Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1902-12-12
TALMAGE
SERMON
By Rev.
FRANK DE WITT TALMAGE. DID,.
Pastor Of jefferson Park Presby-
tsxian Church, Chicago

discourse on the text Isaiah xl. IL, HE
and carry them in his bosom and shall
gently lead those that are with young"
What does the empty cradle" of this
mornings theme mean? Does ii mean
that the babies who once played in our
nurseries have grown up into big boys
and girls, who rush away every morn
ing from the breakfast table to be in
time to answer the call of the school
bell2 Does ii mean that our children
have become young men and women
and left the old homestead to go forth
into the great battle of life? oh, no.
This morning am going to preach up
on the little white cradle which has
been emptied In order to iii up the lit
tie white casket :, On going TO tell
why Jesus, as the Good Shepherd, Of
ten comes into the homes and gathers
the little lambs into his arms and car
ries them into the green pastures OF
heaven. We know he has always cared
for them, as my text asserts, while
they still remained with us upon earth.
but not till they reach heaven can they
realize his perfect love.
Did you ever stop to think that the
vast majority of the human race die in
childhood and that over one-thlrd die
I'm infancy before the fourth year has
been reachsd7 Only the other day
preached a funeral sermon in the house
OF dear friend, in which lay little
white casket. AS 1 was looking into
the face OF the little boy, whom had
welcomed into the world and whom 1
had also baptized, a sympathetic friend
said. ooh, Mr.. Talmage, this is awfully
hard to bearl know what it means to
have the Divine Gardener come and
pluck the blossoms out of the nursery.
have had seven children during my
life; six of them are dead. Only one
boy Is alive of them ALL" AS left that
home OF mourning aud stood upon the
street waiting for the pallbearers to
plnce their precious burden in the white
hearse by conversation / found out
that the two mothers who were then
standing nearest to my side each had
two nurseries. The one nursery was
for their living children within the four
walls OF the home. The second nursery
was for their dead children within the
four sides of the family plot.
Balm For sorrowing Hearts.
Now, my friends, whnt is the mean
ing Of this wholesale emigration of our
little ones to the heavenly shore? Are
the life and the death OF the majority
OF children a failure? Is the empty
cradle so empty that it can hold for us
no inspiring lesson OF good cheer. or is
Christ today gathering the lambs into
his arms and carrying them in his bos-
ON so that he can the more safely lead
the bereaved parents along the thorny
and dangerous pathways OF an earthly
journey to the glorious destination pre-
pared for them ahead? The marginal
notes or my Bible affirm that this por-
ton OF my text may mean that the
Good Shepherd may be carrying the lit
tie lambs in his bosom to the green pas
lures Of heaven so that the mother
sheep. with bleat and cry. Will follow
more anxiousiy and closely after the
Divine Master. So today 1 preach to
thousands Of Borrowing hearts. want
20 tell them why their dead children
wcro born and also why God does not
let tho vast majority OF the human race
grow old and with bedimmed eyesight
see the twilight OF threescore years and
ten.
The empty cradle can be the sacred
hearthstonc OF n purified matrimonial
love. 1t can be the holy covenantal
ark. the cherubim OF which are made
out of far more valuable material than
those which were once nodded out OF
al -
be tho spiritual bodies OF our redeemed
children, who are lowering over US In
perpetual benediction. 1t may be the
TRUSTING place where tired and care
worn men and women meet again to
talk over the sweet memories OF the
past.
Some people do not believe this. They
skeptically assert that q cradle, full OF
no. is O wedge which drives fathers
and mothers apart rather than a golden
link or love which clasps parental heart
10 parental heart. Lately very dear
family friend, who had been a wife for
many years, but not mother, told me
that she really believed her husband
and herself were more dependent upon
each other and therefore loved each
other the more because they had no
children. only laughed at her. "Why,"
said, when you attempt to talk that
way you are like a blind man feeling
his way along the streets with a staff.
going step by step. who thinks he is
getting along all right and who is ut
tempting TO prove that the sunlight is
useless merely because he has never
Seon sunrise or n sunset, having been
born blind" Every true father knows
that he never loved his wife as much
The day before his first baby was born
as the day after. Every true father
Knows that the happiest moment OF his
life was not the day he held his brides
hand at the marriage altar, but the day
that he could sit by his wife's bedside
aud hold in his big hand little tiny
hand. This tiny hand he was awk.
wardly holding In great fear OF letting
1t fall lest II break into pieces, like q
little cup OF porcelain. And while he
held his tiny hand In his with happy
look he would turn his loving eyes
upon the smiling face Of his wife, hIs
baby's mother.
Purifier OF Love.
have for some time lowered over q
home and at last parted to let a lit
tie human sunbeam drop into the era
die, the words husband" and wife
ought to have for ut least two human
hearts deeper. wider. holier mean
ing. These words ought to have the
same kind OF holy Interpretation as
one OF them had few years ago for
the warden OF the Pittsburg jail. His
wife liberated the two Biddle brothers,
who were about to be executed for
murder, and ran away with them, and
remained with them until they were
shot. When the reporters came to this
warden and asked what he wanted
TO say In reference to his wife. the
recollection OF the relation she sus-
tanned to the family. deeply as she had
diShOnOred II seems fo have silr0ed