The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-11-14
!" OCTOBER THOUGHTS" "
Rev. DR.. Talmage Draws a Lesson
From the Wisdom of Birds.
With Unerrlng Instinct They Present Val.
rable Lessons to Man-They Min
gle Music With Their Work
Or In Their Flight.

y.
The following sermon by Rev. I. De-
Witt Talmage on October Thoughts"
was selected as appropriate for publi-
cation this week. 1t is based on the
text:
The stork In tho heaven knoweth her ap-
pointed time; and the turtle and the crane
and the swallow observe the time OF their com.
ing; but my people know not the Judgment OF
the Lord.-Jereiuiah vii..7
When God would set fast beautiful
thought, He plants it in a tree. When
He would put it afoat, He fashions it
into fish. When He would have it
glide the air, He molds it into bird.
My text speaks of four birds of beauti-
full instinct-the stork, of such strong
affection that it is allowed familiarly
to come, In Holland and Germany, and
build its nest over the doorway; the
sweet-dispositioned .turtledove. ming
ling in color white, and black, and
brown, and sshen, and chestnut; the
crane, with voice like the clang of q
trumpet; the swallow, swift as a dart
shot out Of the bow Of Heaven, falling,
mounting, skimming, sailing-four
birds started by the Prophet twenty
five centuries ago, yet flying on through
the ages, with rousing truth under
glossy wing and in the clutch of stout
claw. Isuppose It may have been this
very season Of the yeal-autumn-and
the prophet out of doors, thinking Of
the impenitence Of the people OF his
day, hears great cry overhead.
I. 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 prophet looks
up, and there are focks of storks, and
turtle doves, and cranes and swallows,
drawn ont in long lines for fight
sonthward. As is their habit, the
cranes had arranged themselves in two
lines, making an angle, wedge split
ting the air with wild velocity, the old
crane, with commanding call, bidding
them onward; while the towns, and
the cities, and the continents slid un-
der them. The prophet, almost blinded
Eomlooking into the dazzling heavens,
stoops down and begins to think how
much superior the birds are in sagacity
about their safety than men about
theirs; and he puts his hand upon the
pen, and begins to write: 1.-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 tof the Lord. "
If you were in the field to-day, in the
7clump Of. trees at the corner of che
field, you would see convention OF
birds, noisy as the American congress
the last night before adjournment, or
as the English parliament when some
unfortunate member proposes more
economy in tho queens households
convention Of birds all talking at once,
moving and passing resolutions on the
subject Of migration, some proposing
to- go tomorrow. some moving that
they 80 to-day, but all unanimous in
the fact that they mustgo soon. for they
have marching orders from the Lord
written on the first white sheet of the
frost, and in the pictorial OF the chang
ing leaves. There is not belted king
fisher, or chaAdnch, or fire-crested
wren. or a plover, or red-legged par
fridge but expects to spend the winter
at the south, fer the apartments have
already been ordered for them in South
America. or in Africa; and, after thou
sands OF miles of fight, they will stop
in the very tree where they spent last
January. Farewell, bright plurnage!
Until spring weather, away! Fly on,
great band Of heavenly musicians!
Strew the continents 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 themselves of the SOL
emn 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 OF the Lord"
I propose, so far as God may help
me, in this sermon, carrying out the
idea oil the text, to show that the birds
of the air have more sagacity than
men. And i begin by particularizing
and saying chat they mingle music
with their work. The most serious
undertaking Of a birds life is this an
nuaI fight southwark. Naturalists
tell us that they arrive thin and weary,
and plumage rufaed, and yet they go
singing oil 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. I suppose their song gives
elasticity to their wing, and helps on
with the journey, dwindling thou
sand miles into four hundred. Would
God that we were as wise as they in
tningling Christian song with our
everyday work! I believe there is
such thing as taking the pitch of
Christian devotion in the morning, and
keeping it all the day. / think we
might take some of the dullest, heavi-
a.. III n ,r-or1> ~ o,,,. 20