The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-03-21
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINE'S sun
DAY SERMON.
Subject: "A Song Concerning My
Beloved"

Inc lnOSU Cileiiic lOi hSot
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
beautiful, if you only listen to it,
will speak His praise. When l
fGS shnh X Of snH aim i ~ho is T ths P Rose Of Sharon
and the Lily of the Valley" When see in
the fields a lamb, l say: Behold the Lamb
of God that taketh away the sin OF the
world" When, in very hot weather, | come
under a projecting cliff, say:
Rock Of Ages, eet. 70: me.
Over the old-fashoned pulpits there was
sounding board. The voice of the minister
rose to the sounding board and then was
struck back again upon the ears OF the people.
And so the ten thousand voices OF earth riS-
ing up find the heavens sounding board,
which strike back to the ear of all the ma
tions the praises Of Christ. The heavens tell
his glory and the earth shows his handiwork.
The Bible thrills with one great story OF re-
demption. Upon blasted and faded para
disc Is poured the light of a glorious reStora-
ton. It looked upon Abraham from the
ram caught in the thicket. It spoke IN the
bleating of the herds driven down to Jerusa-
lem for sacrifice It put infinite pathos into
the speech of uncouth fishermen. 1t lifted
Paul into the seventh heaven, and 1t broke
upon the ear of St John with the brazen
trumpets and the doxology of the elders and
the rushing wings Of the seraphim.
Instead Of waiting until you get sick and
worn out before you speak the praise OF
Christ, while your heart is happiest, and your
step is lightest, and your fortunes smile, and
81 onA fha nvor4rchlnp
heavens drop upon you their benedlctlon,
speak the praise Of Jesus.
The old Greek orators, when they saw their
audiences innattentive and slumberlng, had
ono word with which they would rouse them
up to the greatest enthusiasm In the midst
OF their orations they would stop and cry out,
s'Marathonl" and the peoples enthusiasm
YOU may have been borne down with sin and
though trouble, and trials, and temptation
may have come upon you, and you feel hard
iy like looking up, methinks there is one
grand, royal, imperial word that ought to
rouse your soul to infinite rejoicing, and that
word is "Jesusl"
Taking the suggestion OF the text, shall
speak to you Of Christ our song. 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
NAV have forgotten the words, but they
went into the fiber of our soul, and will for
ever be part Of it. 1t is not so much what
you formally teach your children as what
you sing to them. A hymn has wings and
fifty years after you are dead, and "Old
Mortality has worn out his chisel in re-
cutting your name on the tombstone, your
great grandchildren will be singing the song
which this afternoon you sing to your little
ones gathered about your knee. There IS a
place in Switzerland where, If you distinctly
utter your voice, there come back ten or tif-
teen distinct echoes, and every Christian
song sung by mother in the ear of her
child shall have ten thousand echoes coming
back from all the gates of heaven Oh, II
mothers only knew the power Of this sacred
SPELL how much oftener the little ones would
be gathered, and all our homes would chime
with the songs Of Jesus.
We want some counteractlng influence
upon our 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 besol your little
ones. It will not do to keep your boys and
girls in the house and make them house
plants: they must have fresh air and recrea-
tion. God save your children from the
scathing, blasting, damning influence OF the
ence but the power of Christian culture and
example. Hold before your little ones the
pure life of Jesus; let that name be the word
that shall exercise evil from their hearts.
Give to your instruction all the fascination
of music, morning, noon and night let it be
Jesus, the cradle song This is important If
your children grow up, but perhaps they
may not. Their pathway may be short,
Jesus may be wanting that child. Then
and the youthful pulse will begin
to lutter, and little hands will be
lifted for help You can not help.
And great agony will pinch at
your heart, and the cradle will be empty, and
the nursery will be empty, and the world
will be empty, and your soul will be empty.
No little feet standing on the stairs. No toys
scattered on the carpet. No quick following
from room to ROOM No strange and wonder
ing questions. No upturned face, with laugh
ing blue eyes, comes for kiss; and signing
at nightfall with no one to put to bed and
wet pillow, and grave, and a wreath Of white
blossoms on the top of it, The heavenly
Shepherd will take that lamb safely anyhow.
whether you have been faithful or unfaith-
full; but would it not have been peasanter If
YOU could have heard from those lips the
praises Of Christ! l never read anything
more beautiful than this about child's de-
parture. The account said: ''She folded her
hands, kissed her mother good.by, sang her
ny I'LL, buTucu ucI AoSO w VIC "aii, SesAA aSA
little prayer, and then died
Oh, if could gather up in one paragraph
the last words Of the little ones who have
gone out from all these Christian circles, and
[ could picture the calm looks, and the folded
hands, and sweet departure, methinks it
would be grand and beautiful as one of heav-
ems great doxo!ogies.
next speak Of Christ as the old mans
song. Quick music loses its charm for the
aged ear The school girl asks for a schot-
tische or glee; but her grandmother asks
for 'Balerman or the Portuguese Hymn.
Fifty wears of trouble have tanned the spirit,
and the keys Of the music board must have
solemn tread. Though the voice may be
tremulous, so that grandfather will not trust
it in church, still he has the psalm book open
before him, and he sings with his soul He
huns his grandchild asleep with the Sama
tune he sang forty years ago in the OLD coun-
try meeting house. Some day the choir sings
q tune so old that the young people do not
know it; but it starts the tears down the
cheek Of the aged man, for it reminds him OF
the revival scene in which he participated
and of the radiant faces that long since went
to dust, and Of the gray haired minister lean.
ing over the pulpit, and sounding the good
tidings of great joy.
was one Thanksgiving day in my pulpit,
in Syracuse, n Y, and Rev. Daniel Waldo.
at ninety eight years of age, stood beside me.
The choir sang tune. SAID: am sorTy
they sang that new tune: nobody seems t.
know it." BLESS you, my son. said the old
man. II heard that seventy years ago"
There was song to-day that touched the
life of the aged with holy fire and kindled a
glory on their vision that our younger eye
sight cannot see 1t was the song OF saliva
tion-Jesus, who fed them all their lives
long; Jesus, who wiped away their tears;
Jesus, who stood by them when all else failed ;
Jesus, in whose name their marriage was
consecrated, and whose resurrection has
poured light upon the graves OF their de-
parted Blessed the Bible in which spec.