Milford chronicle., 1904-06-24
Ca(naoe
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmage, DID.


usual text by drawing the broad dis
tinetion between the life that is in
spired by a love of all that is noble anC
pure and one that has become degraded
and brutal through the indulgence OF
selfish passions. The text is Revela.
ton xxi. -, without are dogs"
Il never could sympathize with the
slur which the Bible casts upon my
canine friends" once said an old man
10 me. st John in that passage of
Scripture Without are dogs seems to
dcspise the dog as l despise the buz-
iyd or the hyena. He seems to pic
ture the internal regions as the only
suitable place for their kennels. He
insinuJtes their companionship for
man to be a humiliation and a degra-
dation. Now in contrast to that as
sartion. have far more respect for an
honest dog than have for a dishonest.
deceitful man. count among my dear
est friends some of the representatives
of the canine race Indeed ! go so far
in my respect for dogs that if in that
heavenly land ! found one of the beau
tilul dogs have owned on earth sleep
ing at my feet in that abode of bliss
or looking up into my face with the |
expression of love and fidelity | have |
seen 50 often I should not feel it any
blight, but rather an enhancement of /
my happiness"
/ could understand my friends feel
ing. and ! love dogs well enough to
sympathize with it. There are no
grounds for believing in Il future life
for animals. but confess that if in the
boundless love of God we should find
that even for the faithful dog there
was a paradise I for one should re-
joice. l have that affection that Sir
Walter Scott had for the canine race.
ana always feel IL sense Of compan-
icnship when a dog is doing in my
study. IS Il boy l delighted to have
q canine companion in my rambles. and
10 tliS day | feel. as Bismarck used to
say. that no man should dcspise the
friendship Of dogs or need hesitate to
coniide in them some of his innermost
thoughts and secrets. When we are
rambling over the hills or in our city
walks and my dog friends stop and
listen to what | say / am always sure
of one fact-that they will not betray ]
my confidence as l have known some !
men to do. Yes. yes" | said to my
aged friend, like you. | have always
loved the dog; but, unlike you, do not
believe the Bible really depreciates the q
faithfulness of a good dog" This pas G
sage of Scripture, without are dogs" t
is not casting "A slur upon the dog. 1T t
is not sneering at the ancestors of some t
Of those noble beasts belonging to the b
royal families of dogs which we have II
adopted into our homes as honored "
habitueS of our firesides. The seer Of b
latmos had never seen such dogs as b.
Jurs. The dogs with which he was IA j
niliar were such homeless, carrion eat ii
ne dogs as those which to this day h
oam the narrow streets of Jeru. Il
allen and Damascus. degraded ours. IL
whose presence would have been de al
Hing 10 that beautiful city which he NJ
aW in vision. Therefore it is to the 81
astern dog. homeless and friendless. 1t
which | have so often seen in nv eT
raVelS and by whose hOwlings l have III
cen awakened ut night and have re
Watched while standing upon the ho-
Ell porch of the far east. when he saws
nth evident qualification, without
re dogs" st
The QuarreisOme Were Excluded. ."
But / believe the apostle had a fur M
ier and deeper meaning than this. 60 60
INK he meant that the qualities -,
hich the dog represented TO his mind -As
ere excluded from the heavenly city
'.ushness. degradation, quarrelsome re'
'ss, all that rendered dogs hateful tc 'o'
e Jews Of the orient, whether in 9''
ast or man, were outside those po'
avenly walls. And, first, l believe '+ 'ie
meant that in heaven there would us
neither physical nor mental mon. VI
'ositieS. 1t is to be a place where 01H
ere would be a perfect mind in har VI
my with a perfect body and the per p'n
Z soul in every way shall have per ice
{ eSterHaltcs. There are some fuer ma
degraded with their vices that Their 'eaI
r. forns and features have become W
lsive- They bear the same rela lan'
% 10 good living, intelligent men thuf Es
orien@l dogs bear to our house. ra.'
i pets t.,v
= q love 10 look at the masterpieces in {
SIR E0Vl Landseer, the painter of tine
s s"e seems to be some.lfn. of I
Il @afr than human in his High eryN
j Shepherds Chief Mourner" some. hills
X more than mere brute ferocity ir the
Stag at Bay something more The
p sportsman's halloo in the Re war
From Dcerstalkng." But thc with
~ eyed. powerful chested. clean lowe
jet glossy coated models of Land ieav
are entirely different physical strie
linens from the outcast dogs of the lions
70 Have you ever stopped and look how
with pity upon a poor NANCY cur Dam
Wing along the street? Have yop canii
disease like porcuplne quills stick other
out ali over him? Have you seen stree
people Shy Off as he came along aH u
heard the passersbv say: Poor nal i
Why do Aat the dog catchers come
J.