The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-09-16
REV. DIR. TALMAGE
fUNDAY's DISCOURSE BY THE
NOTED DIVINE.
Subject: GA Shadow on the Harvest
Eield.o

I TEXT: "And when the child was grown.
yIell on day that he went out to his fathe
TO the reapers. And he said unto his father
my head. my head! And he said to lad
carry him to his mother. Aud when he hat
ken him and brought him to his mother b
sat on her knees till noon, and then died.
II Kings iv.. IS, 10, 2a.
There Is at least one happy home in Shu
mem. 10 the luHuriance and splendor OF {
great house had been given the advent OF ,
Rcoild. Even when the Angel Of Life brings
new soul to the poor mans hut. a star o
| Joy shines over the manger Infancy, with
1 its helplsssness and innocence, had passed
6away. Days OF boyhood had come-days o.
laughter and frolic, days Of sunshine and
promise. days OF strange questions and
curiosity and quick development. suppose
famong all the treasures OF the house the
8brlehtest was the boy. One day there is the
3shout OF reapers heard afleld. boys
heart always bounds at the sound of sickle
or scythe. No sooner have the harvesters
cut swath across the field than the lad
fIoiLs them. and the swathy reapers fee
young again as they look down at that
J ID, as young and beautiful as was Ruth
9in the harvest fields OF Bethlehem
Svas too hot for him. Congestion of the brain
seized on him. see the swarthy laborers
drop their sickles and they rush out to see
what is the matter, and they fan him and
!Fhev try to cool his brow; but all is of no
avail. In the instant OF consciousness, he
puts his hands against his temples and cries
put: "Aly head! my head" And the father
paid: "Carry him to his mother" just as any
Father would have said: for our hand is too
fough. and our voice is too harsh. and our
foot is too loud to doctor a sick child. If
there be in our home gentler voice ana a
Sentler hand and stiller footstep. But all
no avail. While the reapers OF Shunem
we're busy in the fed. there came q stronger
Reaper that way, with keener scvthe and for
J richer harvest. He reaped only ore sheaf.
put oh, what golden sheaf was that! I do
DOT want to know any more about that heart
$reaEing scene than what I see in just this
Ina pathetic sentence: "He sat on her knees
II noon, and then died." Though hundreds
II years have passed away since that boy
8kipped TO the harvest-feld and then was
brought home and died on his mothers lap.
he story still thrills US. Indeed. childhood
Jas charm always and everywhere. I shall
low speak to Won Of childhood; its beauty.
IS susceptibility to impression, its power
yer the parental heart, and its blissfu
Fansition from earth to heaven.
The chi!ds beauty does not depend upon
Prm or feature or complexion or apparel.
hat destitute one that you saw on the
erect. bruised with unkindness and in rags.
as charm about her, even under her des-
tuition. You have forgotten great many
PERSONS whom you met. of finely cut features
nd with erect posture and with faultess
omplexton. while YOU will always remem-
Ter the poor girl who, on cod. moonlight
Fight. as YOU were passing late home, in her
pin shawl and barefoot on the pavement,
ut out her hand and said "Please to give
pc penny" All! how often we have
falked on and said: "Oh, that is nothing
ut street va:abondism;" but after we got a
lock or two on. we stopped and said: "Ah.
bat is not right and we passed up that
hme way and dropped a mite into that suf-
ering hand. as though 1t were not a matter
second thought, so ashamed were we Of
8ur hard heartedness. With what admira-
on we all look upon group Of children
n the play ground or in the school, and
pc clap our bands almost involun-
Erily, and say: "How beautiful" Ali
illness and dignity are gone. and
bur shout is heard with theirs and
ou trundle their hoop, and fly
heir kite, and strike their ball. and all your
EearinesS and anxiety are gone as when a
hild you bounded over the playground
= ourself. That father who stands rigid and
nsympathetic amid the sportfuiness Of chill
rem, ought never to have been tempted out
crusty and unredeemable solitariness.
he waters leap down the rocks, but they
ave not the graceful step Of childhood.
he morning comes out Of the gates of the
ast, throwing its silver on the lake and its
bid on the towers and its FIRE on the cloud;
lt 1t Is not so bright and beautiful as the
orning Of life! There is no light like that
hich Is kindled in chi!d's eye, no color
Ike that which blooms on child's cheek,
music like the sound of a child's voice.
Is face in the poorest picture redeems any
hperfection in art. When we are weary
tn toll, their little hands pull the burdens
our back. Oh. what a dull, stale, mean
Prld this would be without the sportiul-
as of children. When I find people that
not like children, Immediately doub.
eir moral and Christian character. But
ben the grace of God comes upon a child,
Pw unspeaSably attractive. When Samuel
fgins to pray, and Timothy begins to read
e Scriptures, and joseph shows himself
vulnerable to temptation-sow beautiful
e scene! know that parents sometimes
t pervous when their children become
ous, because they have the idea that good
ildren always die. The strange que:tions
bout God and eternity and the dead. excite
Rprehension in the parental mind rather
an congratulaton. Indeed, there are
me people that seem marked for heaven.
lis world Is too poor garden for them to
pom in. The hnes of heaven are in the
tals. There is something about their fore
ad that makes you think that the hand OF
rist has been on it, saying: ''Let this one
ne to Me, and let 1t come to Ne soon"
bile that one tarried in the house you felt
Pre- was an angel in the room. and you
Iught that every sickness would be the
t; and when. finally, the winds Of death
scatter the leaves, you were no more SUI
sed than to see star come out above the
bud on dark night: for you had Otter
. ID to your companion: MY dear, we
hll never raise that child" But I scout
= idea that good children always die.
muel the pious boy. became Samuel
b great prophet. Christian Timothy be.
tme minister at Ephesus. Young Daniel
bsecrated to God, became prime minister
all the realm, and there are in hundreds
the schools and families of this country
: day children who love God and keep HIS
amendments, and who are to be foremos,
pong the Christians and the philanthro
sts and the reformers OF the next century.
, be grace Of God never kills anyone. A
lid will be more apt to grow up with re-
= yion than 1t will be apt to grow up without
Length OF days Is promised to.the right
us. The religion OF Christ does not cramE
chest or curve the spine or weaken the
rves. There are no malarias floating W
bm the river Of life. The religion Of Chris
rows over the heart and life Of child 6
pernal beauty. "Her ways are ways o
easantness, and all her paths are peace"
pass on to consider the susceptibility o
ildhood. Men pride themselves on thei
hchangeability. They will make an elabor
70 argument to prove that they thinl
~ did fro II Il
kanges his sentiments in politics or IL
Aligion. and 1t Is this determination Of sou
at so often drives back the gospel from
: ans heart. 1t Is 80 hard to make avaric
baritable, and fraud honest, and prid
rmbie, and skepticism Christian. Th
word OF Gods truth seems TO glance OF