Our illustration this week gives us a good representation of what is called the Crested, or Harpy Eagle. God has created various kinds, and the one with which we are most familiar, in this country, is called the Bald Eagle, which has a somewhat different appearance than the one in our picture.
You will notice the way that the feathers are arranged on the head and neck. This is what marks this eagle as different in appearance from all others, and particularly when his fierce temper is roused, these feathers are raised and they form a fan-like crest, and it makes him look very bold and fearless. His general color, when full grown, is almost black, his head grey, his breast white, with a band of grey across the chest. The beak and claws are black. He generally makes his home in South America, but is sometimes found in Texas.
His strength is even greater than the Golden Eagle, but owing to his shorter wings, he cannot fly so swiftly.
How wonderful and varied is the creation of God, and no one can describe it so correctly as Himself. God, in speaking about the eagle to Job, said, “doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high? She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place. From thence she seeketh her prey, and her eyes behold afar off. Her young ones also suck up blood; and where the slain are, there is she.” The eagle is a creature of God’s and he has ordered its ways. Man has had nothing to do with it, nor can he change its ways, but he may look on and see God’s great power and wondrous wisdom, but, above all, remember that His wisdom, love and grace have excelled when He gave His Son to be the sin-bearer in the sinner’s place at the cross, and thus opened the way to have him share with the Lord Jesus in glory forever.
ML 12/13/1903