The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-11-20
REV. DIR. TALMAGR.
THE NOTED DIvINws SUNDAY
DISCOURSE.
Subject "The Pageautry Of tho
Woods.n

IT iH HN NNa lof HH 70 HuHHfNilhl rnIHluuN
truth thar God constantly reliemtes. A. tho
sohoolmasler takes "a blackboard and puts
upon @ hguraa aud diagrams. 50 that tha
scholar may not only get hIs lesson through
The ear. but also through the eye. a1 God
takes Oh The truths oi Wls Bible and draws
them out in diagram on the natural world
Champollion. The famous Ffonrhman. went
down Into Egypt to study the hlef0gyphioa
on monuments and temples After much
labor he declphered them aud announced TO
the learned world tho result cf his luvfaiga-
t.ona. Tho wisdom. goodness and power OF
God are written IN hioroglvrhlcs an over the
earth aud Oh over the heaven. God grant
that We may have understanding enough 90
doclpher them. There are scripiuu puss-
ages. like my text. which need o. he studied
in The very presence OF the natural world.
Those know bat little 0i the meaning OF
The natural world who have looked at IL
through the eyes 81 Others. and from book or
canvas taken their impression. There are
some faces so mobile thar photographers
cannot take them. and the face oj NATURE has
such flush aud sparkle and llie that no hue
man description cBn gather them, No one
knows the pathos d n birds voice unless he
has sat atsummer evening" tide NJ the edge ot
q wood and listened 90 the cry OF the whip
po0rwin
There is to-day more glory IN ono branch
Of snmae than painter could put on "a whole
forest Of naples. God hath struck into the
autumnal leaf n glance that mono see but
those who come face 10 'ace-the mountain
looking upon the man, and the man looking
upon the mountain.
For several autumns 1 have made tour
20 the far west and one autumn. about this
time, saw that which ] shall never forget I
have seen the autumnal sketches Oi CropseY
and other szillml pencils, but that week I
saw n pageant 2O00 miles long Let artist
stand back when God stretches His canvas!
A grander spectacle was never kudlei be-
fore mortal eyes. Along by the rivers, and
up and down the sides Of the great hills. and
by the banks Of the lakes there was an indie
scriDable minglinc OF gold and orange and
crimson and saffron, now sooering into drah
and maroon. now 1ming into solierno aud
scarlet. Here and there the trees looked as
II Just their tins had blossOmed into FIRE. In
the morning light the forests seemed as II
they had been TRANSPORTED. and in the even
ing hour they looked as u the eunset had
burst and dropped upon the leaves. In more
sequestered spots, where the frOsts had been
hindered IN their work. we saw the first kim
ding OF the flames OF color In lowy sprlg;
then they rushed up from branch TO branch
until the glory OF the Lord submerged the
forest Here you would find tree just
making up It's mind 20 change and there one
looked as If, wounded at every pore, 1t stood
bathed in carnage. Along the banks Of Lake
Huron there were hills over which there
seemed pouring cataracts Of fire, tossed up
and down and every whittier by the rocks.
Through some Of the rnvines we saw Occa-
sionally foaming stream, ne though 1t was
rushing to put out the conhagration. II at
one end Of the woods commanding tree
would get up its crimson banner. the whole
forest prepared to follow. II Gods urn of
colors were not infinite, one swamp that
awalOng the Maumee would have exhausted
1t forever. II seemed as il the sea Of divine
glory bad dashed its surf to the tiptop Of the
Alleghenies. and then it had come dripping
down 10 lowest leaf and deepest cavern.
Most persons preaching from this text find
only in It a vein of sadness. find that
have two strings to this gospel harp-a
string OF sadness and string OF Joy in
finite.
eve all do fade as a leaf"
First the 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
No. deeper and deeper the 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 hidden, ntil the last spark OF
the cleaning forge shall have been
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 a slight cold. Now a sen,
son of overfatigue. Now fever. Now a
stitch in the side. Now q neuralgia thrust.
Now rheumatic twinge. Now fall. Little
by little. Pain by pain. Less steady Of
limb. Sight not so clear. Ear not so alert.
After awhile we take a staff. Then, after
much resistance, we come to specracles. In.
stead of bounding into the vehicle, We are
willing to be helped in. At last the octoge-
marian falls Forty years of dpcaying NJ
sudden change. No fierce cannonading o.
| the batteries of life, hut a fading away
slowly-gradnaly As the leaf, as the leaf
! Again, like the leaf we fade, to make room
| for others. Next years forests will be rs
| grandly foliaSed rs this. There are oheI
/ generations OF oak leaves to take the place
| Of those which this autumn perish Mex
/ May the cradle OF the wind will rock the
| young buds The woods will be all a.huu
! with the chorus OF leafy voices. II thu tree
in front Of your house, like Elijah, takes
chariot Of fire, its mantle will fall upon
| Elisha. IT, in The blast OF these autumna
| batteries, so many ranks fall, there are re
! serve forces to take their places to deien(
! the fortress of the hills. The beaters o
! gold leaf will have more gold leaf to beat
The crown that drops to-day from the heat
OF the oak will be picked up and handed
down brother kings to wear Let hebast
! come. They only make room for other life
So, when we 70, others take our spheres
| We do not grndge the future generation
! their places. We will have had our gool
Time Let them come on and have thei
good time. There is no signing among the,j
| leaves to-day because other leaves are to fol
! low them. After n lifetime OF preaching
doctoriug, selling, sewing or digging, let IL
cheerfuliy give way for those VINO come OF
| to do the preaching, doctorng, selling sew
ing and digging. God grant that their liz
may be- brighter thRn ours has been. As w
get older DO not let as be affronted ifyouni
| men and women crowd us little. We vii
have had our day. ana we must let them hav
theirs. When our voices get cracked let us no