The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-03-05
A SONG OF HIS BELOVED.
TALMAGE TAKES THE SAVIOUR
FOR HIS THEME.

GNS1y oIdBS Ol AJAlS-
BROOKLYN, Mach 4-Exercises at the
Tabernacle this morning were iubiant
One hundred and twenty new members
were given the right hand of fellowship,
making the communicate membership ,150
Thousands of stl angers were present. The
ten great silver tankards and the long line
of chalices made the sacramental table
very impressive
Before the 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, ID, took
as the subject of his discourse: "a Song
Concerning My Beloved" His text was
Isaih 5, i: "Now will sing to my well be-
loved song of my beloved DR.. Talmage
said:
The most fascinacing theme for a heart
properly attuned is the Saviour. There is
something in the morning light to suggest
him, and something i'll the evening shadows
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 | come in the summer time
and pluck a flower, think of him who is
'the rose of Sharon and the Lilly of the
Valley When | see in the fields lamb, |
say, "Behold the Lamb of God that taketh
away the sin of the world" When, in the
very hot weather, | come under projecting
cliff, l say:
Rock Of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in theei"
Over the old-fashioned pulpits there was
a sounding g-board. The voice of the minis
ter 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 rising up find the heavens a sounding
board which strikes back to the ear Cf all
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 a blasted
and faded paradise it poured the light of a
glorious restoration. 1t looked upon Abra-
ham from the ram caught in the thicket.
1t spoke in the bleating of the herds driven
down to Jerusalem for sacrifice. 1t put in
finite pathoS into the speech of uncouth fish
ermen. 1t lifted Paul into the seventh
heaven, and it broke upon the ear of st.
John with the brazen trumpets and the dox-
ology of the elders, and the rushing wings
of the seraphim.
Instead of waiting until you get sick and
worn out before yoa speak the praise OF
Christ, while your heart is happiest, and
your step is ightest, and your fortunes
smile, and your pathway blossoms, and the
overarching 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
nm "a faGta anti thTSi Tn he
midst of their orations they would stop and
cry out "Marathonp and the peoples en-
thusiasm wound be unbounded. Ny hear
ers, though you may have been borne down
with sin, and though trouble, and trials,
and temptation may have come upon YOU
and you feel hardly like looking up, me-
thinks there is one grand, royal, imperial
word that ought to rouse your soul to inf
mite rejoicing. and that word is "Jesus!n
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 may heve forgotten the words !;
but they went into the fibre of our soul and
will forever be a part of it. 1t is not so
much what you formally teach your chill
dren as what you sing to them. A hymn
has wings and can fly everywhither One
and "Old Mortality has worn out his chisel
in recruiting 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 fifteen distinct echoes, and every
Christian song sung by mother in the ear
of her child shall have ten thousand echoes
Infe from oil h. Of
Oh, if 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 counteracting 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 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
recreation God save your children from
the scathing, blasting, damning influence of
the streets! know Of no counteracting in
fiuence 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 ex-
orcise evil from their hearts. Give
to your instruction all the fascina-
OiDi VI ihuoiSS NUN anu
let it be Jesus, the cradle-song This is inn
portant if your children grow up, but per-
haps they may not. Their pathway may
be short. Jesus may be wanting that
child. Then there will be a soundless step
in the dwelling, and the youthful pulse will
begin TO flutter, and little hands will be
lifted for help. You cannot help. And a
great agony will pinch at your heart, and
the cradle will be empty, and the nur-
sery 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 fol
lowing from room to room. No strange
and wondering questions. No upturned
face, with laughing blue eyes, come for a
kiss; but only grave, and a wreath Of
white blossoms on the top Of it,; and bitter
desolaJiOn, and a signing at nigbtfall with
no one TO put to bed and wet pillow, and
a 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 unfaithful; but
would it not have been pleasanter If you
could have heard from those lips the praises
of Christi / never read anything more
beautiful than this about a child's depar-
ture. The account said. "She folded her
hands, kissed her mother goodbye, sang
her hymn, turned her face to the wall, said
her little prayer and then died.n
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
de .saI nVffa