Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1900-04-06
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
HARMONY AND MELODY LAST
SUNDAYS SUBJECT.
Strong influence in After Years of
Hymns Heard and Committed To
Memory in Early Iifc-ri,e Old Fash
toned Pulpit.

copyright, 1900 By Louis klopsch.i
1ext. realm cxvIn. Ii: i ne Lord is
my strength and song"
Tie most fascinating theme for
heart properly attuped is the Saviour
There is something III the morning
light 10 suggest HIN and something in
The evening shadow 10 speak His
praise. The flower breath5s HIM. the
stars Shine on Him, the cascade pro-
claims Him. all the voices of nature
chant Him. Whatever is grand. bright
and beautiful. ii ycu only listen to 1t.
will speak His praise. So when in the
summer time l pluck 4ower | think
Ct 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 III
very hot weather l come under pro-
jeeting cliff. | say:
Rock Of ages. cleft for me,
Let NE hide myself in thee!
Over the oId-fashioned puipits there
Was a sounding board. The voice OF
tie minister rose 10 the sounding
board and then was struck back again
upon the ears OF the people. And 50
The 10000 voices Of earth rising up
find 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
shows His handiwork. The Bible
thrills with one great story of redemp-
tion- Upon blasted and faded para
disc /; poured light OF glorious re-
storation. 1t looked upon Abraham
from the ram caught in the thicket. 1t
spoke in the bleating Of the herds
driven down to Jerusalem for sacrifice.
II put infinite pathos into the speech
OF uncCuth fishermen. 1t lifted Pau!
into the third heaven. and it 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 overarchins 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. Ny
heaIfrs, though you may have been
borne down with sin. and though trou-
bic 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 liz
Jesus"
Power OF the 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 10 us when they put us
10 sleep is singing yet. We may have
forgotten the words; but they went
into the fiber OF our soul and will for
ever be a part OF II. 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
whittier. One hundred and fifty years
after you are dead and "Old Mortal
ity" has worn out his chisel recut-
ting your name on the tombstone your
eat-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
If 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. On, 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
damniEg influence CT the street!
know OF no cOunteracting influence bu:
the power of Christian culture and ex-
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 n sound
less step In the dwelling and the
youthful pulse will begin to fiutter and
little hands will be lifted for help. You
cannot help. And great agony will
pinch at your heart, and the cradle
VIII 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 IN room Mr.