Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1900-04-05
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
HARMONY AND MELODY LAST
SUNDAYS SUBJECT.
strong influence In After Years of
Hymns Heard and Committed to
Memory In Early Lifs-Ths Old FASH
Toned Pulpit.

copyright, 1900. by Louis Elopsch.1
iext. fsalm cxvni, IA: The Lord is
my strength and song"
The most fascinating theme for a
heart properly attuned is the Saviour.
There is something in the morning
light to suggest Him and something in
the evening shadow to speak His
praise. The flower breathes Him, the
stars shine on Him, the cascade pro-
claims Him, all the voices OF nature
chant Him. Whatever is grand, bright
and beautiful. IL you only listen to 1t.
will speak His praise. So when In the
summer time pluck a flower | think
OF Him who is the Rose Of Sharon
and the Lily of the Valley" When |
see In the fields a lamb. / say, Be
hold the Lamb of God that taketh
away the sin of the world" When In
very hot weather l come under a pro-
tecting cliff. | say:
| Rock Of ages. cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in theei
Over the old-fashioned pulpits there
was sounding board. The voice Of
the minister rose to the sounding
board and then was struck back again
upon the ears of the people. And so
the 10000 voices Of earth rising up
ind the heavens a sounding board
which strikes back to the ear OF all
nations the praises Of Christ. The
heavens tell His glory, and the earth
| ehnwc
thrills with one great story of redemp.
ton. Upon a blasted and faded para
disc 1t poured light of glorious re-
storation. 1t looked upon Abraham
from the ram caught in the thicket. II
spoke in the bleating of the herds
driven down to Jerusalem for sacrifice.
1t put infinite pathos into the speech
OF uncouth fishermen. 1t lifted Paul
into the third heaven, and II broke
upon the ear Of st. John with the
brazen trumpets and the doxology OF
the elders and the rushing wings Of
the seraphim
Instead of waiting until you get sick
and worn out before you sing the
praise Of Christ, while your heart is
happiest and your step is lightest and
your fortunes smile and your pathway
blossoms and the overarching heavens
drop upon you their benediction. speak
| the praises OF Jesus.
The old Greek orators. when they
saw their audiences inattentive and
slumbering, had one word with which
they would rouse them up to the
greatest enthusiasm. In the midst OF
their orations they would stop and cry
| out Marathon" and the peoples en-
thusiasm would be unbounded My
hearers, though you may have been
borne down with sin, and though trou-
| BILE 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
| Power of tho Hymn.
Taking the suggestion of the text,
shall speak to you OF Christ our Song
! remark, in the first place. that Christ
ought to be the cradle song. What our
mothers sang to us when they put us
to sleep is singing yet We may have
forgotten the words; but they went
into the fiber of our soul and will for
ever be part of it, 1t is not so
much what you formally teach your
| children as what you sing to them. A
hymn has wings and can fly every
i ,urbt nna
after you are dead and odd Mortal
ity' has worn out his chisel recut-
ting your name on the tombstone your
great-grandchildren will be 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 a mother in the ear of her child
shall have 10000 echoes coming back
from all the gates of heaven. Oh, il
mothers only knew the power of this
sacred spell. how much oftener the
little ones would be gathered, and all
our homes would chime with the songs
of Jesus.
We want some counteracting infu-
ence upon our children. The very mo-
ment your child steps into the street
he steps into the path of temptation.
There are foul-mouthed children who
| would like to besoil your little ones.
It will not do to keep you boys and
girls in the house and make them
house plants. They must have fresh
air and recreation. God save your
children from the scathing, blasting.
| damning influence of the street!
know of no counteracting influence but
ample. 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 In
struction all the fascination of music
morning, noon and night. Let 1t be
Jesus, the cradle song. This is i'm
portant IL your children grow up, but
perhaps 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
youthful pulse will begin to futter and
little hands will be lifted for help. You
cannot help. And great agony will
pinch at your heart. and the cradle
will be empty, and the nursery 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. No
strange and wondering questions No
upturned face with laughing blue eyes
come for kiss, but only grave and