Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-02-27
TALMAGE
SERMON
By Rev.
FRANK DE WITT TALMACE, DID,.
Pastor of Jefferson Park Presby.
Pastor OF Jefferson Park Presby-
terrain Church. Chicago

fee. the business man. the humble
worker and the homckccper the rich
and the poor alike a. summons TO
the annual duties Of the season Of spir-
itual preparation The text is Joel l.
II. 'Sanctify We Il fast. cali n solemn
assemhiasc
The Presbyterian church has enrolled
anon. lis leaders many intellectual
fheoiosians Entitled 10 a prominent
place among them hy his learning. phil.
OSophic acumcn and >an,ii flied common
sense is Dr Francis l.. Patton. former
~ president o. Princeton university
and now president of Princeton Theo-
logical seminary. Many of his wcighty
uitcranccs have impressed mo. hut none
more than one he made on the value
and usefulness. OF the Episcopalian
church
His words In substance were: Il he
lieve the EpiScrlpalian church is one OF
the most effective churches in exist
encc today. ! believe in its ritual: be-
lievc in its teachings. If ! wcr" not a
Presbyterian. ] would certainly he an
Epi>copalian But. though | love and
honor the Episcopalian church. | also
believe that the most absurd of mon
strositieS is a Presbyterian in his form
of worship trying 10 ape an Episcopal
liam While We are presbyterians let
us remain Prnsbyirrians When we
want Ia become EniScopalians in our
form Of worship. in responsive read
ings and in al that the Episcopalian
service implies let us become Episco-
palians But do not LEI rs try 10 change
the Presbyterian pulpit into Il chanc'
or the grand old simple service of the
Presbyterian church into n concert by
n supplied choir and into the liturgy
of the Episcopalian church"
The spring Fast
Amen. say l. To the sound advice OF
Dir. Patton The simple loxology the
two or three congregational hymns.
the chapter read from the Bible. the
earnest prayers and the doctrinal as
we'll as practical sermon can never Ice
exccllcd rs :; service for the grand old
church which the names Of John Cal
vim and John Knox and Thomas Chal-
mcrs and Thomas Guthrie AMI Lowell
Mason and William Taylor and John
Hall have made immortal. But. though
/ would not have the Presbyterian
church adopt a ritual. ! still insist that
the EpiScopalan church has not an ex-
elusive title Ia all the good things she
may hold dear. Especially do | affirm
that she has NOT II sole right 10 her
cnrinsg 81 which with Ella
"Wednesday AMI closes with Casters
dawn. Way back in Joel we read the
command. ''S;Inctify We Il fast: call a
solemn aSSemhlagc." IL that divine
command is still in force for us as for
Gods ancient people. is there Il better
time for its observance than the period
preceding our COMMUNICATION Of the
passion and resurrection of our Lord?
Ii WAS AT this season of the year. too.
that the Master Withdrew Ia the desert
before the beginning of his ministry
and there. fasting for forty days. pre-
pared for the ordeal Of his temptation.
II will lac well for i'rc>byterianS as for
EpiScopalians. la mediate on that ex
pericncc of olr Lord and draw near to
him in our hearts. We must have self
abncgaiion for sin before we can truly
have closer union with God. Therefore
the purpose Of this sermon is Ia show
why the EpiscopaiiaIi Lent should be-
come a Presbyterian Lent. also why
the spring fast" which is the time Of
the ''lcngthening of days. should lie
observed all over the world 10y all
Christians. no matter To what individ
ual churches they may belong
Warnina Of spiritual Danger.
The EpiSs-ppalian Lent. in the first
place. calls a halt Ia the social diSsi
pationS now being practiccd in all the
large cities. IL cries. Peace. be still
10 the social whirlpool. which ~ grad
ually suckin. down its many strug-
CLING victims as Peter was Once being
drawn into IL. depths 81 the Galilcan
lake. Ii Says Ia iic women Of the
social abyss. You have something
higher 10 live for than II nightly round
of receptions and parties and Il never
ending succession at afternoon teas. =
IL says Ia the Young men ~ the so
cial abyss" who. under the power Of
Ai- w h'ih W. NV
store by day and Ia dance almost ev.
cry night until or o'clock in the
morning. Young man. you had better
stop and consider I" what purpose YOU
are devotin- the best energies of your
life" II W.IrnS the social drvotce or
the spirituai danger Of his course as a
noted New York capitalist warmed him
Of the financial danger when some
time ago he said The Young men
who will not succeed III business are
those who night after night may he
found in tie bathrooms and the dance
halls and ~ the city clulhouScs drink
ing a little playing cards n little and
eating expensive dinners They are
sometimes called the dr"ncS ~ Sc,
cieiy. This; is Il miSnomcr Like some
small insects that sport for day in
The summer sunshine. they are minute
desiructives. Their lives in the ccono-
my Of social life make one Of the pet
ty agencies Of degeneration
Was moi the capitalist right Are
not the ballroom and ia" dance hall
and the clubhouse continual menace
20 success in business: can 4 voun.
f..