The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-10-24


His PeouIe-Fhe Christian should
Strive ior a Loftier Flight in Grace.
BROOKLYN, Oct 2l-The Rev. Dr.
Talmage. who has left India and is now
on his homeward journey, has selected as
the subject FOR his sermon today through
the press October Thoughts" his text
being jeremiah viii, Z, 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"
When God would set fast a beautiful
thought. he plants &c in tree. When he
would put it anoat, he fashions it into a
fish. When he would have it glide the air,
he molds 1t 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 turtle
dove 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 as a dart
shot out of the bow Of heaven. falling,
mounting. skimmng, sailing-four birds
started by the prophet twenty-five CEN
turtles 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
Observation-Disclosures the prophet out Of
doors, thinking OF the impenitence of the
people OF his day, hears a great cry over
The Messebgers Of the Air.
Now. you know it is no easy thing for
one with ordinary de.lcacy Of eyesight 10
look into the deep blue of MONDAY heaven,
but the proDheC looks up, and there are
flocks OF storlte and turtledoves and cranes
ana swa, r7s aTawn out in long lines for
flight so-.ilw1ri As Is their habit .he
cranes hat arranged themselves in two
lines. making an angle. a wedge, splitting
The air with wild velocity, the GA crane,
with commanding call. bidding them on
ward, 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 10 think how much superior the birds
are in sagaclty about their safety than
men about theirs. and he put 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 COM
ing. but my people know not the Judg-
ment Of the Lord
If YOU were IN the field today, in the
clump Of trees at the corner of the field
you would see a convention OF birds, noisy
a. the American congress the last night
before adjournment or as the British par
iameno when some unfortunate member
proposes more ecotomy in the queens
household convention of birds all talk
ing at once, moving and passing resolu-
lions on the subject Of migration, some
proposing to go tomorrow, some moving
that they so today, but all unanimous in
the fact that they must go soon, for they
have marching orders from the Lord writ
ten on the first white sheet OF the frost
and in the pictorial of the changing leaves.
There is not a belted kingfisher, or
chafnnch, or fire crested wren, or
p,over. or a red-legged partridge but eX
poets TO spend the winter at the South,
for the apartments have already been or
dered for them in South America or in
Africa. and after thousands Of miles Of
flight they will stop in the very tree
where thew spent last January. Farewell
bright plumagel Until spring weather
away! Fly on, great band of heavenly
musiciansl Strew the continent with
music and whethen from Ceylon Isle or
Caro,inian swamps or Brazilian groves,
men see your wings or hear your voice,
may they yet Dethink themselves 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
of the Lord"
L 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 10y particuiarizing and saying
that they mingle music with their work
The most serious, undertaking of Bird
life is thfs annual flight southwark Nat
uralists 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 up
per 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 1000 niles into 400. Would TO
God that we were as wise as they in
mingiing Christian song with our every
day work. / 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 tho
dullest. heaviest. most disagreeable work
of our life and set it to the tune Of
Antioch" or Mount Pisgah."
Singing as They Go.
1t is a good sign when you hear work.
man whistle. II is a bette- sign when
you hear him hum roundelay. II is a
still better sign when YOU hear him sing
the words of Isaac Watts or Charles
Wesley. violin chorded and strung, if
something accidentally strikes it, makes
music, and L suppose there is such d