Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1888-03-14
"A Song Concerning My Beloved
VOCAL UTTERANCEs OF ALL KINDS.
SONGS OF THE NIGHT.
THOUSAND MILLION
OF CHILDREN.
DIR. TALMAaE's SERMON, SUNDAY, MARCH
4th.

BROOKLYN, March 4th. Exercises at the
Tabernacle this morning were jubilant.
One hundred and twenty new members were
given the right hand of fellowship, making
the commnnicant membership four thou
sand one hundred and fifty. Thousands of
strangers were present. The ten great sill
YER tankards and the long line of chalices
made the sacramental table very impressive.
Before sermon the congregation, led by
cornet and organ, sang:
"When earth shall pass Away,
In the great Judgment Day.
Jesus is mine"
The Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage, DID,,
took as the subject of his discourse: ga
Song Concerning My Beloved" His text
was Isaiah v, /: "Now will sing to my
we'll beloved song of my beloved" DR..
Talmage said:
The most fascinating theme for heart
properly attuned is the Saviour. There is
something in the morning light to suggest
him, and something in the evening shadow
to speak his praise. The flower breathes
him, the star shines him, the cascade pro-
claims him, all the voices of nature chant
him. Whatever is grand, bright and beau
tiful, if you only listen to it, will speak his
praise. When I come in the summer time
and pluck flower, think of him who is
''tbe Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the
Valley" When I see in the fields lamb,
| say, "Behold the Lamb of God that taketh
away the sin of the world" When in very
hot weather I come under projecting cliff,
say,
| "Rock of Ages, cleft for me.
| Let me hide myselfin thee"
Over the old-fashioned pulpits there was
a sounding board. The voice of the minis
tier rose to the sounding board, and then was
struck back again upon the ears of the peo-
pie. And so the ten thousand voices OF
earth rising up find the heavens sound
ing board which strikes back to the ear OF
ali the nations the praises of Christ. The
heavens tell his glory, and the earth shows
his handiwork. The Bible thrills with one
great story of redemption. Upon blasted
and faded paradise it poured the light of a
glorious restoration. 1t looked upon Abra.
ham from the ram caught in the thicket. II
Lspoke in the bleating of the herds driven
down to Jerusalem for sacrifice. 1t put in.
finite pathos into the speech of uncouth
fishermen. 1t lifted Paul into the seventh
heaven; and it broke upon the ear of St.
John with the brazen trumpets and the
elders, and the rushing wings of the sera-
phim.
Instead of waiting until you get sick and
worn out before you speak the praise oi
Christ, while your heart is happiest, and
your step is lightest, and your fortunes
SMILE and your pathway blossoms, and the
overarchipg heavens drop upon you their
benediction, speak the praises of Jesus.
The old Greek orators, when they saw their
audiences inattentive and slumbering, had
one word with which they would rouse them
up to the greatest enthusiasm. In the midst
Of their orations they would stop and cry
out, "Marathon % and the peoples enthu
siasm would be unbounded. My hearers,
though you may have been borne down with
sin, and though trouble and trials, and temp
tation may have come upon you, and you
feel hardly like looking up, methinks there
is one grand, royal, imperial word that
ought to rouse your soul to infinite rejoicing,
and that word is 'sJesus %
Taking the suggestion of the text, I shall
speak to you of Christ, our song. l remark,
in the first place, that Christ ought to be
the cradle-song. What our mothers sang
to us when they put us to sleep is singing
yet. We may have forgotten the words
but they went into the fibre of our soul, anG
will forever be part of it. 1t is not sc
much what you formally teach your chill
dren as what you sing to them. A hymn
has wings and can fly everywhere. One
hundred and fifty years after you are dead
and s'Old Mortality" has worn out his chise
in recruiting your name on the tombstone
your great t-grandchildre will be singing the
song which this afternoon you sing to youl
! little ones gathered about your knee. There
4 is place in Switzerland where, if you dis
tinctly utter your voice, there come back
ten or fifteen distinct echoes, and every
Christian song sung by a mother in the ear
of her child shall have ten thousand echoes
:, coming back from all the gates of heaven
: Oh, if mothers only knew the power of this
sacred spell, how much oftener the little
q ones would be gathered, and all our homes
would chime with the songs of Jesus We
want some counteracting influence upon oul
D children. The very moment your child
: steps into the street he steps into the path
of temptation. There are foul mouthed
: children who would like to besoil your little
: ones. 1t will not do to keep your boys and
girls in the house and make them house
: plants; they must have fresh air and recre
alton. God save your children from the
scathing, blasting, damning influence of the
streets l know of no counteracting infu
ence but the power of Christian culture an6
example. Hold before your little ones the
pure life of Jesus; let that name be the
word that shall exercise evil from thei
hearts. Give to your instruction all tht
fascination of music, morning, noon ant
night; let it be Jesus the cradle-song. Thi
, is importo mt if your children grew up, bu
i perhaps they may not. Their pathway ma.
3 be short. Jesus may be wanting the child
Then there will be soundless step in thu
dwelling, and the youthful pulse will begil
. to hutter, and little hands will be lifted TO
help. You cannot help. And great agon!
will pinch at your heart, and the cradle viii
be empty, and the nursery will be empty
and the world will be empty. and your sou
will be empty. No little feet standing OF
the stairs. No toys scattered on the carpet
b No quick following from room to room. NJ
d strange and wondering questions. No up
9 turned face with laurhIno hlua auas conn