Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-07-10
TALMAGE
SERMON
FRANK DE WITT TALNfAcE, DID,,
Pastor OF Jefferson Park Presby-
terrain Church. Chice 10


and familiar similitude of the barn
yard fowl the preacher illustrates the
divine love and protecting care that en-
circle all who give TO the Heavenly
Father childlike trust and confidence.
The text is Matthew xiii, 81. "As a
hen gathereth her chickens under her
wings"
This commercial age is brutally I'M
poetic. 1t has even carried its shocking
innovations into the barnyard. We are
now trying to hatch our eggs not into
broods, but by the wholesale. We
would change n hens nest into n big.
square wooden box and call il an incu-
bator. We would have the oil lamp OF
the incubator do the work of the feath-
cred breast and the outstretched wing.
We would have the wire screen dis
place the sharp pointed bill of the
barnyard mistress yehcmently plung-
ing right and left in defense of her
young. We would DO this in spite OF
the .inalienable rights OF the hens,
whose maternal affections are being
crushed by this modern custom. The
man, eager above all things to make
money, has not the patience to listen to
protests from man or bird against his
methods. AS John Ruskin, in some re-
spects the most AESTHETIC mind England
ever produced. wrote page after page
in denunciation OF the constituencies
vandalism of the mere money maker
who would plaster over the beautiful
palisades of nature with hideous adj
vertiScments and with the lnanufae-
turer's wheel churn n ripping, singing,
laughing stream tumbling out of the
green reservoir of the woods into n
mudhole, so everywhere the astonished
would be sitting hens are ciucking
their indignation. They practically say
to the robbers OF their eggs, which had
been carefully hidden away In the hay
loft or under the manger of the empty
stall, You have no right 10 place this
indignity upon us" But in reply ava
ricious commercialism says: 20 hen,
we can make more money by hatching
out 300 eggs ut time than by fooling
with your small nest! You provide us
with the eggs, and our incubators will
do the rest"
This controversy, however, does not
concern us in dealing with the smile
Christ used in our text. At the time
Christ uttered those words the barn.
yard knew nothing of this modern in
novat!on of the incubator Chickens
still found their natural shelter under
the wings of the hen, and our Lords
hearers perfectly understood the mean
ing of his illustration. So common
was the sight of hen gathering her
chickens under her wings that every
one would recognize the truth Christ
meant to teach when he used the hens
wing as symbol of divine love. Thus,
as Jesus wept over the sinful inhab-
itants OF Jerusalem, in the words of
my text L would try TO interpret that
divine love in the language OF the barn
yard. reulize its force and beauty
all the more because / am preparing
this sermon within the echoing sound
or the barnyard king calling TO his
horem TO awaken at the first peep OF
the day, also within the sound of the
voice OF the hen clucking TO her little
ones TO come under the protection OF
their mothers wing.
Life Giving Wing.
Gods wing is spiritual life giving
wing. The warm feathers of the
mother bird are absolutely essential
FOR the development OF the lives of her
young. III il were not for the old
hens wing her chickens would freeze
to death during the spring nights.
They would sometimes be drowned I'M
less her wing, rs waterproof cover
Ing, was placed over them. They would
die from lack OF warmth, even as a lit
tie baby would die unless the mother
every night tucked him up in his crib
or Struggled him IN by her warm side
In bed. Heat is life. Cold is death.
The hens wing is soEcthing more than
mere poetic figure. IL means that its
warmth not only matches out the eggs,
but also by its heat develops the little
chickens after they are hatched. Post
natal care for the child In the making |
or man Is just as important as right |
prenatal conditions.
Gods wing is absolutely essential for |
the development OF q spiritual child. |
The Bible distinctly says, "Ye must be |
born again." That means, ''Ye must |
be God production as well as n man
production ] am the physical child |
or my earthly parents. That does not 1
necessarily imply that i am a spiritual |
child OF God. But some day out In the |
cold, damp. destroying storm of sin ! |
determine TO creep under Gods spir- |
Hual, life giving wing. AS soon as i |
am under that shelter feel the divine |
life begin TO creep into my life. learn |
70 love my Heavenly Father and see
MIN as he is. ] hear him telling me |
what i ought TO do and say. AS a hu- |
man being by placing his hand upon |
nm electric battery Immediately feels q
Thrill as the galvanic currents circle
through his body. the physical body |
ana the mind and the dormant spirit |
all feel the warmth and the glow and |
the creative and developing power OF |
Gods wing as soon as we place our
selves In the receptive mood within the
radius OF the divine touch.
d's Work Alone.
Let me Lstrate this thought by n
simple story: Many years ago a party
or roliickIng sailors left Charlestown
navy yard for days dissipation. They
tramued along toward Boston. stopping
nrst at one saloon, then another, unit.
MI We're hilarious with drink Finally
one or the party turned and said,
Come, boys. let us have some fun and
go to Father Taylor's home and pre-
tend we want religion and want to
borrow Bibler' Great sportp' the
men cried. ''Let us 60" They an
preached the good mans house in a
spirit of ridicule and blasphemy. Fa-
ther Taylor, the good old Christian
preacher, entered the room. When
he was told by the joking men what
they wanted tears of holy joy ran
down his cheeks. The good mans
emotion at the spectacle of sailors
seeking religion was so true, so genu-
Inc, that the ribald men We're touched.
They listened TO his earnest words, and
ms they listened the Holy Spirit work
ed on their hearts. Before they left
three of the company were completely
broken down and were led to seek
shelter unnar Code wilma, uNl.o4 -. |