Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1904-09-19

John the Baptist, in untanned skins.
walked through Europe lifting high in
his hands the crucifix. until thousands
and tens Of thousands of devotees were
ready, in 1896, to follow this enthusi-
astic ascetic to Palestine as the ad-
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 in Bos-
ton and New York and Chicago to hold
the huge audiences. The Philadelphia
depot on account of its great size had
to be used in place of a 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 in 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 dying blasphemer said,
Don't let Charles G.. Finney preach
my funeral sermon, or he will preach
my soul into heaven in spite of my
own desires"
A Flight of Doves.
The selection of the figure of fight
of doves is significant. 1t is, above
other things, suggestion of immense
| multitudes. But few people realize the
| marvellous numbers and prOpagating
| powers of the doves of Olden times
| Biberg, the ornithologist, estimated
! that if a common pair of dOmestlcated
! pigeons Matched nine times a year
| which number of hatchings is not ex-
traordinary for an average pair of
these birds-and if these pigeons laid
two eggs at one time, and all the
/ f1edgeIings which were Matched 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 the Australian
rabbit. The most graphic 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 were Endorsed by
| John Audubon. Among the Ornitho-
| logical authorities there can be no bet
| ter Endorsement than this: 'Mr. Will
son wrote that down in Kentucky, in
a 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 a nest could be built.
In many trees over one hundred nests
had been constructed Above the trees
the multitudes of the pigeons wings
were so great that their tapping wings
sounded like the boomings of lorna
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 tha
this single flock was two hundred an(
forty miles long and had an enrolment
of at least 2,230,OOO,272 birds"
Isaiah describing the consecrateC
worshtpers focking to the millennia
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 SO many in mum
bers that Alexander Wilson said theil
able to shut out the light of the SUI
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 nov
( shall be changed into the millions? d.
Q you not long for the millennial da,
: when Christ's disciples shall focl
o through the church's doors in innumer
- able multitudes "as the doves fly t
o their windows?"
Men of Living Faith.
1 The figure is expressive not only O
L numbers but of spiritual qualities
e The church of the future is not to hav
e a padded roll. 1t is not to be compose
s of a lot of members who as the fiv
foolish virgins of Christ's parable
n lounged around and slept and had n
h oil for their spiritual lamps. 1t is nc
i to be composed of men and wome
n who occupy their church pews only o
: Sunday and then when the benediC
r ton of the sermon is given turn an
b shut their pew doors and say: "GOoC
t by, religion. l must go home now. Yo
: just stay here for a week, and mex