The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-30
SPRINKLED AND CLEANSE0.
THE OLD GOSPEL PRESENTED IN
DER ANOTHER PHASE.

ing of Observation-Disclosures Says
the old Testament Is Looked Upon
NV Many People as "a Vast slaugh-
ter House.
Washington. May 29-From a scene OF
old. DR.. Talmage in this sermon presents
the old gospel under another phase. IeN''
Leviticus a: 81:
and the priest shall command that one
of the birds be killed in an earthen YES
sci. over running water. As for the hN'hS
bird he shall take it, and the cedar-wood'
and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall
dip them and the living bird in the blood Of
the bird that was killed over the running
water; and he shall sprinkle upon hlm that
Is 10 be cleansed from the leprosy seven
times. and shall pronounce him clean, ana
shall let the living bird loose into the
open field"
The Old Testament, to very many people
is a great slaughter house strewn with the
blood, and bones, and horns, and hoofs of
butchered animals. 1t offends their sight;
it disguests their taste; it actually nause-
ates the stomach. But to the intelligent
Christian the Old Testament is magnifi-
cent corridor through which Jesus adj
vances AS he appears at the other end of
the corridor, we can only see the outlines
OF his character; coming nearer we can
descry the features. But when, at last,
he steps upon the platform of the New
Testament, amid the torches of evangel-
lists and apostles, the orchestras Of heaven
announce him with a blast Of minstrelsy
.l,,f.r
There were a great many cages Of birds
brought down 10 Jerusalem for sacrifice
sparrows, and pigeons, and turtle-doves.
! can hear them now, whistlng, caroling,
and singing all around about the Temple.
When Ieper was to be cured of his lep-
rosy, in order to his cleansing two of
these birds were taken; one of them was
slain over an earthen vessel of running
water-that is, clear, fresh water, and then
the bird was killed. Another bird was
then taken, tied 20 a hyssop- branch and
plunged by the priest into the blood of the
first bird; and then, with this hyssop-
branch, bird-tipped, the priest would
sprinkle the leper seven times, then unite
the bird from the hyssop-branch, and it
would go soaring into the heavens.
Now open your eyes wide, my dear
brethren and sisters, and see that that first
bird meant Jesus, and that the second
bird means your own soul.
There is nothing more suggestive than
a Gagged bird. In the down of its breast
you can see the glow of Southern climes;
in the sparkle of Its eye you can see the
flash of distant seas; in its voice you can
hear the song it learned in the wildwood.
/ is a child of the sky in captivity. Now
tr-ff rod Fvgarg
the air, suggests the Lord Jesus, who
came down from the realms of light and
glory He once stood in the sunlight of
heaven. He was the favorite of the land.
He was the Kings son. Whenever VIC
tory was gained, or a throne set up, he
was the first TO hear il. He could not
walk incOgnito along the streets, for all
heaven knew him. For eternal ages he
had dwelt amid the mighty populations of
heaven. No holiday had ever dawned on
the city when he was absent. He was
not like an earthly prince, occasionally
issuing from a palace heralded by a troop
of clanking horse guards. No; he was
greeted everywhere as a brother, and all
heaven was perfectly at home with him.
But one day there came word to the
palace that an insignificant Island was in
rebellion, and was cutting itself to pieces
with anarchy. l hear an angel say Let
it perish. The King realm is vast enough
King are large enough without that We
can spare it," Not So said the prince,
the Kings son; and | see him push out
one day, under the protest of a great COM
pany. He starts straight for the rebel
lious island. He lands amid the eXecra-
lions OF the inhabitants, that grow in vio-
lence until the malice of earth has smit-
ten him, and the spirits of the lost world
put their black wings over his dying head,
and :hut the sun out The hawks and vul-
lures swooped upon this dove of the text,
until head. and breast, and feet ran blood
until. under the fiocks and beaks of
darkness, the poor thing persisted. No
wonder Ii was a bird that was taken and
slain over an eathen vessel of running wa
ter. 1t was a child of the skies. 1t typi-
fed him who came down from heaven in
agony and blood to save our souls. Bless
ed be his glorious name forever!
notice also, in my text, that the bird
that was slain was a clean bird. The text
demanded that it should be. The raven
was never sacrificed, nor the cormorant
nor the vulture. 1t must be a clean bird
says the text; and 1t suggests the pure
Jesus-the holy Jesus. Although he spent
hiss boyhood in the worst village on earth
although blasphemies were poured into his
ear enough to have poisoned any one else
he stands before the world perfect
Christ. HerOd was cruel, Henry VIII was
unclean, but point out a fault of our King
the streets OF Nazareth. Answer me. VI
miscreants who saw him die. The scep
itcal tailors have tried for eighteen hun.
dred years to find out one hole in this
seamless garment, but they have not founC
it. The most ingenious and eloquent in.
fidel of this day, in the last line of hi.
book, all of which denounces Christ says
"All ages must proclaim that among tn,
sons of men there is none greater than
Jesus" So let his bird of the text b,
clean-its feet fragrant with the dew tina
is pressed its beak carrying sprig o
thyme and frankncense, it's feather
washed in summer showers. O thou spot
less Son of God, impress US with thy in
nocence!
Thou lovely source of true delight
Whom /, unseen adore,
Unveil thy beauties TO my sight
That 1 may love thee more"
remark, also. in regard 10 this frs
bird mentioned in the text, that it was
defenseless bird. When The eagle is as
saulted, with its iron beak il strikes like
bolt against its adversary This was
dove We N No IA,