Democratic messenger., 1902-02-08
Talmage Says Is Causes for Thanks.
living That Are Seldom Recognized.
Remember the Daily Blessings - Comforts
OF Friendship.

and shows now to cultivate Il cheerful
spirit; text, Psalms xx:.ii, >, Sing unto
him with psaltery and an instrument OF
sten strings"
i A musician as well as poet and con-
verer and king was David, the author
{ my text. He first composed the sacred
hythm and then played it upon harp.
eriking and plucEing the strings with his
fingers and thumbs. The harp is the old
est OF musical instruments. jubal invent
ed it, and he was the seventh descendant
from Adam. lis music was suggested by
the twang OF the bowstring. Homer re-
fer3 to the harp in the "Iliad.' 1t is the
most consecratcd of all instruments. The
fate is more mellow, the bugle more mar
tia, the coracs more incisiyc, the trumpet
more resonant, the organ more mighty. but
the harp has tenderness and sweetness
belonging to no other instrument that i
know OF. 1t enters into the richest sym
bolism OF the Holy Scriptures. The cap
t1ves in their sadness hung their harps
upca the willows" In other ages it had
eight strings. Dsvid's harp had ten
strings. and when his great soul was aiire
with the theme his sympathetic voice, ac-
comp3nied b. exquisite vibration OF the
chords. must have been oYerpowering.
With as many things 10 complain about
as any man ever had David wrote more
anthems than any other man ever wrote.
lie ruts even the frosts and hailstorins
and tempcsts and creeping things ard fly
ing fowl and the mountains and the hills
and day lad night into chorus. Absa-
Ions plotting and Ahithophe!'s treachery
and hosts of antagonists and slecpless
nights and running sore could not hush
his psGlmody. Indeed, the more his trou-
blcs the mighter his sacred poems. The
words praise" and song arc SO often
repeated in his psalm; chat one would
think the typesetter's case containing the
letters with which those words are spelled
would be exhausted
In my tex David calls upoa the people
to praise tho Lord with an instrument Of
ten strings. like that which he was accus-
toned 10 finger. The simple TACT Is that
Ac most o. Us, Il we praise the Lord at
al, play upon enc strirg or two strings or
three strings when ought TO take Z harp
fully chorSc1 and win glad fingers sweep
adj the strings. Instead o. being grateful
for here ana there blessing We happen
to think OF, We ought 10 rehearse all our
blessings so Ear as VIC can recall them and
obey the injunction of my text to sing
unto Him with an instrument OF ten
strings.
lave you ever thanked God for delight
some food? What vast multitudeS are A.
hunge-cd from day to day or arc obliged
to take food not toothsomc or pleasant to
the taste. What millions are in struggle
for bread, \ Confederate soldier went %
the front, and his family were on the
by the faith Of a child OF that household,
who. noticing that some supply was sure to
come, excla med, Mother, | think God
hears when We scrape the bottom OF the
barrel"
Have you appreciated the fact that on
most OF your tables are Injuries that do
not come to all! Have You realized what
varieties of flavor often touch your tongue
and how the saeeharin and the acid have
been Afforded your palate! What fruits,
what nuts, what meats rega!e your appe-
tlte, while many would be glad TO get the
orusts and rinds and peeliags that fall
from your table.
For the fine tayors and the luxurious
viandG you have enjoyed for lifetime per
haps You have never expressed to God 4
word o. thanksgiving. That is one OF the
ten -trings that You ought to have
thruT1ned in praise to Cod but you have
never yet put il N vibration.
Have You thanked God for eycs;ght IS
originally given 10 you or, aite- it was
dinr1ed by age. for the glass that brought
the page OF the book within the compass
of the vision: Have you realized the pri-
alton those suffer 70 whon the day is as
black rs the night and VINO never scr the
acc Of father or mother or wife or child or
lend: Through wha5 painful surgery
iany have gone to get one glimpse OF the
ght! The eye so delicate and beautiful
ad useful that one OF them Is invaluable.
And most Of Us have two OF these won
ara OF divine mechanism The man OF
ilions CT dollars who recently went blind
ON atrophy OF optic nerve would have
en- willing to give al his millions and be-
nc = CaN laborer ii he could have kept
thc blindness that gradually crept over
visioF
Yofmay. havc roticed how Christ's SYM
les were stirred for the blind. OBI
mis- has always been prevalent in Pal
sl,sg & : no.
). exposed TO the dew and tho flying
OF the d. season. inviting this dread
disorder. \ large percentage Of the in
itants coud not tell the difference be-
en- - o'clcls at noon and II o'clock at
n. We 2r told of six OF Christ's mir.
for the urc OF these sightless ones.
l suppose hey were only specimens OF
drcd; Of rttorcd visions.
hat 4 pitiil spectacle Saul OF Tarsus
hty man, tree days led about in phys,
a. vel asp;ritual darkness. he who
yrward mac Felix :renble by ms elo-
nee and a.d the Athenian philoso-
.rs or Narslill and was the only cool
,ded man 1.-THE Alexandria corn ship
Z went to ices on the rocks OF Mile
once .hc ghty prosecutor of Saul,
srward the riors evangelist Paul, for
&C days m bic to take safe step
hout guldan
lave YOU C given thanks fo- two
,s-media been the sorl inside and
world outsi media that no one but
, infinite coould create: The eye,
window OF immortal nature, thc
10 through vi all oolors m5rch. the
,ture gallery he souli Without the
this world biz dungeon. / fear
NJ ,nany d have never given one
ariv cxprcz;io gratitude Tor treasure
sight. the los which is the greatest
sa.ter posslb0iess il be the loss of
mind. Tbos ndrous seven ruscles
nj turn the q or down. a.. ~:eht or
4 or arouad. one but g, could
,ve created thcna Ii we nave ever
,nreciatcd whai did wnea lie ave
Two eyes il when We saw others
ith oblitorated !,
Ala. that onlaueh the priya.ioa OF
thers we came talization OF oar own
jossing! II ycu harp in hand and
went all the of gratitude. you
-ould have strns. which is one of
40 most dulcet oen strings
Further. notice many pass through
fe in silcnce nethe car refuses to
O ,t5 office. lAcr hear music, vo-
J OF instrume"'he thunder that
lis its full diaFhroush the heav.
ms does not startproionscd silence.
rhe air that has 60 many melodies
has no sweet soGh'cm. They live in
auetude that be broken until
heaven breaks in, 'em with its har-