The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1895-09-05
REV. DR. TAI.MAGE
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE By THE
NOTED DIVINE.
Subject: "The Chieftaiu."


steps out upon the platform. The finger
which. diamond with light. pointed down TO
Him from the Bethlehem sky WAS only n rati-
hcation OF the finger OF prophecy, tho finger
Of genealogy, the finger OF chronology. the
finger OF events-all Ave fingers pointing in
one direction. Christ Ia the overtoppino
figure OF all time. He Is the ''vox humana"
10 all music, the gracefulest line In all
sculpture, the most exquisite mingling OF
lights aud shades in ail painting. the acme
Of all climaxes. the dome Of all cathedraled
grandeur and the peroration OF all language
The Greek alphabet u made up Of twenty
four letters. and when Christ compared Him
self the first letter and the last letter the Al
pha andthe Omega. He appropriated TO Him.
se' all the splendors that YOU can spell out
either with those two letters or all the let
,ers between them. "T am tho Alpha and
The Omega. the beginning and the end"
What does that Scripture mean which SAYS
NJ Christ. Gle that cometh from above Is
above allt' II means that after YOU have piled
M all Alpine and lIimaiayan attitudes, the
glory of Christ would have to spread its
wings and descend thousand leagues to
| ,5a,h those SUBMITS. pelion, a high moun-
| tain ot Thessaly; Ossa, a high mountain,
| anil olympus. high mountain: but mythol-
osy tells us when the giants warred against
the gods they piled UP those three noun
tain.. aud from the top OF them proposed to
sale the heavens; but the height was not
great enough, and there was a complete fail
w. And after all tine giants-fsaiah and
Paul, prophetic and apostolic giants; Raph-
oil and Michael Angelo. artistic giants:
stp-uhim and seraphim and archangel cc-
e,,,sl giants-have failed 20 climb to the ton
dChrI,ts glory they might all well unite in
,he words ot Paul. and cry out, "Above
all" "Above alli' But Solomon in my
tx. prefers to cali Christ "the Chieftain," :"
,i so to-day | hail Him.
First, Christ must be chief in our preach
M, There are so many books on homiie-
H.. scattered through the country that all
hynen. a. well as all clerGymen. have made
ti their minds what sermons ought to he.
hat sermon is the most eIectual which
ro,t pointcdly puts forth Christ n the par
On 1' all sin and the correction OF all evil
hiyiiual. social. political. national There
nl reason why we should ring the
endless changes on few phrases.
There are those who think that IL an eXhor-
nu.u or discourse have frequent mention
dn.iiIration. sanctitlration. covenant Of
work. and covenant " grace. therefore IL
ru,t hr profoundly evangelical. while they
tr suspicious OF n discourse which presents
hs same truth. but under different phrase
9.y. Now, | say there Is nothing in all
ne 0pulrnt realm OF Anglo-Saxonism: Of all
te word treasures that we inherited from
BE- Latin and the Greek and the Indo-Euro-
ban bat We have right to marshal IL i'm
rUciaU. discussion. Christ sets the exam
BE- H- illustrations were from the grass
D. flowers. the barnyard fowl. the crystals
a,i q, well as from the seas and the stars:
ill We DO not propose in our Sunday-school
Ia'hInc and in our pulpit address 20 be put
the limits.
Igrow that there is great deal said in
|-rdly against words. as though they were
hing. They may be misused, but they
lave an imperial power. They are the
fi,a between soul and soul, between
lnghty God and the human race. What
y God write upon the tables OF stone?
lrl. What did Christ utter on Mount
vet! Words. Out of what did Christ
BIKE the spark for the illumination OF the
aiprss3 Out Of words. "Let there be
h and light was. OF course thought
The cargo and words are only the
b, but how fast would your cargo get
without the ship? What you need. my
Fsnds in all your work, In your Sab
Hh.iohool class in your reformatory insti-
|hon', aud what we all need, is to enlarge
r vocabulary when we come to speak
out God and Christ and heaven. We ride
few Old words to death. when there is such
nItahlh resource. Shakespeare employed
0eO different words for dramatic purposes;
= Ton employed 1000 different words for
sc purposes; Rufus Choate employed
! p ll,GO) different words for legal pur-
! -, but the most Of Us have less than u
lNnd words that we can manage, and
"a n makes Us 50 stupid.
When we come TO set forth the love OF
y 1s', we are going 10 take the tenderest
a'eolosy wherever we find it, and ii it
never been used in that direction before
r TIE more shall we usait. When we come
!. 'p'ak of the glory of Christ the conquer.
b Ee are going to draw our SMILES from
nlht arch and oratOrio and everything
Nd and stupendous. The French navy
eighteen flags by which they give sig
mt those eighteen flags they can put
1900 different combinations. And
= y 90 tell YOU that these standards OF the
may bee lifted into combinations infinite
q varieties everlasting. And let me say 10
Young men who come from the theologi-
summaries into our services, and are after
Is llr going TO preach Jesus Christ, you will
o. ''he largest liberty and unlimited re-
y e'. You only hRyetD present Christ in
own way.
lgller than the light, fresher than the
IS 'tls' deeper than the seas, are all these
- dmemes. Song has no melody, fow-
10 " sweetness, sunset sky no color COM
with these glorious the-nes. These
rs OF grace spring up quicker than we
II. ',tGle them. Kindling pulpits with
HTr, AMI producing revolutions with
power, lighting up dying beds with
glory, they are the sweetest thought
az We poet, and they are the most thrilling
.tNlon for the orator, and they offer the
intense scene for the artist. and they
70 le ambassador of the sky all enthu-
complete pardon for direst guilt.
~ comfort for Shastiest agony.
l'sa' hope for grimmest death Grand
.ia IHet'ion for darkest sepulcher. Oh
gospel TO preaohl Christ the
Ms birth, His suffering. His mir
~ PARALLELS. His sweat His tears, His
Ms atouement. His intcrcessiou-what
' themes! Do we exercise faith?
IS us object. Do we love? II fas,ens
.sI8 N' Have we u fondness for the
II Is because Christ died for IL.
a 1'ahope of heaven L. Is because
'enl there, the herald and the fore
y 4hr royal robe Of Demetrius wa,
!'p beautiful, that after he had put
- I, one ever dared to put il on. but this
.uH,I, richer than that, the poorest
D, weakest and tho worst may wear
IT." ,'h a0ouuded, grace MAJ much
. . Ay SINS, mysins.' said Martin Luthc;
9 't,'E' my sins. my sins" The fact Is
.. uIdWhy German student had found
d blole that made him quake, and
y .lNe ever did make him quake, ant
ouhl how, through Christ he WA.