Connecticut western news., 1898-06-02
BLOOD APPOINTMENT.
BY IT CHRIST DELIVERED ALL MEN
 FROM BONDAGE.

New LAn&uAES-SACEinCe oi the OSArhsc-
 les. Dove Two Birds of Ancient Jeru-
 salem.
 Icopyrisht. 1898. by Am American Press Asso-
 WASHINGTON, May 29.-From scene of old Dr. Talmage in this sermon pre- scnts the old gospel under another phase: text, Leviticus xiv, 5-I: And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed ill an earthen vessel. over running water. As for the living bird, he shall take it and the cedar wood. and the scarlet, and the hyssop and shall dip them and the liv ing bird ill the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water and he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the lelrosy seven times and shall pronounce him clean and shall let the living bird loose into the open field.''
 The Old Testament to very many people Is great slaughter house strewn with the blood and bones and horns and hoofs of butchered animals. It offends their sight; 1t disgusts their taste; 1t actually nauseates the stomach But to the intelligent Christian the Old Testa- ment Is magnificent corridor through which Jesus advances. AS he appears at the other end of the corridor we can only see the outlines of his character coming nearer. &e can descry the fea- lures But when at last he steps upon the platform of the New Testament, amid the torches of evangelists and apostles, the orchestras of heaven an- nounoe him with blast of minstrelsy that wakes up Bethlehem at midnight.
 There were a great many cages of binds brought down to Jerusalem for sacrifice-sparrows, pigeons and turtle doves can hear them now, whistling, caroling and singing all around about the temple When a leper was to be cured of his leprosy, 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 kill ed Another bird was then taken. tied to . hyssop branch and plunged by the priest into the blood of the first bird, and then. with this hyssop branch. bird tippad. 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 sec ond bird means your own soul
 There is nothing more suggestive than . caged 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 fash of distant seas In its voice you can hear the song 1t learned in tho wild wood It is a child of the sky in capitiv- ity. Now the dead bird of my text, cap 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 a victory was gained or a throne set up, he was the first to hear 1t 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 holi- day had ever dawned on the city when he was absent He was not like an earth ly prince, occasionally issuing from a palace heralded by 8 troop of clanking horse guards No He was greeted ev- erywhere as brother, and all heaven was perfectly at home with him
 Tho Kings Son.
 But one day there came word to the palace that an insignificant island was In rebellion and was cutting itself to pieces with anarchy. I hear an angel say: "Let it perish. The Kings realm Is vast enough without the island. The tributes to the King are large enough without that We can spare it" "Not 70. said the Prince, the Kings Son, and see him push out one day under theprotest of great company. He starts straight for the rebellious island He lands amid the generations of the in- habitants that grow in violence until the malice of earth has smitten him and the spirits of the lost world put their black wings over his dying head and shut 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 flocks and beaks of darkness the poor thing perished. No wonder it was bird that was taken and slain over an earthen vessel of running water. It was 8 child of the skies It typified him who came down from heav- en in agony and blood to save our souls Blessed be his glorious name foreverl
 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 cor morant, nor the vulture. It must be & clean bird. says the text, and it suggests the pure Jesus-the holy Jesus AL though he spent his boyhood in the worst village on earth. although blas- phemies 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, William III was treach- erous but point out fault of our King Answer me, ye boys who knew him on the streets of Nazareth Answer me. ye miscreants who saw him die! The skep- tical tailors have tried for l.8O0 years to find out one hole in this seamless garment, but they have not found it The most ingenious and eloquent infidel of this day, in the last line of his book, all of which denounces Christ, says "All ages must proclaim that among the sons of men there is none greater shan Jesus" So let this bird of the text ? be clean-its feet fragrant with the dew that iA pressed, it's beak carrying sprig of thyme and frankincense, its feathers washed in summer showers 0 thou spotless. Son of God. impress us with thy innocencel
 Thou lovely source of true delight,
 Whom l. unseen, adore,
 Unveil thy beauties to my sight.
 That may love thee more
 Nono to Help.
 remark also in regard to this frs, hird mentioned in the text that 1t was q defenseless bird. When the eagle is assaulted, with its iron beak it strikes Ike bolt against its adversary. This