Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1906-08-31
Caln1aSe
Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmase, d. d.

sermon the preacher gives an altogeth-
er new interpretation to a passage
which teaches us that Gods mercies
and blessings sometimes come to us in
strange DISCUSSES. The text Is Luke
xii. 40. Il am come to send fire upon
the EARTH"
To the casual Bible reader these nine
words may seem to convey a meaning
which It is hard to reconcile with other
passages You cannot understand how
Christ can be called the Prince OF
Peace" and yet how he could send fire
upon the earth Fire" you say-.'why,
fire is the agent OF death, not the fore
runner Of life. 1t is the most ruthless
destroyer known to man." Go today
through any OF our great forests, and
what do You see printed by the road
sides? 1t Is a warning to the campers
and the travellers to beware OF starting
forest fire. Why do the government
tai officials in Yellowstone park and
Yosemite and In many of the mountain
reserves refuse to allow the camper to
carry shotgun? Is ii for fear that he
will kill game out of season? Perhaps
that is one reason, but the chief reason
is that the forest rangers are afraid
that the shotguns might set fire to the
woods. Have you never attended a
country college and witnessed the
deadly forest fires burn for weeks and
weeks upon the mountain sider What
10 nr1 40
boy feared worse than the indians
warwhoop? 1t was the prairie fire,
which could lick up the dead grasses
faster than horse could run or deer
could scurry away. Have you ever
read OF the unsheathed sword OF fire
which RACED Moscow to the ground?
These flames were able to devour the
indomitable ambitions of the Little
Corsican." -Lf
VIII our people ever forget the
CHASTITY tragedy that destroyed Ameri-
cas- western metropolis, which over
looked the Golden Gate OF San Fran
cisco bayI One OF the first lessons we
teach our children is to leave matches
alone and fear the danger Of fire. Yet
the so called prince of Peace says,
am come to send fire upon the
earth" How can you explain this
anomaly? / can only suggest some OF
the effects OF fire. which may give us
hint OF our Lords meaning. for.
though we may look upon fire as an
agency or death, We cannot forget
that 1t may become in Gods hands an
agency OF eternal life and OF the pur.
est and the best OF all earthly lives.
May God help US as we try to under
stand these holy words.
A synbol of Heat.
Fire, In the first place, is the symbol
OF heat. Heat is the symbol of life.
Therefore we find that all true life
comes from God, even as all heat OF
the earth primarily comes from the
hires OF the sun. In every bird that
HES, In every bee that huns, In every
squirrel that chatters, in every flower
that grows, I'm every tree that rustles
and In every human being that walks
we see the great divine fact illustrated
that the God who sent fire upon earth
is the great God who was aud IS the
Creator OF all. Now. the fact that. all
animal and vegetable life is dependent
upon fire and heat for creation and de-
velopment Is well understood -.
am sitting upon the farmers kitchen
porch. and i hear a cackllng noise.
The old specified Plymouth Rock hen Is
calling: II have laid am EGG; have
laid an eggi i am going to hatch out
a little chicken. for have laid an eSer,.
But che farmers wife has. another. use
Tor the egg. Each morning che roesa
ano .axes mat Sg.awsy froUt the Men,
one Is apsoiutsiy merciless I'm this ret
spes.. cne cooks Tor her summer
ooaraers inc pest fc0d ferSa breakfas
hresn laid esq. When you
''''.a II open, mere lr Hes cut In half.
vi is senter OK goi0 covered over
w.'n its wrappmgsI OK purest white.
ime snow oouio- NOT De whittier thanSths
",o'nen o1 new iai1 egg. AT last the
o'u nen sIows urea OF having her eggs
ca" a.. % SIC, ~ turn, mas secret nest
- e, 1"~y 10 tne top oIethe hay
.s =. sne goes on 10 tne other side OF
s ns gam neiu ana crawis under an old
,,,a. go Inc renee, ana mere she
x..h,.s Oay aIter Jay the
old fa.sbsraa g., ,n noer' Tue
ohout her 'sacrat W. eie. ssiy SUI.
say. "BiddIe. where ia vowr nost :. a sna
looks as ipnocent as an ola or, r,sn
after twelve or th,r.aa,, =. Wv. nen
have been laid Side nv s,da p, ssS
suddenly disappears She 2 co.oas
around once n iav for food -t,,t .,...sss
all. Then after tbraas ,x,caas,, -, ~.
a great commotian and nm -, ~.
kitchen door marches the nrona u,othar~
leading a lar.a h-o,5 - - ,,.I,