Milford chronicle., 1904-09-23
CalnaQe
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmase. D. D.

nature and habits Of the birds the
preacher finds a smile of the entrance
into the church Of a large accession
of converts. The text is Isaiah TX, 8,
"Who are these that fly as a cloud and
as the doves to their windows"
An axiom is a self evident fact. 1T
is" the photographers say, "a proposi-
tion whose truth is so obvious at first
sight that no process of reasoning or
demonstration can make it palmer"
1t is a golden truism coined in the
mint house Of maxims" with the rails
ed features of the Goddess of Truth
stamped upon its side, even as the
English shilling bears the profile Of
King Edward. an American silver dol
lar the outstretched wings Of an eagle,
as the Roman penny once bore the su-
prescription and image of Cesar and
a Grecian coin the features of Alexan-
der the Great. 1t is an aphorism, an
apOthegm 1t is as HippOcrates once
said, "a succinct saying comprehend
ing a complete statement" 1t is one
OF the many terse sentences Of Benja-
min Franklin which are found in Poor
Richards Almanac. No sooner do we
read it than we say, THAT is true"
From tie moment of reading no
amount CT illustration or argument can
change Us from our original cOnclu-
sion. 1t is a strong armed eharlOteer,
swiftly guiding before our eyes the
''chariot Of conviction" 1t is truth in
a nutshell. 1t is universe of analyses
condensed in an epigram.
The truth of an axiom can be put to
q practical test. Sometimes, however,
men do not take the trouble to test it,
but give credence to statements ap-
parently cOntradicting it, instead of
applying the test Of experience. Some
years ago the French savants were
asked to explain how it was that a
pail of water containing a dead fish
weighed more than one Of the same
size containing a live fish. Disserta-
tion after dissertation was written
upon the subject At last one COM
mon sensed scientist, whose brain had
not been educated to the verge of inn
becility, saw that the question was a
living fish ought to weigh the same"
said he "This truth is automatic"
He put a live fish into a pail Of water
and weighed it. He killed the fish and
put the dead body back into the same |
water and weighed it again. The |
water containing the dead fish and |
that containing the live fish of course
weighed the same. ALI the ingenuity |
expended in writing the dissertations |
had been wasted. The writers had |
been trying to find reasons for a phe-
that did not exist.
Church's Power Not Waning.
Hundreds of men are simply doing
the same thing in trying to find the
reasons for the phenomenon stated by
shallow observers, that the church of
Jesus Christ is losing its power over
men. Long lists Of reasons for this
waning influence are cited, whereas
the writers have only to open their
Eyes to discover that the church Of
Jesus Christ is not losing its power
over men. The church of God was
never so powerful as it is today. More
strong men and strong women are
DOwing before its affairs than ever
before. More are the church's teach
ngs respected by statesmen and in
he homes and daily lives of our citi-
ems than ever before. have not
ime to go into argument to prove this
l would not today do so
f 1 had the time Why? Because It
5 a self evident fact that the church
4 the Lord Jesus Christ is the most
ital and essential influence in the
rorld today. 1t is a self evident state
lent. All intelligent people who have I
1oked boldly and impartially at the
acts are ready to cOncede that the {
ssertion is true.
But though the church of the Lord
esus Christ is growing more and l
lore powerful day by day, yet we ]
elieve that still greater triumphs are a
efore it in the future. The victories q
lready won are small compared with [
hose which are yet to be won, when L
ations shall be born in day. Josiah o
trong recently wrote a book entitled t
The Next Great Awakening" am v
OF going to find my theme in the lat S
st book Of the famous author of "Our t
ountry." l am going to look through S
le inspired spectacles Of a prophet b
-ho lived nearly 5000 years ago. j
;aiah took the picture of the doves S
ying to their home cOtes in great S
ouds as the symbol Of the church Of a
le future gathering in its members. "a
0 l shall try to show that the 'cOm- c
g awakening Of the church" is not n
lly going to be a worldwide evangel- I v
tic movement, but also that the s.
inquest Of the world for Christ may n
: near-yes, very near-at hand il
Gospel Triumphs. is
In the first place, let me say that "
lch a movement as this, foreseen by o
le prophet and prefgured under the "
-mbol of a flight Of doves, is in ac- p
'rd with the record Of history. Again n
Id again tAere have been revivals a
hich have brought into the church r.
lst numbers at one time. Since the b
" Of Pentecost, when 5000 were con- s
rfed under the preaching Of the apOs- s.