Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-12-22
CalrnaSe
Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaac. ID. y.

choice Of books. The text is EcClcSlaS-
ties xii. T.. "Of making many books
there il no end
Wendell Phillips for many years
went up and down the land delivering
lecture entitled "Thc Lost Arts"
That lecture was in most respects Il
glorificaton OF the past. IT, however,
we should halo the present and deliver
n new lecture entitled "'The Found
Arts" almost without exception most
of us would catalogue the art Of book
making as among the greatest Of all
modern accomplishments. In our ego
tistic self complacency many Of US
have long supposed that the ancients
knew but little about books We lool;
upon the great English and American
and French and German and Russian
libraries az modern developments
which would be Just as incouprchcusi
bic TO our ancestors if they should sud
denly come 20 life as would be the telc-
phone or the telegraph or the electric
car or the modern steam engine. Thus
when some Of rs today hear the words
of my text We arc amazed. We say to
mean when he said. OF making many
books there is no end. and much study
IS WEAKNESS to the flesh We're there
many books in King Solomons time.
or was he in prophetic vision hcnring
the bangings md the crashings of the
modern twentieth century printing
press"
M IA ON N ~
the bangings ana crashinGs Of the
modern printing press. He was listen
ing. however. to the ScratchinCS Of the
scrihcs' pens. The bool,inakers were
then very busy everywhere. They
must have been busy ut that time.
Homer. the greatest Of all poets both
living and dead, certainly lived and
wrote not more than few years after
Solomon died. Thucydidcs, Aristoph-
anes Dcmosthcnes. IIerodotus and so
lon, whose writings are placed among
the classics Of the ages. wrote their
thoughts only a few hundred years
after King solomon lived Five hun
dred years before Solomon was born
the Lord said to Moses. Write this for
Il memorial in Il book. That Moses
was we'll qualified for the task we have
abundant proof. Long before his day
men had written books. cumbrous pro
ductions in baked clay, tina. as boy in
Egypt he had lnbOriouSly cOnned. The
practice Of writing books was contu-
ucd. and the ancient authors bad be
cone so prolific that the author of &c
clcsiastcs felt as most Of us do in try
ing TO dig our way ont from amid the
avalanche OF the literature Of the pres
ent day. "Ot making many books
there is no end" the wiSest Of all men
cried 1000 years ago. "Of making
many books there is no end, we cry
in the beginning of this twentieth cen
fury
Myriads OF books surround us. The
Congress library alone has over
2.6OO,0O OF them. The new library
building has accommodations for 1000
/ 600 more. making in al space for 800
900 books Books. books. books. books.
books everywhere books in different
forms as newspapers. books rs maGa-
zines, books recording the histories of
nations, books as biographies. books in
fictitious story or in novel form. book :
in rhythmic meter or a. poetry. book :
in sermonic and Theological disserta-
ton books - essays, There are mil.
lions and millions of them good books
and had books. Now comes the praC-
teal question, What shall We do with
these hooks: They come to us to as
siSt or retard. 10 re-euforce or to ener-
waite MS in tho struggle of life How
shall we use them! How shall we de-
eide which are helpful and which are
injurious
Admit Only the Best.
4 mans library. in tho first place
shoul hc like the sanctuary of his
heart into which he admits only bis
best friends. 1t should have room for
only a very few and carefully chosen
collection OF books. These should be
read and rereaJ and read again Like
our dearest friends. they should enter
into the very warp and wool Of our
being. Their thoughts should become
our thoughts. and their teaching should
be translated into the actions of on
lives. They should not be mere person
alities with whom we have only q
speaking acquaintance. They should
not be those half strangers TO whom
We have to be reintroduced every time
ne meet them away from our homes
They should become integral parts oi
our mental. moral and spiritual being
We should he so sure of their wisdom
that we can accept them rs our guides
speaking and right acting. Rare indeet
are such books, When they have beer
found. they should be treasured IA
lorc precious than gold. but lot MS no
expect 10 Gnd many of them.
a library TO have only room for {
scW books? What do you mean by tina
lssertion?" some one says. why.
always thought the more books maj
! reads the better he is educated, takins
for granted. Of course. that the books
, he reads are good books. My parent
educated me along these lines WheI
| / was growing up my mother used t.
} give me 10 cents for every book
would read The result was l coult
read whole book through In a couple
Of days Thus In my time have reat
all Of the popular novelsts, In N
y same way, by my rapidly Of reading
, am able TO some extent TO kce
abreast Of the literature Of this da.
Oh, no; you ARE wrong. The MOI
4, l.