Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1888-03-16

NN'eHOy my SottNCAs -AohthnA Va
The most fascinating theme for heart
properly attuned is the Saviour. There IL
something in the morning light To Suggest
HIM, and something in the evening shadow
to speak His peaiss. 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 /
come IN the summon time and pluck flower,
think ct Him who is 1.-The Rose of Sharon
and the Lily Of the Valley" Whom see in
the fields lamb, l say: Behold the Lamb
Uf God that taseth away the sin of the
world" When, in very hot weather, como
under projecting cliff say:
Rock Of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself In thee!
Over the old+fashioned 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 tGn thousand voices OF earth ris-
ing up f'hl the heavens a sounding board,
which strike back to the ear of all the ma
lions the praises of Christ. The heavens tell
ms DRY 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. 1t looked upon Abraham from the
ram caught in the thicket. It spoke in tho
beating of the herds driven down to Jerusa-
lem for sacrifice 1t put infinite 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 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
hrlst, while your heart is happiest and your
step is lightest, and your fortunes smile, and
your pathway blossoms, and the overarching
heavens drop upon you their benedction,
speak the praise of Jesus.
The old Greek orators, when they saw their
audiences innattentive and slumbering, 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,
/ 'Marathonm and the peoples enthusiasm
would be unbounded. My hearers, though
you may have been borne down with sin and
though trouble, and trials, and temptation
may have come upon you, and you feel hard
ly like looking IN, methinks there is one
grand, royal imperial word that ought to
rouse your soul to infinite rejoicing, and that
word is 'Jesusi"
Taking the suggestion of the text, sh Ill
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 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
can fly everywhither. One hundred 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 pathprn1 ahOuE UO1r knee Thnra 10 a
place in Switzerland where if you distinctly
utter your voice, there come back ten or fif-
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, if
mothers only knew tho power Of this sacred
SPELL how much oftener The little ones would
he 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
2nes. 1t will not do to keep your boys and
girls in the house and make them house
Giants; they must have fresh air and recrea-
ZION God save your children from the
Scathing, blasting, damning influence Of the
streets. know of no counteracting inhu-
ence but the power Of Christian culture and
example. Hold before your little ones the
1ure life Of jesus: let that name be the word
hat shall exercise evil from their hearts.
live to your instruction all the fascination
Il music, morning, noon and night; let it be
esus, the cradle song. This is Important if
our children grow up, but perhaps they
nay not. Their pathway may be short,
esus may be wanting that child. Then
here will be asouniless step in the dwelling,
and the youthful pulse will begin
n and will Ga
lifted for help. You can not help.
And great agony will pinch at
YOUR heart, and the cradle will be empty, and
he 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 tlue eyes, comes for kiss; and signing
at nightfall with no one to put to bed, and
wet pillow, and grave, and 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-
tul; but would it not have been pleasanter if
you could have heard from those lips the
praises of Christi l never read anything
more beautiful than this about a chid's de-
parture. The account said: "She folded her
aands, kissed her mother good.by, sang her
hymn, turned her face to the wall, said her
little prayer, and then died"
Oh, II L could gather up in one paragraph
the last words Of the little ones who have
lone out from all these Christian circles, and
could picture the calm looks, and the folded
hands, and sweet departure, methinks it
would be gc'nd and beautiful as one of heav-
EMS great d0xologies!
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 "Balerma" or the Portuguese Hymn
Fifty years of trouble have tanned the spirit,
and the keys Of the music board must have
solemn tread. Though the voice may be
remulous, so that grandfather will not trust
II in church, still he has the psalm book open
yefore him, and he sings with his soul He
nuns his grandchild asleep with the same
tune he sang forty years ago in the old coun-
try meeting house. Some day the choir sings
tune so old that the young people do not
know it; but 1t starts to tears down the
cheek of the aged man, 70 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
tidlngs 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. l said: II am sorry
they sang that new tune; nobody seems t.
know it." BLESS you, my son." said the old
man. 81 heard that seventy Years agoW
Tnere was a song to-day that touched tn,
life Of the aged with holy fire and kindled {
glory on their vision that our younger eye
sight cannot see. 1t was the song of saliva
tion-Jesus, who fed them all their live
long; Jesus, who wiped away their tears
Jesus, who stood by them when all else failed
Jesus, in whose name their marriage wa
consecrated, and whose resurrection ha
poured light upon the graves Of their de
parted. Blessed the Bible in which spec
tacled old age reads the promise: II vii
the staff on which the worn out pilgrim tot
ters on toward the welcome of his Redeemer
Blessed the hymn book in which the falter
ing tongue and the failing eyes find Jesus