The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1896-09-10
REV. DIR. TALMAGE
The Noted Divine's Sunday Sermon.
Subject: GA Shadow on the Harvest
Field.o

TEXT: "And when the child was grown. it
fell on q day that he went out to his father
to the reapers. And he said unto his father,
my head. my head! And he said to lad.
carry him to his mother. And when he had
taken him and brought him to his mother he
sat on her knees till noon, and then died.
II Kings iv., 10, 10, 20.
There is at least one happy home in Shu-
mem. 10 the luxurianoe and splendor Of a
great house had been given the advent of a
child. Even when the Angel of Life brings
new soul to the poor mans hut, star of
Joy SHINES over the manger. Infancy, with
its helplessness and innocence, had passed
away. Days OF boyhood had come-days of
laughter and frolic, days of sunshine and
promise. days OF strange questions and
curiosity and quick development. I suppose
among all the treasures of the house the
brightest was the boy. One day there is the
shout OF reapers heard afleld. A boys
heart always bounds at the sound of sickle
or scythe. No sooner have the haryesters
cut swath across the field than the lad
Jolhs them, and the swathy reapers feel
young again as they look down at that
lad, as young and beautiful as was Ruth
IN the harvest fields OF Bethlehem
cleaning after the reapers. But the sun
was too hot for HIM. Congestion of the brain
selzed on him. l see the swarthy laborers
drop their sickles; and they rush out to see
what is the matter, and they fan him and
they 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
out: My head! my head" And the father
sald: Garry him to his mother" just as any
1ather would have said; for our hand is too
rough. and our voice is too harsh, and our
1901 IS too loud to doctor a sick child. if
there be IN our home a gentler voice ana A
gentler hand and stiller footstep. Rut all
81 no avail. While the reapers of Shunem
were busy in the field, there came stronger
reaper that way, with keener scvthe and for
rlcher harvest. He reaped only one sheaf
but oh, what golden sheaf was that! I do
NOT want to know any more about that heart.
oreaAfng scene than what | see in just this
one pathetic sentence. HE sat on her knees
till noon, and then died" Though hundreds
OF years have passed away since that boy
Skipped to the harvest-feld and then was
brought home and died on his mothers Ian
the story still thrills US. Indeed, Childhood
mas charm always aud everywhere. I shall
now speak to YOU of childhood its beauty
Its susceptibility to impression, its power
over the parental heart, and its blissfu]
transition from earth to heaven.
Inc chl'ds beauty does not depend upou
1Urm OF feature or complexion or apparel.
Inat destitute one that YOU saw on the
street, bruised with unkindness and in rags.
mas charm about her, even under her des!
atutlon. You have forgotten great MANY
persons whom you met, of finely cut features
anu with erect posture and with faultIess
complexion. while you will ALWAYS remen-
DER the poor girl who, on a co. ID. moon,irbt
n1gnt, as you were passing late home, in her
thin shawl and barefoot on the pavement
put out her hand and said 'sPlease to give
me penny. All! how often we have
walked on and said: "Oh, that is nothino
but street vagabondisnn:" but after We oct :,
Diock or two on, we stopped and said: "Ab
that Is not right" and we passed I'D tina,
same way and dropped mite into that snf.
1er1ng hand. as though it were not matter
OF second thought, so ashamed were we OF
our hard heartedness. With what admira.
tloh we all look upon group of children
On the play ground or in the school. and
we CLAP our hands almost involun-
tariiy, and say: chow beautiful" All
s.inness and dignity are gone. and
, rour snout Is heard with theirs and
you trundle their hoop. and f1y
their kite, and strike their bali, and all vou1
WEAKNESS and anxiety are gone as when ;
cniid you bounded over the playground
yourself. That father who stands rigid anC
ohsympathetlc amid the sportfuIness of chill
oreh, ought never to have been tempted on,
OF crusty and unreGeemable soIitariness
ine waters leap down the rocks. but the,
ma, nave not the graceful step of childhood
Inc morning comes out of the gates of thu
.as,' throwing Its silver on the lake and it:
Soiu on the towers and its fire on the cloud
out 1t IS not so bright and beautiful as the
morning OF life! There is no light like tha
Wnlcn Is klndled in chiId's eve. no colo
IKE that which blooms on a child's cheek
no music like the sound of child's voice
us race In the poorest picture redeems an,
imperfection in art. When we are wear,
WIN TOLL, their little hands pull the burden:
on our PACK. Oh. what a dull, stale, mea,
world this would be without the sportful
ness OF children. When I find people that
no not Ike children, Immediately doub
| their moral and Christian character. Rn
wnen the grace of God comes upon a child
now unspeakably attractive. When Samue
begins to pray, and Timothy begins to reat
the Scriptures, and Joseph shows hfmseI
invulnerable to temptation-how beautifu
the scene! know that parents Sometime
got nervous when their children becom,
Pious, because they have the idea that goot
cnlioren always die. The strange question!
ABOUT God and eternity and the dead. excit,
| apprehension in the parental mind rathe
some people that seem marked for heaven
inls world Is too poor garden for them t.
oioom IN. The hues Of heaven are in tn,
petals. There is something about their fore
| mead that makes you think that the hand O
| Christ has been on it, saying: "Let this on
come to Me, and let it come to Me soon
| While that one tarried in the house YOU fell
! tnere was an angel in the room, and yo,
thought that every sickness would be tn
last; and when, finally, the winds of dealt
did scatter the leaves, you were no more sur
prised than to see star come out above tn
cloud on dark night; for you had ofte]
SAID to your companion: "My dear, W
snail never raise that child" But I scou
inc idea that good children ALWAYS die
Samuel the pious boy. became Samue
the great prophet. Christian Timothy be
came minister at Ephesus Young Daniel
consecrated to God, became prime ministe
OF all the realm, and there are in hundred
OF the schools and families of this countr
to-day children who love God and keep Hi
commandments, and who are to be foremos
among the Christians and the philanthro
P.sts and the reiormers of the next century
Inc grace of God never kills anyone !
enid Will be more apt to grow up with re
lg1on than 1t will be apt to grow up withou
1t. Length of days is promised to the right
eous. The religion Of Christ does not cram
the chest or curve the spine or weaken tn
| nerves. There are no malarias floating u
from the river of life. The religion of Chris
throws over the heart and life of q child
supernal beauty. Her ways are ways G
pleasantness, and all her paths are peace"