The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1896-11-06
PAGEANTRY OF THE WOODS.
DIR. TALMAGE's sUNDAYTHEMs.
Inc Leaves Which Have Felt the
Frost Have Changed I'm Tint, and
Leaf After Leaf They Fall.

Isaiah XIV, 6.
1t is so hard for us to understand religious
truth that God constantly reiterates. As the
schoolmaster takes blackboard and puts
upon 1t figures and diagrams, 80 that the
scholar may not only get his lesson through
takes all the truths Of His Bible and draws
them out in diagram on the natural world.
Champellion, the famous Frenchman, went
down into Egypt to study tho hieroglyphios
on monuments and temples. After much
labor he deciphered them and announced to
the learned world the result Of his investiga-
tions. Tho wisdom, goodness and power Of
God are written in hieroclyphics all over the
earth and all over the heaven. God grant
that we may have understanding enough to
deciphcr them. There are Scriptural pass
ages, like my text, which need to be studie
In the very presence OF tho natural world.
Those know but little OF the meaning OF
the natural world who have looked at 1t
through tho eyes OF Others, and from book or
canvas taken their impression. There are
some faces so mobile that photographers
cannot take them, and the face of nature has
such n flush and sparkle and life that no hui
man description can gather them. No ono
knows the pathos OF a birds voice unless he
has sat atsummer evening tide at tho edge OF
wood and listened to the cry OF the whip
poorwill.
There is to-day more glory I'm one branch
Of sumac than n painter could put on whole
forest of naples God hath struck into the
Gutumnal leaf n glance that none sec Out
those who come face to race-thc mountain
looking upon the man. aud the man looking
upon the mountain.
For several autumuS l have made n tour
to the IN west, and one autumn, about this
time, saw that which shall pover forget.
have seen the autumnal sketches OF Cropsey
and other skilful pencils. but that week
saw Il pageant COCO miles long. Let artist
stand back when God stretches His canvas
A grander spectacle was never kindled bo
fore mortal eyes. Along by the rivers, and
up and down the sides o: the great hills, and
by the banks OF tho lakes there was an inde-
scri.able mingling OF gold and orange and
crimson and saffron, now SOLDERING into drab
and maroon, now fliminS into sollerino and
scarlet. Here and there the trees looked rs
If just their tips had bossomed into fire. In
the morning light the forests seemed as If
they had been transngured, and in the even
ing hour they looked rs IL the sunset had
burst and dropped upon the leaves. In moro
sequestered spots. where the frosts had been
hindercd In their work, we saw the first kim
ding OF the flames OF color in q lowly sprig;
then they rushed up from branch to branch
until the glory Of the Lord submerged the
forest. Here you would find u tree just
making up its mind to change, and there one
looked as IT, wounded Mt every pore, 1t stood
bathed in carnage. Along the banks Of Lake
Huron there were hills over which there
seemed pouring cataracts of fro. tossed up
and down and every whittier by the rocks.
Through some Of the ravlnes we saw occa-
sionally fonming stream, as though 1t was
rushing to put out the conflagration. II at
one end OF the woods commanding tree
would set up its crimson banner, the whole
forest prepared to follow. II Gods urn OF
colors were not infinite, one swamp that l
saw along the Maumee would have exhausted
it forever. 1t seemed rs il the sea Of divine
glory had dashed its surf to the tiptop OF the
Alleghenies, and then it had come dripping
| down TO lowest leaf and deepest cavern.
Most persons preaching from this text find
only in it vein of sadness. l find that
have two strings to this gospel harp-a
string Of sadness and u string OF Joy in
finite.
"Wc all do .ale as q leaf"
First.-Likc tho foliage, we fade gradu-
ally. The leaves which week before last felt
the frost have day by day been changing in
tint and will for many days yet cling to the
bough waiting for the fist OF the wind to
strike them. Suppose you that the pictured
leaf that you hold in Your hand took on its
color in an hour. or in Il cay. or III week?
No; deeper and deeper tho flush, till all the
! veins of its life now seem opened and bleed
| ing away After awhile leaf after leaf. they
fall. Now those on the outer branches, then
| those most hiuIcn. ntil the last spark OF
the cleaning forge shall have bceu
quenched.
SO gradually we pass away. From day 10
| day We hardly see the change. But the
| frosts have touched us. The work of decay
is going on. Now slight cold. Now Il sea.
son of overfatiSue. Now II fever. Now a
stitch in the side. Now II neuralgia thrust.
| Now rheumatic twinge. Nova fall. Little
| by little. Pain by pain. Less steady OF
/ limb. Sight not so clear. Ear not so alert.
After awhile we take n stan. Then. after
| much resistance, we come to spectacles. In
| stead Of bounding into the vehicle, We are
willing to be helped in. At last the octoge-
J marian falls. Forty years OF decaying. No
sudden change. No fierce cannonading OF
the batteries Of life, but fading away
slowly-gradually. AS the leaf, rs the leaf!
Again. like the leaf we fade, to make room
for others. Next years forests will be as
/ grandly foliaged as this. There are other
| generations Of oak leaves to take the place
| OF those which this autumn perish. Next
May tho cradle OF the wind will rock the
| young buds. Tho woods will be all n hum
with the chorus OF leafy voices. II the tree
in front Of your house, like Elijah, takes a
chariot OF fire, its mantle will fall upon