The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-03-23
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINE'S SUN.
DAY SERMON.
Subject: "Religion's Refuge"

kiel xvii, %.
The cedar of Lebanon is a royal tree. II
islands six thousand feeet above the level Of
the sea. A missionary counted the concen-
trio circles and found one tree thirty-fve
hundred years old - long rooted, broad
branches all the year in luxuriant foliage.
The same branches that bent in the hurr1-
cane that David saw sweeping over Leb-
anon. rock to-day over the head Of the
| American traveller. This monarch of the
forest, with its leafy fingers, plucks the hon
ors of thousand years and sprinkles them
upon its own uplifted brow, as though some
great hallelujah Of heaven had been planted
1Iupon Lebanon and 1t were rising up with all
its long armed strength to take hold of the
hills whence it came.
Oh, what a fine place for birds to nest in!
In hot days they come thither-the eagle,
the dove, the swallow, the sparrow and the
raven. There is to many Of us complete
fascination in the structure and habits OF
birds. They seem not more OF earth than
heaven-ever vaciilating between the two
No wonder that Audubon, with his gun,
tramped through all Of the American for
ests in search Of new specimens. Biologists
have spent years in finding the track of
birds claw in the new red sandstone. There
Is enough Of Gods architecture in q snipes
bill or grouse's foot to confound all the
universities. Musicians have, with clefs and
bars tried to catch the sound Of the nightin-
gale aud robin. Among the first things that
q child notices is swallow at the caves and
grandfather goes out with a handful OF
crumbs to feed the snow birds.
The Bible is full Of pathological allu-
sions The birds of the Bible are not dead
and stuffed, like those of the museum, but
living birds, with fluttering wings and plu-
mage. Behold the fowls Of the air." says
Christ. Though thou exalt thyselt as the
eagle, and though thou set thy nest among
the stars, thence will bring thee down."
sxclaims Obadiah. "Gavest Thou the goodly
wings unto the peacock says Job. David
describes his desolation by saving, II am
like q pelican OF the wilderness; I am like
an owl of the desert; watch and am as
sparrow ulone upon the housetop." "Yea,
the stork in the heaven knoweth her ap-
pointed time; and the turtle and the crane,
and the swallow observe the time OF their
coming; but my people know not the JudS-
ment OF the Lord"-so says Jeremiah.
Ezekiel in my text intimates that Christ
is the cedar, and the people from all quar-
tiers are the birds that lodge among the
branches. 1T shall be goodly cedar. and
under it shall dwell all fowl Of every wing"
lAs in Ezekieps time so now-Chrlst Is
goodly cedar, and to Him are flying all kinds
Of people-young and old, rich and poor,
as the raven, and those gentle as the dove.
<tAll fowl Of every wing"
! First. the young may come. Or the elgh-
teen hundred and ninety-two years that
have passed since Christ came, about six
teen hundred have been wasted by the good
In misdirected efforts. Until Robert Raikes
came there was no organized efort for saw
ing the young. We spend all OFF strength
trying to bend old trees, when a little pres
ure would have been sufficient for the sap
ling. We let men go down to the very bot
tom of sin before we try to lift them up. 1t
is a great deal easier to keep train on
the track than to get it on when it is off.
The experienced reinsman checks the fiery
Bteed at the first jump, for when he gets in
full swing, the swift hoofs clicking fire from
the pavement and the bit between his teeth,
his momentum is irresistible.
u 1t is said that the young must be allowed
10 SOW their ''wild oats" have noticed
that those who SOW their wild oats seldom
try to raise any other kind Of crop. There
are two opposite destinies. II you are going
road, and not try to go to Boston by way OF
New Orleans. What is to be the history OF
this multitude of young people around me
to-day? 7 will take you by the hand and
show you q glorious sunrise. l will not
whine about this thing, nor groan about 1t,
but come, young men aud maldens, Jesus
wants you. His hand is love, His voice Is
music, His smile is heaven. Religion will put
no handouts on your wrist, no hoppleS on
your feet, no brand o.. your forehead.
: Invent through the heaviest snowstorm I
have ever known to see dying girl. Her
cheek on the pillow was white as the snow
on the easement. Her large, round eye had
not lost any Of its luster. Loved ones stood
all around the bed trying to hold her back.
Her mother could not give her up. and one
nearer to her than either father or mother
was frantic with grief. l said: Fanny,
how do YOU feel:' ''Oh!' she said. happy,
happy MIR. Talmage, tell all the young
folks that religion will make them happy" -
AS came out Of the room, louder than all
the sobs and wailings Of grief, heard the
clear, sweet, glad voice OF the dying girl,
tiGood night; we shall meet again on the
other side of the river" The next Sabbath
we buried her. We brought white flowers
and laid them on the coffin. There was in
all that crowded church but one really happy
and delighted face, and that was the face OF
Fanny Oh, / wish that now my Lord Jesus
would go through this audience and take all
these flowers Of youth and garland them on
His brow. The cedar is a Jrefuge for birds
tof BRIGHTEST plumage and swifGest wing
See, they fyl they fly! "An fowl OF every
wing"
Again, remark that the old may come.
You say, Suppose a man has to 90 or
crutches; suppose he is blind; suppose he is
deaf; suppose that nine-tenths Of his life has
been wasted" Then answer: Come with
crutches. Come old men, blind and deaf
come to Jesus. II you would sweep your
hand around before your blind ey es, the first
thing you would touch would be the cross
It is hard for an aged man or woman to have
grown old without religion. There taste is
gone. The peach and the grape have lost
\does not taste as it used to. Their hearing
gets defective, and they miss a great deal
that is said in their presence
Their friends have all gone and everybody
seems 80 strange. The world seems to 70
away from them and they are left all alone.
They begin to feel in the way when You
come into the room where they are, and they
move their chair Dervously and say, II hope
am not in the way" Alas! that father and
mother should ever be N the way. When
you were sick and they sat up all night rock
you, did they think that you were in the
way? Are you tired Of the old people? Do
you snap them up quick and sharp? You
will be cursed to the bone for your ingrati.
tude and unkindness!
Oh, how many dear old folks Jesus has
put to sleepl How swsetly He has closed
their eyesl How gently folded their arms!
How He has put His hand on their silent
hearts and said: ''Rest now, tired pilgrim.
It is all over. The tears will never start
again. Hush! hushr' So He gives His be-
loved sleep. think the most beautiful OBJ
iect on earth is an Old Christian-ths hair
white, not with the frosts of winter, but the
blossoms Of the tree Of life. never feel
eorry for a Christian old man Why feel
sorry for those upon whom the glories of
the eternal world are about to burst? They
are going to the goodly cedar. Thoug b
their wings are heavy with age. God shall