The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-04-18
DIR. TALMAGES,, SERMON.
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE NOTED
DIVINE.
All Nature Joins In Singing His Praises
Everything Bright aud Beautiful sug-
gests Him-Power OF tho Hymn as u
Cradle Song is Remark able.
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loAl, l-Sdltu C8Siu., Ii. 4u0 LULU -
strength and song"
The lost fascinating theme for heart
properly attuned is the Saviour. There IL
something In the morning light to suggest
Him and something In the evening shadow
to speak His praise. Tho flower brenthes
Him, the stars SHINE Him, the cascade
proclaims Him, oil the voices OF nature
chant Him. Whatever Is grand, bright
and beautiful, II you'only listen to 1t, will
speak His praise. SO. when In the summer
time pluck flower, think OF Him who
Is ''the Rose OF Sharon and the Lily OF the
Valley" When I see In the aelds lamb,
I say, "Behold the Lamb Of God that
taketh away the sin OF the world" Whom,
In very hot weather, come under pro-
iecting cliff, say:
Rock OF ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself In Thee!
Over the old fashioned pulplrs there was
q sounding board. The voice Of the minis
ter rose TO the sounding board and then
was struck back again upon the ears ofths
rising up f1ud the heavens sounding board
which strikes back to the ear OF ulfthe ma
tions the praises OF Christ. The heavens
tell his glory, and the earth shows his
handlwork. The Bible thrills with one
great story OF redemption. Upon O blasted
and faded paradise it poured the light OF
glorious restoration. II looked upon Abra-
ham from the ram caught IN the thicket.
II spoke In the blsating OF the herds driven
down 20 Jerusalem for sacrifice. It put In.
finite pathos into the speech OF uncouth
fishermen. It lifted Paul into the third
heaven, and 1t broke upon the ear OF st.
John with the brazen >trumpets and the
doxology OF the elders and the rushing
mi ~ ba uoro nh I'm -...
Instead OF waiting until you get sick and
worn out before you sing the praise OF
Christ, while your heart Is happtestF and:
yonr step is lightest and your fortunes
smile md your pathway blossoms and the
overarchiug heavens drop upon you their
benediction. speak the praises ofJesus.
The old Greek orators, when they saw
their audiences iuattentive and slumber-
ing, had Que word With which they wonld
reuse them up to the greatest enthusiasm.
In the midst OF their orations they would
stop and cry out "Marathonl" and the
peoples enthusiasm would be unbounded.
My hearers, though you may have been
borne down with sin and though trouble
and trials and temptation may have come
upon you and you feel to-duy hardly like
looking up, methinks there is one grand,
royal, imperial word that ought to rouse
your soul to infinite rejoicing, and that
word is "Jesus"
Taking the suggestion OF the text, I shall
speak to you OF Christ our Song. remark,
In the first place, that Christ ought to be
the cradle song. What our mothers san1
to US when they put Us to sleep is singing
vet. We may have forgotten the words,
but they went into the fiber OF our soul and
will forever be part Of It. It Is noEso
much what you formally teach your cllii-
dren rs what you slug to them. A hymn
has wings and can fly everywhither. One
hundred and fifty years after you are dead
and "Old Mortality" has worn out hts
chisel recuttlng your name on the tomb
stone your grsat-srandchildren wfllSbe
singing the song which last night you sang
to your little ones gathered about your
knee. There Is place In Switzerland
where, II you distinctly utter your voice.,
there come back ten or fifteen distinct
echoes, and every Christian song sung BY b
mother In the ear OF her child shall have
II, 900 echoes coming back from allkhe5
gates OF heaven. Oh, il mothers only kneW 4
the power of this sacred spell how much
ottener the little ones would be gathered
AID all our homes would chime with the
songs OF Josusl e.
We want some counteractlng influence
upon our children. The very monneut your,
child steps into the street he steps into, the
path OF temptation. There are foul
mouthed children who would like to be-
soil your little ones. It will not do j.
keep your boys aud girls In the house and
make them house plants. They must have
fresh air aud recreation. God save your
children from the scathing, blasting,
damDlng influence OF the street! ] know
OF no counteraeting Influence buf the
power OF Christian culture and example,.
Hold before your little ones the pure life
OF Jesus. Let that name be the word that
shall exercise evil from their hearts. Give
to your instruction all the fascination OF
music morning, noon and night. Let 1t be-
Jesus, the cradle song. Thic is impor-
tant II your children grow up, but per-
haps they may not. Their pathway
may be short. Jesus may be wanting
that child. Then there will be sound
less step in the dwelling, and the
little hands will be lifted for help. You
cannot help. And great agony Will pinch
mt your heart, and the cradle will be emp
ty, and the nursery will be empty, and the
world will be empty, and your soul will be
empty. No little feet standing on the
stairs. No toys scattered on the corpet.
No quick following from room to room. No
strange and wondering questions. No up
turned iace, with laughing blue eyes, come
for a kiss, but only grave and wreath
OF white blossoms 90 the top OF 1t and Bit
ter desolation and signing at nightfall,
with no one to put to he'd. The heaHenly
Shepherd will take that lamb safely, any
how, whether you have been faithful or un-
faithful. But would It not have been
pleasanter IL you could have heard from
those lips the praises OF Christi I never
read anything mora beautiful than thls'
ubout a chlld's departure. The account
said, "She folded her hands, kissed her
mother good-by, sang. her hymn. turned
her face to the wall, said her little prayer
and then died"
1 speak to you again OF Jesus as the
night song. Job speaks OF Him who glveth
songs In the night. John Wslch, the old
Scotch minister used to put plaid across
his bed on cold nights. and some one asked
him why he put 1t there. He said: "Oh,
sometimes In the ulght want to sing the
praise of Jesus and to get down and pray;
thon I just take that plaid and wrap It
around me to keep me from the cold.'
Songs In the night! Night OF trouble has
come downtupon many OF you. CONNER
cial losses put out one star, slanderous
abuse puts out another star. Domestic
bereavement bas put out thousand lights.
and gloom has been added to gloom anu
chill to chill and sting to sting, and one
midnight has seemed to borrow the fold
from another midnight to wrap itself In
more unbearable darkness, but Christ has
spoken peace to your heart, and you sing.
Jesus, lover OF my soul.
Let me TO Thy bosom fly,
While the biiiows near me- roll,
While the tempest still Is high.
Hide me, o my Saviour! Hide
TIL the storm of life Is past,
Snfs into The haven guide;
Oh, receive my soul ar last.
Songs in the night Songs in the night
For the sick. who have no one to turn the
hot pillow, no one to put the taper on the
stand, no ono to put ice on the temples or
pour out the soothing anouyne or utter
one cheerful word-yet songs In the night!