The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-06-26

DIR. TALMAGE'S SERMON.
by THE REV. FRANK DE WITT TALMAcr. o. D.

Los Angeles, Cal, June 19.-Not IN the
literal but in The figurative sense does
the preacher deal with this unusual text
by drawing the broad distinction be-
tween the life that is inspired By love
of all that is noble and pure and one
that has become degraded ant brutal
through the indulgence of selfish pas
sions. The texs Is Revelations xxi, 10,
without our dogs"
'I never could sympathize with the
slur which the Bible casts upor. my canine
friends" once said an old nan to me-
st. John, in that passage Of scripture
Without are dogs, seems to despise
the dog as I despise the blizzard or n.y.
cna. He seems to picture the Internal re-
gions as the only suitable place for their
ennels. He insinuates their companion
ship for man to be a humiliation and a
degradation. Now In contrast to that as
sertion, l have far more respect for an
honest dog than l have for a dishonest,
friends some Of the representatives, of
the canine race. Indeed I go so far in my
respect for dogs that If in that heavenly
land l found one of the beautiful dogs
| have owned on earth sleeping at my
feet in that abode of bliss looking
up into my face with the expression of
love and fidelity l have seen so often
l should not feel 1t any blight, but rather
an enhancement of my happiness
could understand my friends feel
in, and 1 love dogs well enough to SYM
pathize with 1t. There are no grounds for
believing in a future life for animals
but l confess that If in the boundless
love of God we should find that even for
the faithful dog there was a paradise
l for one would rejoice. I have that
affection that Sir Walter Scott had for
the canine race. and l always feel a
sense of compnnionship when dog Is
doing in my study. As boy | delighted
to have a canine companion In my ram
bles. and to this day l feel as Bismarck
used to say, that no man should despise
the friendship of dogs or need hesitate
to confide in them some OF his innermost
thoughts and secrets. When we are ram
bling over the hills or in our city walks
and my dog friends stop and listen to
what | say l am always sure of one
fact-that they will not abetray my con-
fidence as l have known some men to
do. Yes, yes" said to my aged friend
like YOU, l have always loved the dog;
but. unlike YOU, l do not believe the
Bible depreciates the faithfulness of
good dog" This passage Of scripture
"Without our dogs" is not casting
siur upon the dog. 1t is not sneering at
the ancestors of some OF those noble
beasts belonging to the royal families OF
dogs which we have adopted into our
homes as honored habitues of our fire
sides. The seer of Patmos had never
seen such dogs as ours. The dogs with
which he was familiar were such home
less, carrion eating dogs as those which
to this day roam the narrow streets OF
Jerusalem and Damascus, degraded ours,
whose presence would have been defiling
to that beautiful city which he saw In
vision. Therefore, It is to the eastern
dog, homeless and friendless, which
have so often seen In my travels and
by whose howlings | have been awaken
ed at night and have watched While
standing upon the hotel porch of the
far east, when he says with evident graf
ification, without our dogs"