The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1898-06-01
REDEEMED SOULS
They Leave This Weary World
and Soar Heavenward.
In the World to Come Those Who Have
Been FRithful VIII Surely Find
Place of Comfort; Haven
of Rest.

From an ancient scene Ct sacrifice |
Rev, DIR. Talmage, in the following
sermon, tells the story of Jesus. The
texts Leviticus IA: 81: "And the priest
shall command that one of the birds be
killed in an earthen vessel, over run
ming water. AS for the living bird, he
shall take it, and the cedarwood, 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 sprin-
kle upon him that is to be cleansed
from the leprosy 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, the bones, and
horns, and hoofs of butchered animals.
1t offends their sight; it disgusts their
taste; it actually nauseates the stom-
ach. But to the intelligent Christian
the Old Testament is a magnificent
corridor through which Jesus ad-
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 evangelists and apostles,
the orchestras of Heaven announce
Him with blast of minstrelsy that
wakes up Bethlehem at midnight
There were a great many cages OF
birds brought down to Jerusalem for
sacrifice-sparrows, pigeons, and tur-
tle-doves. can hear them now, whis-
tling, 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; one of them was slain over an
earthern vessel of running water-that
is, clear, fresh water, and then the
bird was killed. Another bird was
then taken, tied to a hyssop branch,
and plunged by the priest into the
blood of the first bird; and then, with
his 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 Gagged bird. In the down of its
breast you can see the glow of south
ern climes; in the sparkle ofits eye you
can see the flash of distant seas; in its
voice you can hear the song it learned
in the wildwood. 1t is child Of the
sky in captivity. Now the dead bird
of my text, captured from the air, sug'
gests 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. When
ever 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. Fol
eternal ages he had dwelt amid the
mighty populations of Heaven. Nc
holiday had ever dawned on the city
when he was absent. He was not like
an earthly prince, occasionally issuing
from palace heralded by a troop o.
clanking horseguards. No; he wa;
greeted everywhere as brother an6
all Heaven was perfectly at home with
Him.
But one day there came word to the
palace that an insignificant island wal
in rebellion, and was cutting itself t.
pieces with anarchy. hear an ange
say: Let it perish. The Kings realm
is vast enough without the island
The tributes to the king are larg,
enough without that. We can spare
it." Not So" said the prince, thu
kings son; and see him push out on,
day, under the protest of great com
pany He starts straight for the re
bellious island. He lands amid the ex
ecrations of the inhabitants, that grow
in violence until the malice of eartl
has smitten him, and the spirits of tn,
lost world put their black wings owe
his dying head, and shut the sun out
The hawks and vultures swooped upol
this dove of the text, until head, an,
breast, and feet ran blood-until, un
der the flocks and beaks of darkness
the poor thing perished. No wonder i
was bird that was taken and slail
over an earthen vessel of runnin,
water. 1t was child of the skies. l
typifed Him who came down iron
Heaven in agony and blood to save on
souls. Blessed be His glorious nam
forever
l notice also, in my text, that tn
bird that was slain was clean bird
The text demanded that it should be
cormorant, nor the vulture. 1t mus
be clean bird, says the text; and i
suggests the pure Jesus-the hol
Jesus. Although he spent his boyhoo
in the worst village on earth, althoug
blasphemies were poured into his ca
enough to have poisoned anyone else
He stands before the world perfec
Christ Herod was cruel, Henry VII
was unclean, but point out a fault c
our King. Answer me, ye boys VIII
knew him on the streets of Nazareth
Answer me, ye miscreants who saw hir
die. The skeptical tailors have trie
for 1900 years to find out one hole i
this seamless garment, but they hav
not found it. The most ingenious an
eloquent infidel of this day, in the la,
line of his book, all of which d.
uonnces Christ. saws: ''All ages mu.