Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1900-04-06
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
T4IR EMINENT DIvINE's SUNDAY
DISCOURSE.
All Nature Joins in Singing His PRAISES
Everything Bright and Beautiful sug
gests Him-Power OF the Hymn as q
Cradle Song Is Remarkable.
copyright 1901

copyright 1901
WASHINGTON, D. Gin this discourse DR.
Talmage shows how Christ brings harmony
and melody into every life that He enters;
text. Psalm cxviil., ID. "The Lord Is my
strength and song"
The most fascinating theme for hear
properly attuned Is the Saviour. There Il
something In the morning light to suggest
Him and something in the evening SHADOW
10 speak His praise. Tho Hover preathes
Him. the stars shine Him, the cascade
nrocIaims Him. all the voices OF nature
chant Him. Whatever is grand, bright
and beautiful, II you only listen to 1t, Will
sneak His praise. So, when in the summer
time l pluck flower, think OF Him who
Is "tbe Rose OF Sharon and the Lily Oh the
Valley" When I see 10 the 3elds lamp,
/ say, "Behold the Lamb OF God that
taketh away the sin Of the world" when
in very hot weather, come under u pro-
iecting cliff, l say:
Rock OF ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee!
Over the old fashioned pulpits 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 OF the
poople. And SO the 10, 900 voices " earth
| rising up find the heavens sounding board
which strikes back to the ear OF oil the ma
| tons Che praises of Christ. The heavens
tell his glory, and the earth shows his
| handiwork. The Bible thrills with one
great story OF redemption. Upon blasted
and faded paradise it poured the light oil
glorious restoration. ltlooked upon Abra
BAN from the ram caught in the thicket
! 1t spoke In the bleating of the herds driven
down 20 Jerusalem for sacrifice. 1t put In
finite pathos into the speech OF uncoutt
fishermen. 1t lifted Paul into tho third
heaven, and 1t broke upon the ear OF st
John with the brazen trumpets and the
dOxology OF the elders and the rushing
wings Of the soraphim.
Instead Of waiting until you get sick anc
worn out before you sing the praise o.
Christ, while your heart is happiest ane
your step is lightest and your fortunes
smile and your pathway blossoms and the
overarching heavens drop upon you their
benediction, speak tho praises OF Jesus
The old Greek orators, when they saw
their audiences inattentive and slumber.
ing, had one word with which they would
reuse them up to the greatest enthusiasm.
In the midst of their oratlons they would
stop and cry out "Marathon!" 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-day 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, | shall
speak to you OF Christ our Song. l remark,
In the first place, that Christ ought TO be
the cradle song. What our mothers san,
10 US when they put US to sleep is singing
yet We may have forgotten the words,
but they went into the hber Of our soul and
will forever be a part Of it. 1t is not SO
much what you formally teach your chill.
dren as what you sing 10 them. A Dymn
has wings and can fly everywhither. One
hundred and fifty years after you are dead
and "Od Mortality" has worn out his
chisel recruiting your name ON the tomb.
stone your great-grandchldren will be
singing the song which last night you sang
to your little ones gathered about youl
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
mother in the ear of her child shall have
10, 600 echoes coming back from all the
gates OF heaven. Oh, II mothers only knew
The power OF this sacred spell how much
oftener the little ones would be gathered
songs OF Jesusl
We want some counteracting influence
upon oGr children. The very moment your
child steps into the street he steps into the
path of mptatlon. There are foul
mouthed children who would like to be-
soil your little ones. 1t will not do to
keep your boys and girls in the house and
make them house plants. They must have
fresh air and recreation. God save youi
children from the scathing, blasting
damDing influence OF the street! l know
Of no counteracting Influence. but 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 tho fascination OF
music morning, noon and night. Let 1t be
Jesus, the cradle song. This is impor-
tant If 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 a sound.
less step in the dwelling, and the
youthful pulse will begin to fiutter, and the
little hands will be lifted for help. You
cannot help. And great agony will pinch
at 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 carpet.
No quick following from room to room. Nc
strange and wondering questions. No up.
turned face, with laughing blue eyes, come
for a kiss, but only grave and wreath
of white blossoms on the top OF 1t and bit
ter desolatlon and signing at nightfall
with no one to put to bed. The heavenly
Shepherd will take that lamb safely, any
how, whether you have been faithful or un'
fnit nj Pm hppn
pleasanter If you could have heard from
those lips the praises OF Christ? l never
road anything more beautiful than this
about child's departure. The account
said, "She folded her hands, kissed heI
mother good-by, sang her hymn, turned
her face to the wall, said her little prayer
and then died"
speak to you again OF Jesus as the
night song. Job speaks of Him who giveth
rongs in the night. John WEIGH, 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 lght want to sing the
praise of Jesus and to get down and pray;
then 1 just take that plaid and wrap 1t
around me to keep me from the cold"
Songs In the night Night OF trouble has
come down upon many OF you. CONNER
cial losses put out one star, slanderous
abuse puts out another star. Domestic
bereavement has put out a thousand lights,
and gloom has been added to gloom and
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 pillows near me roll
While the tempest still Is high.