Nature's Three Great Preachers

When we stop and consider the variety of preachers God is using in His great effort to save lost men, it is truly marvelous. He is using everything from a crawling insect to a revolving planet. He has so bestudded this old world with preachers of righteousness, that it is utterly impossible for a man or woman to continue upon earth twenty-four hours and not hear a gospel sermon.

My purpose in this chapter is to call the attention of the reader to three of nature's great preachers, and also paraphrase their resistless message.

1. The first one is, the Cooing Dove. We read in the Songs of Solomon 2: 12, the following words: "The flowers appear on the earth, the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land." "The voice of the turtle," i e., the cooing dove, is one of the resistless preachers to which I wish to direct the attention of the reader.

Let us now proceed to paraphrase the dove's mission and message. First: It is to remind busy man of a forgotten God and a slighted heaven. When we look about us and see mankind in their mad rush and almost breathless pursuit after gold, pleasure and fame, they do not seem to have God or heaven in the least of their thought. But God in His infinite mercy has sent this sublime messenger to the earth, to remind man of his Maker and a slighted heaven. What civilized man, woman, boy, or girl is to be found who can look upon this gentle, harmless bird, and listen to its heart-touching, soul-stirring, awe-stricken mourn, and not be pierced through with the awful thought of God, Eternity, Heaven and Hell

Second: Her next mission is to remind man of the gentle, entreating, wooing Holy Spirit who has followed him daily from life's early morning, pleading with him to leave sin's road and yield to Christ and live. He has used every conceivable means in this great attempt. Yes, he has sent sorrow in your life, poverty in your home, and death in your family, but yet you have failed to heed His gentle voice.

Third: Her next mission is to remind man of Christ, the world's Redeemer. When we look upon the Dove, we are at once reminded of Noah's dove and the "olive branch of peace" which symbolized the coming "Prince of Peace," the Christ of God, whose mission it should be to reconcile lost man to God, and earth to heaven. Hence, it is almost impossible to look upon this God-sent bird and listen to her mournful appeal, and not be reminded of the once crucified and risen Redeemer of the world.

Fourth: Her next great mission is to remind busy man of a coming judgment day, when this old world shall be destroyed by fire. We believe we are safe in saying that eight persons out of every ten, who are familiar with the story of Noah and the flood, are immediately reminded of the destruction of the old world when they hear this strange bird's lamentable song. When I was a boy, I never heard a more impressive sermon than the rueful evening song of the turtle dove. Well do I remember how it made my boyish heart swell and my eyes fill with tears, as I looked up into the blue vault and thought of God, heaven and a coming judgment day.

2. The next one of nature's great preachers that I wish to mention is the "Fading Leaf." In Isa. 64: 6, we read these words: "And we all do fade as a leaf." Where can we find a more striking object lesson and a more convincing preacher than a fading leaf

Let us briefly notice the message of the "Fading Leaf." Its first message is to remind the children of Adam of the short duration of strength and beauty. We all remember how beautiful the trees are in the springtime, clothed in their annual robe. We also remember how quickly they fade and fall to the ground. Just so it is with all the children of Adam, no matter how strong, healthy, or beautiful. It will only be a few years until Time will engrave her wrinkles in our faces, frost our hair, wither all of our bloom, and in a few brief years number us with the dead.

The second message of the Fading Leaf, is to yearly remind man that all upon earth is vanity and will soon pass away. "I saw a temple reared by the hand of man, standing with its high pinnacles in the distant plain. The streams beat about it, the God of nature hurled His thunderbolts against it; yet it stood as firm as adamant. Revelry was in the hall; the gay, the happy, the young, the beautiful, were there. I returned and, lo! the temple was no more. Its high walls lay in scattered ruin. 'Who is the destroyer' said I to my guardian angel. 'It is Time,' he said."

"How vain is all beneath the skies!

How transient ev'ry earthly bliss!

How slender all the fondest ties

That bind us to a world like this !" 

3. Nature's next great preacher is the Setting Sun. In Eccles. 12: 2, we read the following words: "While the sun * * * be not darkened." Let us briefly observe the message of the Setting Sun. First, it reminds busy man of his final retiring from the duties and various occupations of this life-when we shall come home from the field, the shop, the office and the store for the last time, and our sun of this life will set to rise no more.

Second: It also reminds the sinner of the awful night of hell that will succeed the sunset of his life. Jesus said, "The night cometh, when no man can work" (John 9: 4). Let us notice some characteristics of that night.

First: It will be a night without rest or sleep. "And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night."

Second: It is a night of impenetrable darkness. 'And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness" (Matt. 24: 30). "To whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever" (Jude 13).

Third: It shall be a night of excruciating pain. "There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matt. 8: 12). "And they gnaw their tongues for pain" (Rev. 16: 10). "Where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched" (Mark 9:44).

Fourth: It shall be an endless night. "And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever" (Rev. 14: 11). "Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings" (Isa. 33: 14).