Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1903-10-05
TALMAGE
SERMON
BY Rev.
FRANK DE WITT TALMAGE. DID,.
Pastor Of Jefferson Park Presby-
terrain Church. Chicago

fractions and temptations of modern
life this sermon utters warning cry,
q timely call for n return TO the simple
ways and upright. honorable. Chris
tan lives. The text is jeremiah vi.
16, ASK for the old paths"
Most simple is the texts figure. Its
simplicity gives II homely beauty. 1t
has I'm II the aroma OF the woods. 1t
Is one OF those simple SMILES of coun-
try life that bring back to the weary
city dweller whose feet have been long
accustomed to the hard paving stones
OF the city sidewalks. the memory Of
the footpaths over turf covered hills
and the narrow lanes between the
banks bejeweled with sweet wild flow
ers that he used TO walk In his child
hood days. The old paths-we can
never forget them. 1t will do us good
tf we think of them this morning and
zee IL there are any moral lessons we
can learn from them. Sometimes the
commonest incidents of everyday life
have a voice for those who will hear.
Jean Francois Millet is everywhere
ranked among the most famous artists.
He taught. however. his greatest les
son by painting two ordinary every
day French peasants bending over
their hoes in the center of a country
field In an attitude of prayer. The
"Angelus," immortalized 10y Millet, was
rung from a village church spire. His
worshipers were those who once lived
In a humble poor mans home.
Robert Burns was the sweetest bard
old Scotland ever Graded among the
wild flowers of Ayr and lullabied to
sleep by the murmuring waters of the
Bonnie Doom" Yet with the hand
of a master, he played upon the silver
chords of the grand old instrument of
human love by singing one of his
sweetest songs about a mouse's nest.
In the death of four legged dumb
brute Burns loosened the silent tongues
of many a songster and songstress who
have blended their voices in chorus
OF praise at the sacred affairs of domes-
tic happiness. jeremiah. among the
greatest of the prophets. lamenting
that his countrymen had deserted their
God and dsobeyed his laws. pleads
with them to avert the impending pun
ishment by returning to him. and he
employs this simple figure to portray
their condition. He describes them as
travellers lost upon the mountains of
sin. hunting for path which will lead
them out of their moral difficulties. He
represents God as telling them to task
for the old paths. which Is the good
way, and walk therein, and We shall
find rest for your souls. But they said,
1--WE will not walk therein" jeremiah
points the right path leading to the
throne of God by using the homely
simile of the ordinary country paths
or rough roadways in common use at
the time. over which the eastern cara
vans have travelled and the cows have
come home for the evening milking
and over which have passed tired men
and women when. with daily tasks well
done. they have sought the home fire.
sides for hysical refreshment and for
blessed sleep.
The Pathway to the Cross.
Like jeremiah, would today carry
your thoughts back to the reminiscen.
ces of the country and from the sweet
fresh flowers Of the village hedgerows
pluck blossoms which will remind you
OF old time associations and resolves
The greatest OF horticulturists is not
the gardener who fashions his beds in
the "many colors" of Joseph's coat OF
a grandmothers crazy quilt. 1t is he
who makes his floral designs simple
very simple. One bed looks as though
Il were a bit of Alpine lake huns
among the crowded regiments of flow
ers. Ii is planted entirely with violets
II looks as simple and yet as beautiful
as the June heavens colored in blue
Another bed looks like a great collec
ton of leaping flames. 1t is planted
only in roses. 1t is very simple. 1t il
as simple In colors as a cardinals robe
II is as simple in colors us the settin:
sun. Another bed has the jaundicet
look of a Malay's skin. 1t is onl.
planted in golden CLOVIS. Another viii
be an azalea bed. another a dahlia, an
other planted in white lilies. another il
geraniums. The horticulturistic geniu
thrives best in the simplicity of colors
From this sermonic bed ! would plucl
only the sweet forgetmenots OF tende
memories Like jeremiah the prophe
i would try TO lead you over some o
the old paths which your feet hav
trodden in the past. and in the leadin
would lead you to the foot Of tn
cross.
The old path which wound Its wa
toward the old homestead is the frs
one ! would bid you to seek. Tha
path by the side of which was one
builded your fathers and mother
nursery Is today in all probability COY
cred up with underbrush. Here 1t
blocked by the rotting trunk of tire
which has fallen sideways. There
has been scooped out by freshet an
yonder covered up with a landslide
looks a great deal like one OF those oil