Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1900-05-11
CHRIST THE THEME.
He Brings Happiness Into Eyery
Life That He Enters.
All Nature Sings His Praises, Snys
DR.. Tnlmnge-Iiymns Heard in
Infancy Have Strong In
nuence I'm After Life.
Copyright, 1900, by Louis Klopsch,l
Washington,

Washington,
In this discourse DR.. Talmage shows
how Christ brings harmony and mel
ody into every life that He enters:
text, Psalms, 1854: "The Lord is my
strength and song"
The most fascinating theme for n
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 Him, the cascades pro-
claim Him, all the voices of nature
chant Him. Whatever is grand, bright
and beautiful if you only listen to it,
will speak His praise. So when in
the summer time pluck flower |
thing of Him who is "the Rose of
Sharon and the Lily of the Valley
When / see in the fields lamb, | say:
"Behold the Lamb Of God that taketh
away the sin of the world" When in
very hot weather | come under a pro-
jeating cliff, l say:
Rock Of ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in thee!
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
find the heavens 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
redemption. Upon a blasted and
faded paradise it poured a light of
glorious restoration. 1t looked upon
Abraham from the ram caught in
the thicket. 1t spoke in the bleating
of the herds driven down to Jerusa-
lem for sacrifice. 1t put infinite pa
thos into the speech of uncouth fish
ermen.
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
way blossoms and the overarching
heavens drop upon you their benedic-
ton, speak the praises of Jesus.
The old Greek orators, when they
saw their audiences inattentiye 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 peo-
Piles enthusiasm would be unbound
ed. My hearers, though you may
have been borne down with sin, and
though trouble and trials and temp
tation 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
l 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 forever 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 everywhither. One hun
dred and fifty years after you are
dead and "Old Mortality" has worn
out his chisel recutting your name or
the tombstone, your great-grandchil
dren 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 Is distinct echoes, ant
every Christian song sung by moth
er in the ear of her child shall hav,
10000 echoes coming back from all the
gates of Heaven. Oh, if mothers only
knew the power of this sacred spell
how much oftener the little one,
would be gathered, and all our homes
would chime with the songs of Jesus
We want some oounteracting infu
cnce upon our children. The very mo
mept our child steps into tho street
he steps into the path of temptation
There are foul mouthed children who
would like to bespoil your little ones
It will not do to keep your boys ant
girls in the house and make then
house plants. They must have fresh
air and recreation. God save your chill
dren from the scathing, blasting
damning influence Of the street,
know Of no counteracting influence but
the power of Christian culture and eX
ample. Hold before your little one!
the pure life of Jesus. Let that name
be the word that shall exercise evi
from their hearts. Give to your III
Btruction all the fascination of music
morning, noon and night. Let it bs
Jesus, the cradle song. This is impor
tant, if your children grow up, but per
haps they may not. Their pathwa,
may be short. Jesus may be wanting
that child. Then there will be ;
soundless step in the dwelling, ant
the youthful pulse will begin to fut
ter, 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 empty, and tn,
nursery will be empty, and the work
will be empty. No little feet standing
on the stairs. No toys scattered OF
the carpet. No quick following from
room to room. No strange and won
dering questions. No upturned fac
with laughing blue eyes come for I
kiss, but only grave and wreath o
white blossoms on the top of it ant
bitter desolatjon and signing q