Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-08-05
Calnage
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmace, d. ID.

ohA "OAAANAh tNNI ht ultll lO
heed the call OF the highest duty and
not TO put it aside with frivolous eX-
cuses Is the theme of the preacher to-
, day. The text is Matthew viii, 80,
Let the dead bury the dead"
Never. make the mistake of treating
half truths as IL they were whole
truths. Half legs are not whole legs,
but only parts of legs. The microscope
clarifies the vision of the bacteriOlogist.
From the structural makeup of one lit
tie bone the biologist, in his minds
eye, may see whole skeleton perfect
In formation. But. after all, truth in
part is never equal to truth in whole
unless ii is flanked by truths and has
truths in its rear as a reserve corps
and truths ahead OF 1t to guard the
picket lines.
What is true in laboratory investIga-
tons Is also true in reference 10 Bible
study. We must not study the words
of my text with n microscope. We
must not isolate this sentence from all
ITS connections. We must compare this
passage with other passages, this chap
ter with other chapters, this book with
other books. 81 cannot understand why
Christ should have tramped upon the
filial affections OF his disciple who
wanted to go back and bury his dead
father" said gentleman TO me some
years ago. This young man evidently
intended to be devout disciple OF
Jesus. But surely he had duty to
his home as well as directly to Jesus
There, in the old homestead, lay the
corpse of his earthly parent. 1t was
natural for dutiful son to want to
be present at the funeral Yet when
the young man said, Let me. pray
thee. first GO and bury my father. and
L will follow thee Christ showed no
sympathy with his natural feeling, but
practically said: Let the neighbors and
the strangers come in and close the
eyelids and wash the cold flesh. Let
the netghbors sing the death chant aud
dig the grave. Let strange hands wrap
the motionless corpse in its white
shroud and carry it TO Its last resting
place. You must come with me at once.
Shut your eyes to the past. Let the
dead bury the dead"
Christ's Love For His Mother.
That way OF regarding the incident
utterly misrepresents ii. Never sup
pose for moment that Christ demands
that any man should show his rever-
ence for ham by sighting or neglecting
or deserving an earthly parent Why,
the last human being for whom Christ
provided when he was dying upon the
cross was his mother. He turned and
looked toward the gentle John, the be-
loved disciple. sobbing at his feet, and
said to him: John, look after my old
mother. Now that she is friendIess
and alone she will need your love and
sustenance." Then lac looked Mt the
agonized face OF his mother as lac said.
Mother. let John take my place and
be loving son TO you" These are
Christs exact words: woman, behold
thy son!' 'SOn, behold thy motherw
Those were not the words OF one who
disregardcd filial duty. His body was
racked at that moment by excruciat-
ing agony. yet his thoughts were not
OF himself. but OF her who, by his
death. would be left dependent. 1t was
she FOR whom he was concerned even
I'm the hour of his dissolution. His
own conduct in that crisis proves that
when be spoke to the young volunteer
I'm the words OF my text he was not in
sensible TO the claims of natural ar
lection
In the words of Henry Ward Beech
er, Christ was enunciating the great
truth that the primal duties of life
should not be sidetrackcd or pushed to
the rear on account OF the secondary
or the more unlmportam duties. "It is
not that you desire to avoid right
things. but you say, Suffer me first to
do the inferior; then l shall be ready
FOR the superior. Suffer me first 10
take care OF myself. Suffer me first to
take care of my household. Suffer me
first TO look after this enterprise, and
them No! This constant habit OF
humbling the higher and making ii
subordinate to the lower, this constant
preference of the inferior TO the SUI
perior, works Decentralization. a man
does not need 10 throw away his Bible
nor defy his God nor sell his soul vol
unfairly. he only needs TO say, suffer
me first TO do the lesser thingv The
moment that is done there will be an
other Suffer me first in its place. And |
w BdA III /
the place of the higher duties and 60 |
through life and fail at last" This |
comprehensive view of my text is, I |
am convinced, its true Interpretation. |
These words OF Christ need to be re- |
membered In other situations than be- |
side the bier OF dead parent. They |
have a warning lesson for any man |
who Is postponing his duties TO his |
Lord until he has fulfilled his obiiga-
tionS to the world or 10 society--to any
one who fails in his higher duties
through selfishness or sloth.
Neglected Obligations.
Sidetracked obligations to God. We
see them everywhere. We see them
first in the excuses which the young
man makes when he Is fitting himself
by education TO enter the battle OF life.
l enter the theological seminary, where
thirty or forty young men are gathered
Into, q class room. They are bright, in
teiiigent young men, eager for knowl-
edge. intent on getting thorough equip
ment for the work they have under
taken. I put to each student this oues-
'ion; Young man. where do you go to
cnurch! In what Sunday school are
you teaching? What mission work are
you doing for Christi Some there will
De who, I'm order to pay their way
through college, are performing some
uuties Dy which they earn little mon
ey. but the Others, in nine cases out of
Ten, VIII answer: "Oh, 1 am not attend.
Ing any particular church here. / am
not teaching in any Sunday school.
am now studying to be minister, and
therefore each Sunday go to hear a
minister in the town" The
result Is that nine-tenths of our voune
theological students, and think I am
not overrating the proportion, do prac.
lcaliy nothing for Christ while they
ire living within seminary walls nm.
ess they are paid for their services
what Is the result? With a critical.
,ensorious spirit they go from church .
o church. They pick flaws in this :
they find fauIf with that NH j