The Yale expositor., 1894-10-26

:, ,-t A.. I1f ElS scrlilOh Nc""y
.nrough NJ t sne eress, e'october Thoughts"
his s,' teAH . Gag jeremiah s:viL
, "Nep God would set fast beautiful
-nouf >nt, he plants it in tree. When
y nc could put it afloat he fashions 1t
TO fish. When he would have 1T
glide the air, he moulds it into bird.
Nv text speaks of four birds Of beauti-
ful instinct-the storS, 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 turtle dove, ming
ling in color white and back, and
brown, and ashen, and chestnut; the
crane, with voice like the clang of
trumpet; the swallows, swift as a dart
shot ont Of the bow of heaven, falling,
mounting, slIimming, 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. / suppose it may have been this
very season of the year-autumn-and
the prophet out-of-doors, thinking of
the impenitence of the people of his
day, hears great cry overhead.
Now, YOU know IL 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 hoclls of storks, and
turtle doves, and cranes, and swallows
drawn ont in long lines for fight
southwark. AS is their habit, the
cranes had arranged themselves in two
lines making an angle, n 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
from looking into the dazzling heav-
ems. 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
storlS in the heaven knoweth her APP
pointed 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. "
If YOU were 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, OF
as the English parliament when some
unfortunate member proposes more
! economy in the queens households
convention of birds all talking at once
: moving and passing resolutions on the
; .ubject of migration; some proposing
to 90 tomorrow, some moving thai
they 60 to-day, but all unanimous il
the fact that they must go soon, fol
: they have marching orders from the
= Lord written on 'he first white shee
of frost, and in the pictorial of thu
, chcnging leaves. There is not a belt
, ed llingfsher, chaflinch, or {
2 FIRE crested wren, or plover
, or red legged partridge bu
: expects to spend the winter a
! the south, for the apartment
have already been ordered for them il
South America or in Africa; and afte
D thousands of miles of flight, they vii
stop in the very tree where they spen
a last January. Farewell, bright plum
: age! Until spring weather, away! FL,
on, great band of heavenly musicians
Z Strew the continents with music, an,
a whether from Ceylon isle, or Carolinial
= swamps, or Brazilian groves men Sc
your wings or hear your voice, ma
they yet bethink themselves of tn
solemn words of the text: THE ssor,
:, in the heaven knoweth her appointe
. times; and the turtle and the Gran
; and the swallow observe the time c
n their coming; but my people know no
!. the Judgment of the Lord" "
; l propose so far as God may help me
in this sermon. carrying out the ide
=, of the text, to show that the birds c
: the air have more sagacity than mcr
And l begin by particularizing an
saying that they mingle music wit
their work. The most serious undel
= taking Of birds life is this annui
= fight southwark. Naturalists tell L
: that they arrive thin and weary, an
= plumage ruffled, and yet they go sins
= ing all the way; the ground, the lowe
line Of the music, the sky, the uppC
: line of the music, themselves the note
:. scattered up and down between.
II suppose their song gives elasticity
their wing and helps on with the jou
ney, dwindling a thousand miles in,
four hundred. Would God that W
~ were as wise rs they in mingling Chri
=, tian song with our every day work!
% believe there is such thing as takin
the pitch of Christian devotion in IL
~ morning and keeping it all the day.
4. think we might take some of the dul
!, est, heaviest, most disagreeable wor
~ of our life, and set it to the tune
=, Antioch" or Mount Pisgah."
:, Itisa good sign when you hear a worl
as man whistle. IL Is better sign whe
n you hear him hum roundelay. 1t
a still better sign when you hear hi
sing the words of Isaac Watts or Charl
Wesley. A violin chorded and strun
IN if something accidentally strike
= makes music, and | suppose there
y such a thing as having our hearts
y attuned by divine grace, that even Il
- rough collisions of life will make
- heavenly vibration. / do not BELIEF