Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-02-19
TALMAGE
SERMON
By Rev.
FRANK DE WITT TALMAGE. DID,,
y Pastor of Jefferson Park Presby-
teriNn Church. Chicago


Chat are beyond human understanding
and which many find a stumbling block
- belief the preacher in this sermon
urges their acceptance by faith as the
nrst essential step toward elucidatio
The text is Timothy Ill, 1e, "Great is
the mystery OF godllness."
Ignorance is a stunted seoffer. As a
dwarf she will ridicule the helping
hand of knowledge, which she is too
short OF stature to reach. AS an ICON
oclastic waif of the street she will hurl
derisiye missiles at the big square win
dows Of the temple of wisdom, whose
walls she is too puny to topple down.
Come" said an aristocratic but very
ignorant woman OF London to her
guest-"come into the front room.
want to show you poor, crazy, delud-
ed and yet harmless old man. He seems
to have an intelligent face, but there
he sits in the house just across the
street hour after hour, day after day
and week after week as n little child,
with clay pipe, blowing soap bub-
oles.' Who was the frivolous hostess
who was patronizingly asking her guest
TO laugh at the old man who seemed to
IND enjoyment in blowing few soap
bubbles In Leicester square, London?
Not one person OF this generation ever
henrd OF her name. Who was the poor,
silly old man OF intelligent face with
n penny clay pipe, blowing soap bub-
bles? He was Isaac Newton, whose
skull incased the greatest brain Of his
time. He was Isaac Newton, laborious-
~, intensely. unremitdngly studying
the laws OF the refraction OF light, for
which investigations and discoveries
he was to be honored by scientific so
sieties all around the world. 1t is
never safe to take public opinion as a
guide in estimating men or things.
shallow critics often assume q sapient
nien and In supercilious tone deride
the wisdom they cannot comprehend.
A stuffed owl with spectacles on nose
nay pose in a museum as an en-
slen OF wisdom, but the winged dem
tssn Of the forest hooting In the dark
ness is no feathered oracle.
Footprints of Truth.
Hsw often have the pure white gas
ments OF wisdom been despatched and
befsuled by blatant, bombastic igno-
raneei How often has the philosopher
and the truth seeker been tainted with
his failure to solve the problems OF
tho universe! He does not know every
thiR6; no man more conscious Of the
fa<t than he. But should he on that
account desert the fountain OF wisdom
snd refrain altogether from drinking
af "A
a1tnc student be so discouraged at his
Mutations as to destroy the telescope
because it does not reach the limits OF
space? Should he throw away his mi
srescope because 1t does not magnify
enough9 Is he to burn out with sense
hsss passion eyes that are not omnis-
stsRt and wreck his eardrums because
tAey fail to detect remote harmoniesf
Isaac Newton, himself the greatest
philosopher OF his time, was one OF
HSs humblest OF men. At tho end of
his life he said: "I know not how
nay appear TO others As for myself,
seem to be like a schoolboy playing
n the foot Of the sand dunes, gather
Ag here a white shell and a smoother
stsne than ordinary, while the great
sea or knowledge lies all unexplored
before me-" Because a man does not
kssw everything. that Is no reason
WAY he should despise the temple Of
wisdom" Because here and there a
veil or mist cannot be penetrated.
that is no reason why he should be-
ssne ground mole and not try to fol-
now In the self revealed footprints OF
truth.
Mysteries CO Jhe Gospel
There are two purposes for this ser
Hon- The first is to talk about some
OF the great mysteries OF the gospel.
would show you that about every
church altar there are great Appala-
shian ranges, great towering noun
thin peaks OF mysteries. So high they
are that the mind OF man cannot attain
10 them, yet each bears the mark OF
divine gertrude, the mark OF the cross
Us stamped upon them as the Mount
or the Holy Cross In Colorado bears
the Sign of the cross To this sign we
bow and believe, even though we can
not understand. Peter could not under
stand; John OF the Apocalypse could
not understand, and Paul, beholding
them, exclaimed, "Great is the mys-
terry OF godlinessp What those
mighty -intellects could not grasp must
be mystery to US until it is fully ex-
planned beyond the grave.
The second purpose OF the sermon is
the practical side. 1t is TO remind you
chat, though we now know only in
part" that part is sufficient for all the
great purposes OF salvation and re-
dsnPtion. 1t is TO prove, as e. II.
Chaplin puts it. that although we see
through glass darkly we do see
something" and that that some
thing" 10 sufficient If we welcome 1t as
n gospel handmade to lead us into per-
feet peace and to lead us to that throne
Of God where each can say, At shall
know even az also am known"
The mystery OF the Trinity: Hsw
Car there be three persons and one
&eAheadf Three In One and One in
Threer' That is an inexplainable mys-
very. You must be very careful"
wrsAs dear ministerial friend to me
when l was preaching series Of SER
asns upon the Holy Spirit--"you must
De very careful not to convey the false
aaNa 10 your people that there are three
oistiEct and separate thrones In heav-
en-" 1t Is mystery to be reverently
EesepteA beyond the power Of the hu-
nen mind 20 understand, and that II
shsuid be 80 is not strange, for God
sfnself has declared. las the heavens
are higher than the earth, so are nv
ways higher than your ways and my
fhoughts than your thoughts" We
cannot explain the personality OF God
any more than you can tell why the
Erass grows or the sun shines. But we
&e feel and know that like the grass
ana the light, the Trinity OF the God
head ID great divine fact And, fur
tAernore, We do feel and know that as
esd the Father lives, so Christ was
bern into this world not only to save US
frem sin, but also to prove that God
the Creator is a God Of love. Mystery,
mystery, mystery! A high, deep, i'm
penesrable and overpowering mystery!
4et the mystery OF the Father, Son and
hsly Spirit Is a fact revealed to us, to
be accepted by faith and bringing to all
who so receive It d message OF 10Y and
peace