes
bad arranged themselves in two lines, max
ng an angle, a wedge splitting the air with
wild velocity, the old crane, with command
ing CALL bidding them onward while
the towns, and the cities. and the
continents slid under them. The
prophet, almost blinded from looking into
the dazzling heavens. stoops down and be-
gins TO think how much superior the birds
are In sagacity about their safety than men
are about theirs, and he puts his hand upon
the pen and begins to write, "The stork in
the heaven knoweth his appointed times. and
the turtle, and the crane. and the swallow
observe the time of their coming, but my
people know not the jui Ement of the Lord"
II you We're in the field to-day. in the
clump OF trees at the corner of the field, you
would see a convention of birds, noisy as
the American Congress the last night before
adjournment the English Parliament
when some unfortunate member proposes
more economy in the Queens household,
a convention OF birds all talking at once,
moving and passing resolutions or the sub
iect Of migration, some proposing to go to
morrow, some moving that they go to-day,
but al unanimous in the fact that they must
20 soon. for they have marching orders
from the Lord written on the first white
sheet of the frost and in the pictorial OF the
changing leaves.
There Is not belted kingGgher, or n
ehaffinch. or fire crested wren. or a power,
red legged partridge but expects to
spendthe winter at the South. for the apart
ments have already been ordered for them
in South America or in Africa, and after
thousands of miles OF flight they will stop in
the very tree where they spent last January.
Farewell, bright plumacel Until spring
weather, awayi Fly on, great bant OF
heavenly musicians! Strew the coDti-
nents with music, and, whether from
Ceylon isle. or Carolinian swamps, or
Brazilian groves men see your wings or
hear your voice. may they yet bethink them-
selves Of the solemn words OF the text, "The
stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed
times, and the turtle, and the crane- and the
swallow observe the time OF their coming,
but my people know not the judgment o.
the Lord"
propose so far as God may help me IN
this sermon carrying out the idea OF the text
to show that the birds OF tie air have more
sagacity than men. And L begin by par
ttcularfziny and saying that they mingl'
music with their WORK The most serious
undertaking of O birds life is this an
nual flight southwark. NatUralists tell u:
that they arrive thin and weary and plumage
rufled, and yet they go singing all the way
the ground the lower line OF the music, the
sky the upper line of the music, themselves
the notes scattered up and down between.
suppose their song gives elasticity TO their
wing and helps on with the journey, dwind-
ling 1000 miles into 400. Would God that
We were as wise as they in mingIing Chris
tian song with our everyday work L be-
lieve there Is suoh a thing rs taking the
pitch of Christian devotion In the morning
and keeping IL all the day. l think we
might take some of the dullest, heaviest,
most disagreeable work of our life and set 1t
10 the tune of "Antioch" or "Mount PIs-
gah."
II is good sign when you hear work
man whistle. 1t is a better sign when You
hear him hum a roundeIay. 1t is a still bet
ter sign when you hear him sing the words
OF Isaac Watts or Charles Wesley. violin
chorded and strung, If something accident.
ally strikes II, makes music, and suppose
there is such thing as having our hearts 81
collisions of life will make heav
enly vibration. 1 do not believe
that the power of Christian song has YET
been fullytried. / believe that If you could
roll the ''Old Hundred" doxo!ogy througf
the street II would put an end TO any panic
IbeIieve that the discorls, and the sorrows
and the sins of the world are TO be swept ou
~ heavso-born halleluiahs. Some one ASKED
Haydn the celebrated musician. why he al
ways composed such cheerful music.
'sWhy." he said. 81 can't do otherwise.
When l think OF God, my soul is so full oi
Joy that the notes leap and dance
from my pen." L wish we might
all exult melodiously before the Lord.
With God for our Father and Christ for our
Saviour, and heaven for our home ana
angels for future companions, and eternity
for a lifetime we should strike all the notes
of Joy. Going through the Wilderness ol
this world let US remember that we are ol
the way to a summery cline OF heaven. ano
from the migratory populations flying
through this autumnal air learn always &c
keep singingt
Children of the Heavenly King,
As ye journey, sweetiy sing
Sing your Saviour's worthy praise,
Glorious in His works and ways.
Ye are travelling home to God
In the way your fathers troi.
They are happy now, and We
Soon their happiness shall see.
The Church of God never will be tri
umphant church until it becomes a singln!
church
Igo further and remark that the birds o
the air are wiser than we in the fact that II
their migration they fly very high. Durin!
the summer, when they are in the fields, the.
often come within reach OF the gun, bu
when they start for the annual hight south
wari they take their places midheaven an'
go straight as a mark. Inc longest rll
that was ever brought to shouider can
not reach them. Would TO dod tnat W.
were as wise as the stork and crane IN ou
flight heayeawardI We fly so low that W.
are within easy range of the world, the hesl
and the devil. We are brought down W
temptations that ought not to come VIII Z IL. .
mile of reaching US. ON, 1or sohe "a ,I,.a,
sa,,b q, GEORGE Muller of England and Alire'
Oooknan. once of the church militant, nov
Of the CHURCH triumphant So poor Is TN
type OF piev in the church Of God mo. now INA tnr
men actually saricatare the idea tha' ~ ~
sAay such thing as a higher lie. ~ ~
never did believe IN eagles. But my oretn %
rem, because We have not reacned 'Hes f ,
heights ourselves, shah 1e derlde the lac lac
that there any such heights? A man Iva wa
snce tasiag to B.nnel the famous, famous eng eng
aeer, about the length OF the raliroaa ia noT 81
london TO pristo,. The engineer said: ~
4 not ~ reat. We shall have aite
-1vf,sFe a steamer running from England u
New York" They laughed him to scorn
but we have gone 20 far now that we nav v
ceased to laugh at aRythinS as irnpossloi
for human achievement, 11sn ask, Is any
thing impossible for the Lord2 l do not De
Iieve that God exhausted all HIS grace
Paul and LaHimer and Edward Payson.