Milford chronicle., 1904-08-05
Calma9e
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt TalmaGe. D. D.

cuses is the theme Of the preacher to- c
dav The text is Matthew WILL ~ |
"I ct the dead bury the dead.
Never make the mistake or treating
bolf truths as if they We're whole
+r,,tbs Half leSs are not whole legs, :
hut only parts Of legs. The microscope
clarifies the vision of the bacterlologlsl' /
From the structural makeup of one 1T
+1o hone the biologist, in his minds
ave may see whole skeleton perfect
in formation. But, after all, truth in
mort is never equal TO truth in whole
,,nIess II is hanked by truths and has
truths in its rear as a reserve corps
and truths ahead Of 1t to guard lhe
picket lines. .,-o
What is true in laboratory invesuga-
lions is also true in reference to Bible
stIdv We must not study the words
of my text with microscope. we
rnust not isolate this sentence from al /
its connections. We must compare thls |
massage with other passages, this chap |
tor with other chapters, this book with |
other hooks. Il cannot understand why |
CHRIST should have trampled upon the
sIiol affections Of his disciple who
-ranted to 20 back and bury his dead
Fa+her" said a gentleman to me some
vears ago. This young man evidently
Intended TO be a devout disciple OF
Tesus But surely he had a duty to
his home as well as directly TO Jesus.
rrbere i'm the old homestead, lay the
cornse of his earthly parent. 1t was
natural for a dutiful son to want to
no nresent at the funeral. Yet when
tba vning man said, Let me, | pray
tboe first 90 and bury my father, and
win follow thee Christ showed no
svmnathv with his natural feeling, but
rr,c-icaUv said: Let the nelghbors ana
tra strangers come in and close the
ovelids and wash the cold flesh. Let
+.e neighhors sing the death chant ana
dic the grlve. Let strange hands wrap
rho motionless corpse in its white
shroud and carry it to its last resting
nIace 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 it. Never sup
.,osa for moment that Christ demands
that onv man should show his reYer
ence for him by sighting or neglectlnt
ar deserving an earthly parent. why
the last human being for whom Chris
.-,ro,-idad when he was dying upon tn
oross was his mother He turned ant
locked toward the gentle John, the be
loved disciple. sobbing at his feet, an'
said to him: John, look after my oi'
mother Now that she is friendles
and alone she will need your love an
e,stenance." Then he looked at IN
r,,oriyad face of his mother as he sale
..NIother. let John take my place an
he loving son to you" These AT
Christ's exact words: woman, behoi
thv sonw "Son, behold thy mother'
rrtoea were not the words Of one WI
5isrecarded fliai duty. His body wi
-ociod at that moment by eXcrucia
ing agony. yet his thoughts were 1T
of himself but of her who, by Il
death would be left dependent. 1t WI
She for whom he was concerned eve
in the hour Of his dissolution. ID
own conduct in that crisis proves III
when he spoke to the young yolunte
tr tl,e words Of my text he was not /
sonsfbIe to the claims Of natural q
fecti0n.
In the words of Henry Ward Beec
ar Christ was enuuciating the gre
truth that the primal duties OF i
should not be sidetracked or pusheu
the rear on account Of the seconda
or the more unimpOrtant duties. 1t
not that YOU desire to avoid RIG
things. but you say, suffer me first
do the inferior; then snail be re"
for the superior. Suffer me nrsl
take care of myself. Suffer me nrst
fake care of my household Suffer
first TO look after this enterprise, q
them No! This constant habit
bumbling the higher and making
eubordinate to the lower this consti
preference of the inferior to the
narior works Generalization. \ n
does not need to throw away his Bl
nor DEFY his God nor sell his soul Y
untarily. He only needs TO say, SUI
mo first TO do the lesser thing"
moment that is done there will be
other suffer me first in its place 2
So we Shall put the inferior duties
the place of the hlgher uuIes anu
rlrough life and fail at last i
comprehensive view of my text Il
aim convinced. its true nterpretat
Tbese words Of Christ need to be
membered in other situations than
side the bier of a dead parent. L
have a warning lesson for any
who is postponing his duties TO
Lord until he has fulfilled his obi
tious TO the world or to society-to
one who fails in his higher dt
through selfshness or sloth.
Neglected obligations.
sidetracked obligations to Godl
see them everywhere. We see I
frst in the excuses which the y
man makes when he is fitting hin
Inv education to enter the battle OF
.4,1 cor nfTanf