Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1896-11-12
PAGEANTRY OF THE. WOODS.

PAd[ANIRl Uf Ill., WUOUS.
Or. TALMAGE's sUNDAYTHEME
Inc Leaves Which Have Felt the
frost Have Changed in Tint. and
Leaf After Leaf They Fall.
Txxr: ave all do a as a leat"-
Isaiah XIV, 6.
Is 50 hard for Us 10 understand ~relipions
truth that God constantly reiteratas. As the
bcnoolmAster takes q blackboard and nuts
upon 1t figures and diagrams, so that the
oSnoIar may not only get his lesson through
the ear. but also through the eye. 80 God
takes all the truths Of His Bible and draws
them out In diagram on the natural world.
Cnampellion, the famous F%renchman, went
down into Egypt to study the hiero2lyph,cs
on monumen n temples. After much
labor he deciphered them and announced to
the learned world the result OF his invpstipa-
tons. The wisdom, goodness and noweT ~
6od are written in hisr%oelyphics ell over the
earth and all over the heaven. God grant
maj We may have understanding enough TO
ue0pher them. There are Scriptural pass
ages, like my text, which need to be studied
IN the very presence of the natural world.
Inose know but little OF the meaning OF
the natural world who have looked at it
through the eyes of others. and from book or
canvas taken their impression. There are
some faces so mobile that photographers
cannot faKe them, II the face Of nature has
such a flush and sparkle and life that no hui
man desc option can gather them. No one
knows the pathos OF a birds voice unless he
has sat atsummer evening tide at the edge of
. wood and listened to the cry Of the whip
poorwil.
Ihere Is to-day more glory in one branch
OF sumac than n painter could put on q Who'll
forest OF naples. God hath struck into the
autumnal leaf O glance that none see but
those who come face to face-the mountain
looking upon the man, and the man looking
upon the mountain.
For several autumn l have made a tour
to the far west, and one autumn. about this
time, saw that which l shall never forget. l
have seen the autumnal sketches Of Cropsey
and other skillful pencils. but that week l
saw a pageant 1000 miles long. Let artist
stand back when God stretches His canvas.
A erander spectacle was never kindled 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 mingling OF gold and orange and
crimson and saffron, now SOLDERING into drab
and maroon, now flaming into solferino and
scarlet. Here and there the trees looked as
49, SASAA apo hoA ILL hICs III
the morning light the forests seemed as If
they had been TRANSPORTED. and in the even
ing o they looked as II the sunset had
burst and dropped upon the leaves. In more
sequestered spots. where the frosts bad been
hindered In their work. We saw the first kin-
ding Of the flames OF color in d lowIy sprig;
then they rushed up from branch to branch
until the glory Of the Lord submerged the
forest. Hero you would find q tree just
making up its mind to change, and there one
looked as II, wounded at every pore, it stood
bathed in carnage. Along the banks of Lake
Huron there were hills over which there
seemed pouring cataracts OF fire, tossed W
and down and every whittier by the rocks.
Through some Of the ravines we saw occa-
sionally a foaming stream. as though it was
rushing to put out the ~confla2ration. II at
one end Of the woods a commanding tree
would set up its crimson banner, the whole
forest prepared to follow. II Gods urn oil
colors were not infinite, one swamp that
saw along the Maumee would have exhausted
it forever. 1t seemed as j: 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 a vein Of sadness. I find that ]
have two strings to this gospel harp-a
. string OF sadness and a string Of Joy in
Unite.
eve all do fade as a Leaf"
First.-Like the foliage, we fade gradu-
ally. The leaves which week before last fel,
tint and will for many days yet cling to the
bough waiting for the fist of the wind te
strike them. Suppose you that the pictured
leaf that you hold in your hand took on it
color in an hour or in a day, or in a week
No; deeper and deeper the flush, till oil 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. ther
those most hidden. until the last spark O
The cleaning forge shall have beer
quenched.
!, So gradually we pass away. From day tt
day we hardly see the change. But thu
frosts have touched us. The work OF deca,
Is going on. Now a slight cold. Now a sea
son OF overfatigue. Now a fever. Now
stitch in the side. Now a neuralgia thrust
+. Now a rheumatic twinge. Now a fall. Little
by little. Pain by pain. Less steady o
limb. Sight not so clear. Ear not so alert
After awhile we take a staff. Then. afte
much resistance, we come to spectacles. In
stead Of bounding into the vehicle. we ar
willing to be helped in. At last the octoge
marian falls. Forty years Of decaying. NJ
sudden change. No fierce cannonading O
the batteries OF life, but a fading away
. slowly-gradually. AS the leaf, as the leaf
Again, like the leaf we fade, to make room
for Others. Next years forests will be a
~grandly foliaged as this. There are othe
generations of oak leaves to take the plac
Of those which this autumn perish. Mex
: May the craze Of the wind will rock tn,
young buds. The woods will be all a.hun
! with the chorus OF leaty voices. II the ire
in front of your house. like Elijah, takes
: chariot Of fire, its mantle will fall upol
$ Elisha. II, in the blast OF these autumna
:. batteries, so many ranks fall, there are re
: serve forces to take their places to defen'
Q the fortress OF the hills. The heaters Q
gold leaf will have more gold Leaf to bea,
The crown that drops to-day from the hea
= OF the oak will be picked up and handle
down for other kings to wear. Let the blast
come. They only make room for other lif.
4 So, when We go. others take our sphere:
y We do not gEudge the future generation
= their places. We will have had our goo
time. Let them come on and have the
good time. There is no signing among thes
leaves to-day because other leaves are TO 70
low them. After a lifetime OF preachin.
doctoring. selling, sewing or digging, let I
cheerfuliy give way for those who come o
to do the preaching. doctoring, selling, sew
). ing and digging. God grant that the0 Iii
may b brighter than ours has been. As "
get older do not let Us be afYronted if youn
, men and women crowd US a little. We wi
have had our day. and we must let them ha,
theirs. When our voices get cracked let Us d
> snari at those who can MARBLE. When OF