The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1894-11-05
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
An Instructive Lesson Drawn From
the Sagacity OF Birds.
II Mankind Was as InstinctiveIy Religious
ms the Fowls of the Air, They
Would Escape the Pinch
ing Frost OF Sin.

Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage made selec-
ton of the following sermon on "Octo-
Der Thoughts" for publication this
week: 1t is based on the text:
The stork in the 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-Jeremiah viii..7.
When God would set fast a beautiful
thought, He plants it in 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 Familiarity
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 ashen, and chestnut; the
crane, with voice like the clang of a
trumpet; the swallow, swift as 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 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 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 fiocks of storks, and
turtle doves, and cranes and swallows,
drawn out in long lines for fight
southwark. 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
4 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 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: ''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" E
If you were in the field to-day, in the
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 the 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 go to-day, but all unanimous in
the fact that they must go 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 chaffinch, or fre-crested
wren, or plover, or red-legged par
fridge but expects to spend the winter
at the south, for the apartments have
already been ordered for them III South
America, or in Africa; and, after Shou-
sands of miles of fight, they will stop
in the very tree where they spent, last
January. Farewell, bright plumage!
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: 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 of 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 the air have more sagacity than
men. And begin by particularizing
and saying that they mingle music
with their work. The most serious |
undertaking of birds life is this an
nual fight southwark. Naturalists |
tell us that they arrive thin and weary, |
and plumage ruffied, 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, dwindling thou
sand miles into four hundred. Would |
God that we were as wise as they in |
mingling Christian song with our
everyday work. believe there is
such a thing as taking the pitch of