The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1891-04-16
LESSONS or THE SNOW.
A Winter Discourse by Rev. T. De-
Witt Talrnage.
The Immaculate Mantle Thrown Der the
Earth and the Various Lessons
to be Learned by Its
Contemplation.

Hast thou entered into the treasures of the
snow.-Job xxxYiii. ;22.
Grossly maligned is the season of win
ter. The spring and summer and autumn
have had many admirers, but winter,
hoary-headed and white-bearded win
ter, hath had more enemies than friends.
Yet without winter the human race
would be inane and effortless. You
might speak of the winter as the moth
er of tempests; take it as the father of
a whole family of physical, mental and
spiritual energies. The most people that
l know are strong in proportion to the
number of snow banks they had to
climb over or push through in child
hood, while their fathers drove the sled
loaded with logs through the crunching
drifts high as the fences. Atthis season
of the year, when we are so familiar
with the snow, those frozen vapors,
those falling blossoms of the sky, those
white angels of the atmosphere, those
poems of the storm, those Iliads and
Odysseys of the wintery tempest, turn
over the leaves of my Bible and-though
most of it was written in cline where
snow seldom or never fell find many
of these beautiful congelations. Though
the writer's may seldom or never have
felt the cold touch of the snowflake on
their cheek, they had in sight two
mountains, the tops of which were sug-
gestive. Other kings sometimes take
off their crowns, but Lebanon and
Mount Hermon all the year round and
through the ages never lift the coronets
of crystal from their foreheads. The
fist time we find deep fall of snow in
the Bible is where Samuel describes a
fight between Benaiah and lion in IA
pit; and though the snow may have
crimsoned under the wounds of both man
and brute, the shaggy monster rolled
over dead and the giant was victor. But
the snow is not fully recognized in the
Bible until God interrogates Job, the
scientist, concerning its wonders, say
ing: "Hast thou entered into the treas
ures of the snow?"
rather think that Job may have ex-
amined the snowflake with micro
scope; for, although it is supposed that
the microscope was invented long aft
er Jobs time, there had been wonders
of glass long before the microscope and
telescope of later day were thought of.
So long ago as when the Coliseum was
in its full splendor. Nero sat in the
Emperor's box of that great theater,
which held one hundred thousand peo-
pie, and looked at the combatants
through gem in his inger-ring, which
brought every thing close up to his
eye. Four hundred years before Christ,
in the stores of Athens, were sold pow
erful glasses called burning spheres, y
and Layard, the explorer, found mag
nifying glass amid the runis of Nine
veh, and in the palace of Nimrod
Whether through magnifying instru-
ment or with unaidede eye I can not say
but am sure that Job somehow went
through the galleries of the snowflake
and counted its pillars and found won
ders, raptures, mysteries, theologies
majesties, infnities walking up anC
down its corridors, as a result of the
questions which the Lord has asked
him: Hast thou entered into the treas
ures of the SNOWY
And now propose for your spiritua
and everlasting profit, if you will ac
cept my guidance, to take you through
some of these wonders of crystalization
And notice first God in the Titles. YoI
may take alpenstock and cross the Me-
de Glace, the Sea of Ice, and ascend
Mont Blanc, which rises into the clouds
like pillar of the great throne. Of
with Arctic explorer ascend the mount
rims around the north pole and see gla
ciers a thousand feet high grinding
against glaciers three thousand fee
high, But l will take you on les
pretentious journey and show Won Coo
in the snowflake. There is room enough
between its pillars for the great Jeho
yah to stand. In that one frozen drol
on the tip of your finger you may fine
the throne-room of the Almighty.
take up the snow in my hand and SCI
the coursers of celestial dominion paw
ing these crystal pavements. TIL,
telescope is grand, but / must comics
that am quite as much interested il
the microscope. The one reveals tn
universe beneath us. But the telescop
overwhelms me, while the microscop
comforts me. What you want and
want especially is God in Titles. !
we were seraphic or archangelic in on
natures we would want to study God il
the great; but such small, weak, short
lived beings as you and are want t,
find God in the Titles.
When / see the Maker of the univers
giving Himself to the architecture of
snowflake and making its shafts, it
domes, its curves, its walls, its irradia
tions so perfect, conclude He will Iool
after our insignificant affairs. And i
we are of more value than a sparrow
most certainly we are of more valu
than an inanimate snowflake. So TIN
Bible would chiefly impress us Will
God in the Titles. 1t does not saw
Consider the clouds, . butt SAYS: Con
slider the lilies" 1t does not say: BE
hold the tempests!" but Behold tn
fowls!" And it applauds cup of col,
water and the widows two mites, an,
says the hairs of your head are al
numbered. Do not fear, therefore, tina
you are going to be lost in the crowd
10 not think baoauSa x-o,1 81;