The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-05-30
[CobyflSht, 1903, by American Press Asso-
clation.1

tne oiu BObpel uuQer announcer phase; UeXt
Leviticus xiv, 81: "And the priests shall
command that one Of the birds be killet
in an earthen vessel, over running water
As for the living bird, he shall take it
and the cedar wood, and tho scarlet, anC
the hyssop and shall dip them and the nv
ing bird In the blood of the bird that wa.
killed over the running water, and ht
shall sprinkle upon him that is to BIZ
cleansed from the leprosy seven times and
shall pronounce him clean and shall lei
tho living bird loose into the open field"
The Old Testament to very many PEG
pie Is a great slaughter house strewn with
tho blood and bones and horns and hoofs
of butchered animals 1t offends theil
sight; 1t disgusts their taste; 1t actually
nauseates the stomach. But to the intel
ligent Christian tho Old Testament is a
magnificent corridor through which Jesus
advances. As he appears at the other end
of the corridor we can only sec the out.
lines Of his character. Coming nearer, we
can descry the features. But when ct last
he steps upon the platform Of the New
Testament, amid the torches Of evangelists
and apostles, the orchestras Of heaven an
nounce him with blast of minstrelsy that
wakes up Bethlehem OF midnight
There were great many cages Of birds
brought down to Jerusalem for sacrifice
sparrows and pigeons and turtledoves. I
can hear them now, whistling, caroling
and singing all around about the temple
When leper was to be cured of his leprosy,
in order to his cleansing two Of these birds
were taken. Ono Of them was slain over
an carthen vessel Of running water-that
is, clear, fresh water-and then the bird
was killed. Another bird was then taken,
tied to o 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 tho
hyssop branch, and 1t would go soaring
into the heavena
Now open your eyes wide, my dear
brethren and sisters, and SEQ that that first
bird meant Jesus and that tho second
bird means your own soul
There Is nothing more suggestive than
a Gagged bird. In tho down of its breast
you can SEQ the glow Of southern chimes.
In the sparkle Of Its eye you can zee the
flash Of distant seas In it's voice you can
hear the song 1t learned in tho wildwood
1t is child Of the sky in captivity. Now
the dead bird Of my text, captured from
the air, suggests tho Lord Jesus, who came
down from the realms Of light and glory.
He once stood in the sunlight Of heaven.
He was tho fayorite of tho land. He was
the Kings Son. Whenever a victory was
gained or throne set up he was the first
to hear it 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 holt
day had ever dawned on the city when he
was absent. He was not like an earthly
prince, occasionally issuing from palace
hcralded by troop of clanking horse
guards No; he was greeted everywhere
as o brother, and all heaven was perfectly
ut home with him.
But one day thcTp came word to the pal
ace that IN insignificant island was in re-
bellion and was cutting itself to pieces
with anarchy. hear an angel say: Let
1t perish. The King realm Is vast enough
without the Island Tho tributes to tho
King are large enough without that. We
can spare it." "Not 50, "'said tho Prince,
tho Kings Son, and l sec him push out
one day under the protest Of great COM
pany. He starts straight for tho rcbellious
island. He lands amid the excavations Of
the inhabitants, that grow in violence I'M
til tho malice Of Garth has smitten him,
and tho spirits Of tho lost world put their
black wings over his dying head and shut
tho sun out. The hawks and vulturcs
swooped upon this dove of the text, until
Inn nd OF
under tho hocks and beaks Of darkness
the poor thing persisted. No wonder it
was bird that was taken and slain over
an carthen vessel Of running water. 1t
was child of the skies 1t typifed him
who came down from heaven in agony and
blood to save our souls Blessed be his
glorious name forcverl
A Clean Bird.
notice also in my text that the bird
that was slain was clean bird. The text
demanded that 1t should be. The raven
was never sacrificed, nor tho cormorant,
nor tho vulturo. 1t must be clean bird,
sus-the holy Jesus. Although no spent
his boyhood In the worst village on earth,
although blasphomies wero poured into
his ear enough to have poisoned any ono
else ho stands before tho world perfect
Christ. Hcrod was cruel, Henry VIII
was unclean, William III was treacherous,
but point out a fault OF our King. Answer
me, ye boys who knew him on the streets
of Nazareth Answer me, 20 miscrcants
lHho saw him die! The skeptical tailors
nave tried for 800 years to find out one
hole In this seamless garment, but they
have not found it, Tho most ingenious
and eloquent inddel of this day in the last
limo Of his book, all Of which denounces
Christ, says Gan ages must proclaim that
among tho sons of men there is none
greater than Jesus" So let this bird Of
the text DO clean--its feet fragrant with
tho dew that It pressed, its hoax carrying
il '1I'i ~ N'>'' ,A Ns' va "A'A WY