Democratic messenger., 1904-09-24

John the Baptist. I'm untanned SKINS
walked through Europe. lifting high in
his hands the cruciiiX. until thousands
and tens Of thousands of dcvotccs we're
ready, i'm 1096. To follow this entlilIsi-
astic ascetic to Palestine as the adj
vance guard of the crusaders. We
know that thousands upon thousands
/ of Cromarty miners used To hang upon
the words of John Wesley in the early
mornings at ) o'clock. before their
days work began We know that no
building was large enough to hold the
crowds who wanted To hear Moody.
Great halls had To be erected i'm Bos-
ton and New York and Chicago to hold
the huge audiences. The Philadelphia
depot on account of its great size had
to lie used in place of Il church. Thou
sands upon thousands found Christ in
the revivals of the seventeenth century
under the preaching of the Puritans.
Thousands upon thousands found
Christ i'm the Methodist revivals of the
eighteenth century. Thousands upon
thousands found Christ in the first part
of the nineteenth century when
Charles G. Finney had such power over
sinners that Il dying blasphemer said.
Don't let Charles c. Finney preach
my funeral sermon. or he will preach
my soul into heaven in spite of my
own Desires
Flight of Doves.
The selection of the figure of a flight
of doves Is significant. 1t is. above
other things. Il suggestion of immense
multitudes. But few people realize the
marvellous numbers and ropagating
powers of the doves of o.den times.
Biberg. the ornithologist. estimated
that il n common pair of domesticated
pigeons Matched nine times year
which number of hatchines is not eX
tra0rtlinary for an average pair OF
these birds if these pigeons laid
two eggs ut one time. and all the
fiedgelings which were hatched should
live and hatch in turn. that single pair
of pigeons would produce in four years
nearly fifteen thousand descendants.
The fecundity of the dove is about as
great as the reproductive powers of the
English sparrow or tie Australian
rabbit The most gra, hic description
ever written OF the innumerable multi
tudes of the doves was penned by
Alexander Wilson. the naturalist.
Statements made by this Scottish
American traveller Wee indorsed by
John Audubon. Among the Ornitho-
logical authorities there can Ice no bet
ter Endorsement tl.an tl.is: MIR. VIII
son wrote that down in Kentucky. In
n place which migrating doves used to
visit annually. their multitudes were
so great that they literally destroyed
whole forest regions In this tract
about which he wrote the branches
of every tree were filled with dove
nests wherever n nest could lac built.
In many trees over one hundred nests
had been constructed. Above the trees
the multitudcs of the pigeons wings
were so great that their Tapping wings
sounded like the boomings of torna-
do. So great was the noise of their
Tapping wings that the horses of the
farmers in that region often became
unmanageable and could not be
driven. Near Frankfort. Ky. AleXan-
der Wilson saw a flock of migrating
doves. The naturalist estimated that
this single flock was two hundred and
forty miles long and had an enrolment
of ut least 2.2SO.OOJ.2I2 birds"
Isaiah describing the consecrated
worshipers fiocking to the millennial
church could not have chosen a more
expressive figure. These that fly as
cloud and as doves to their win
dows." The readers of his time would
realize by it what countless throngs OF
men he saw In prophetic vision hasten
ing into the kingdom of God. Migrat-
ing doves of old were SD many in num-
bers that Alexander Wilson said their
moving wings often formed Il curtain
able to shut out the light of the sun
and changed midnoOn into the twilight
of evening. The church OF God is now
great in membership. but. church mem.
bers. do you not look forward in holy
ecstasy TO the time when the thou
sands who are worshiping Christ now
shall be changed into the millions! Do
you not long for the millcnnial day
when Christ's disciples shall flock
through the church's doors in innumer-
! able multitudes "as the doves fly to
their windows?"
Men of Living Faith.
The figure Is expressive not OILY of
numbers. but of spiritual qualities.
The church of the future is not 10 have
n padded roll. 1t is not to be composed
Of lot of members who. as the five
foolish virgins of Christ's parable.
lounged around and slept and had no
oil for their spiritual lamps. 1t Is not
to be composed of men and women
who occupy their church pews only Oh
Sunday and then when the bencdic-
ton of the sermon is given turn and
shut their pew doors and say: Good
by, religion. I must go home now. You
just stay here for week. and next
Sunday morning | will come back and
see you and pat you on the back for
an hour again while the choir sings
and the pastor prays." But in that
church which Isaiah saw in prophecy
not only shall there be multitudcs Of
worshipers. but all these multitudes
| shall he cOnSecrnted worShiperS These