The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-12-15
GOD AMONG THE BIRDS.
Rev. DIR. Talmage on OrnIthology OF the
.rs.- Bible. d..

Rev. DIR. Talmage on OrnitholoRy OF the
.rs. Bible. .....
TEXT: "Behold the fowls Of the air.
Matthew VI, 26.
NV text is an extract from the Sermon
on the Mount. and perhaps 1t was at mo.
ment when q flock Of birds few past that
Christ waved His hand toward them and
said: "Behold the fowls Of the air." That
is, study their habits. Examine their col
ors. Notice their speed. See the hand OF
God in their construction. They are al
most human, for they have their loves and
hates, afinities and antipathies, under
stand Joy and grief, have conjugal and ma
ternal instincts, wage wars, and entertain
jealousies, have language Of their own
and powers OF association.
Thank God for birds, and skies tpll OF
them. It is useless to expect to under.
stand the Bible unless we study natural
history. They we're at the creation placed
all around on the rocks and In the trees
and on the ground to serenade Adams
arrival. They took their places on Friday,
as the first man was made on Saturday.
Whatever else he had or did not have,
he should have music. The first sound
that strack the human ear was birds
voice.
AS bird first heralded the human race.
into the world, now bird will help the
human race back to the world that had
shipped sea that had overwhelmed every
thing. Noah stands on Sunday morning
at the window Of the ark, In his hand
cooling dove, 80 gentle, so innocent, 80 AZ
fectionate, and he said: "Now, my little
dove, fly away over these waters, explore,
and come back and tell US whether 1t is
safe to land. It was bird that told them
when to take possession OF the resuscitated
planet. So the human race were saved by
birds wing; for, attempting to land TOO
soon, they would have perished.
Isaiah compares the desolations OF ban
ished Israel to an owl and blttern and cor
morant among city's ruins. would the
prophet illustrate the fate OF fraud, ne
points to failure at incubation, and says:
''As a partridge sitteth on eggs ana hatch,
eth them not, 80 he that getteth rlcnes ana
not by right shall leave them In tho MIDST
of his days and at his end shall be q FOOL
The quickest way to amuss o fortune Is
by iniuuity, but the trouble Is about Keep
ing It. Every hour OF every day some such
partridge Is driven off the nest Panics are
only a llutter OF partridges. 1t Is too tedi-
Gus work to become rich in the old.tasn-
ioned way, and II a man can by the false.
hood make as much as by ten years OF
hard labor, why not tell it, ana II one
counterfeit check will bring the dollars rs
easily as O genuine issue; why not make II!
But wonder in this Bible sky flies a bird
that is speckled. The prophet describing
the church, cries out: "Mine. heritage Is
unto me as a speckled bird, the birds
round about are against her" So 1t
was then; so it is now. Holiness picked
at. Conservation picked at. Benevolence
picked at. Usefulness picked at.
apeckled bird Is peculiar bird. and that
Srouses the antipathy OF all the beakS OF
Sbe forest. The church Of God Is peculiar
institution, and that is enough to evoke
attack Of the world, for it Is a speckled
bird to be picked at. The inconsistencies
OF Christians are banquet on which multi
tudes get fat. They ascribe everything
you do to wrong motives. Put dollar In