The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1898-06-09

oEN NS1 new hgut upon this
MNT passage Of scrip.
, .1 turs: Lsviticus xiv.
: ~@9 81. And the
Il D - priests shall CON-
mand that one Of tue birds b killed
In an sarthsn vessel. over running
water. A for the living bird. ne
shall take II. and the cedar wood and
the scarlet. and the hyssop and shall
dip them and the living bird into the
blood of the bird that was killed over
the running water. and he shall sprinkle
upon him that 10 to be cleansed from
the leprosy seven times and shall pro-
nounce him clean and shall let the Nv
ing bird loose into the open Aeld.".
The OLD Testament to very many pee-
PIE Is . great slaughter house strewn
with the blood and bones and horns and
hoofs Of butchered animals. 1t Offends
their sight: 1t disgusts their taste; 1t
actually nauseates the stomach. But to
the intelligent Christian the Old Testa-
ment Is q 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, We 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 orchcstras Of heaven an
nounce him with a blast OF minstrelsy
that wakes up Bethlehem at midnight
There were q great many cages Of
birds brought down to Jerusalem for
neutrality-suspicious. and pigeons and
turtledoves. / can hear them now.
whistllng. caroling and singing all
around the temple When leper was
to be cured of his leprosv. in order 10
his cleansing two Of these birds were
taken. One Of them was slain over an
earthen vessel Of running water-that
10, 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 this
hyssop branch, bird tipped. the priest
would sprinkle the leper seven times,
then unite the bird from the hyssop
branch, and 1t 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 a Gagged bird. In the down Of its
breast you can see the glow of the
southern climes. In the sparkle Of Its
| eye you can see the fash Of distan,
seas. In its voice you can hear the
song 1t learned in the wildwood. 1t ~
child OF the sky in captivity. Now
the dead bird of my text. captured from
the air, suggests the Lord Jesus, who
came down from the realms of ligh,
and glory. He once stood in the sun.
light of heaven. He was the favorit'
! OF the land. He was the Kings Son
Whenever a victory was gained or q
throne set up he was the first to hea,
/ It. He could not walk incognito along
the streets, for all heaven knew him
For eternal ages he had dwelt annie
the mighty populations Of heaven.
But one day there came word to the
palace that an insignificant island was
in rebellion and was cutting itself L
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, the King.
Son, and ! see him push out out da!
under the protest Of a great company
| He starts straight for the rebelliou
island. He lands amid the execration
of the inhabitants. that grow in VIC
[ lence until the malice OF earth has smit
ten him. and the spirits Of the los
world put their black wings over hi
dying head and shut the sun out. TIL,
hawks and vultures swooped upon thi
ooNC Vi thN tCAt. ohbi iiNhA osu DiNo y
and feet ran blood-untll under tn
fiocks and beaks OF darkness the poo
thing perished.
notice also in my text that the bir,
that was slain was clean bird. Tn
text demanded that II should be. Tn
raven was never sacrificed. nor the cor
morant. nor the vulture. 1t must be
clean bird. says the text, and 1t sug
gests the pure Jesus-the holy Jesui
Although he spent his boyhood in tn
worst village on earth. although bias
phemies were poured into his ca
enough to have poisoned any one else
he stands before the world perfec
{ Christ. Herod was cruel, Henry VII
was unclean. William III. was treacher
Gus. but point out fault Of our Kint
Answer me, ye boys who, knew him o
the streets Of Nazareth! Answer m
ye miscreants who saw him die! TIL
skepticai tailors have tried for 1.Sl
& years to find out one hole in this seam
less garment. but they have not foun
II. The most ingenious and eloquer