The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-09-25

tar as quickly as the doves fly to thelr windows.
 Not only is the dove's wing powerfully hurtled for quick flight, but that hlght can be kept up for almost incredible dls- tances We find these wonderful flights recorded by the different columbne soei- cities in different parts of the world. In 1865 thirty pigeons, which are only the domesticated names of the wild doves, were thrown into the air at Liverpool ana started for Ghent. The distance between these two places on a straight line IS over 300 miles. The first bird which arrived home made that distance in twelve hours and twenty minutes. If this homing pig con flew in a direct line he travelled at an average speed of twenty-five miles per hour for twelve long hours. Once pigeon was let loose in London and travelled to Antwerp, 1s0 miles distant, in five hours. He made an average of about thirty-six miles per hour. In 1S44 the doves speed was tested, when seventy birds flew from St. Sebastian, Spain, to Venice. on straight line they travelled distance or over GOO miles. Homlng pigeons have flown from Arizona to New York. The enduring swiftness of the dove is such that it can overly mountains and even defy seas
 Come to Christ Now.
 The swiftness of the doves flight Is one of the greatest inspirations to me or all of Isaiahs vision. Why the swftness? Because l know that we can come to Christ now. Oh, my brother, 1t takes swift wing for you in an instant Of time to cross over all the far country of sin which separates you from Gods dovecot. The distance from Arizona to New York or from St. Sebastian, Spain, to Venice, where doves have flown, is not as far. Tell me, oh. man, did you not start forth on your Journey of sin ten, twenty, forty years ago? Why let me recount the years. You have not seen a communion table since your mother died. You have not made one earnest prayer for ten years. If I was today 10 count over the | list of your intimate friends l would find them without exception to be men and women who have not been in the past and are not now living Christian lives. Oh, my brother, my poor sin sick brother, you have a long distance to come back to God. But you can come by divine grace. : You can come now. You can come as quickly as the new converts of the church which Isaiah saw in vision came to the mercy seat. You can come with a super lative swiftness. You can come with the lightning velocity of a flying dove.
 But why talk about Isaiah's church of the future! why captlOn llls sermon with the title. "The Coming Awakening?' When Isaiah saw this migrating dove and used 1t as an emblem was he allud- ing only to future church? I think not. I think as the Hebrew prophet was stand- ing there on the mountain of inspiration looking off on what was to come he kept | saying to himself. Why is 1t not possi- ble for the vision of Gods church to be materialized now?" Is not God willing to bring this beatiflc condition to present man If the members of the children of God will today cooperate with the Holy Spirit? Yes he can, he will, was the prophets thought. l know this is the thought today running through many a Christian mind. God can and God will make the prophetic vision of Isaiah come true now if we, the church members. will only truly yield ourselves and consecrate