Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-10-13
Calnase
Sermon
By Rev.
| Frank De Witt Talmase. d. d.

man and how we may recognize and
obey 1t The text Is 1 Samuel I'll, 8,
SPEAK Lord, for thy servant heareth."
How the mighty men and women OF
the world found their callings I'm life
would make very interesting reading.
sometimes genius, like Mozart. is
corn From his cradle his parents
knew what vocation this child would
pursue. At three years OF age, with
his little chubby fingers, he could make
the piano speak with the touch OF a
master. A Eve years he appeared in
public at the University of SaIzburg.
At six. with his little sister Marianne.
ne was travelling about Europe on q
concert tour. the pet OF kings aud
queens andethe wonder and astonish-
ment Of the musical world. But, though
Woifgnng Mozart was born to music,
most OF our great men and women live
years and years and years before they
recognize their right spheres I'm life.
some OF them try four or five different
lines OF work before they place their
Geet upon the lowest steps to mount
fheiF thrones OF power. Some, like
Odysseus. the Hcmeric hero OF the
Trojan war. had to be bound hand
ano foot to the masts OF duty. else they
would have leaped overheard and fol-
slowed the false wooing OF the SIRENS
song.
George Washington did not wish to
DC soldier, but n sailor A British
man-of-war came to Chesapeake bay
when he was young man. lie want
ed to enlist A mIdshipman's commits
sion was obtained for him by bis
elder brother Lawrence. His trunk
was already packed and placed on
board ship. But his widowed mother
could not bear to let her baby" boy
leave her side. For her sake he turned
DIS back upon the quarter deck OF
8Eitish wsrship and thereby paved his
way for the wonderful career which
has made his name the most lannon's
In American history. Oliver Cromwell
wanted to emigrate to America. He
and his family were down ut the dock
With their tickets In their pockets and
had their berths enga Sed when a royal
command forbade him leaving the
kings country. Frederick W. Robert
aon came from a long ancestral line of
British officers. He wanted to be n
soldier. Indeed. for time he did wear
"a soldiers Uniform. but physical in
arEnity made him forego camp life. He
entered Edinburgh university. When
he became pastor OF Trinity chapel at
Brighton he found his right position.
which miehttiy Influenced his own gen.
@ranon and will also Influence the Eng
1ish speakiaS race for all time. Thus
many OF our most famous men and wo-
men have been compelled to grope and
struggle along. sometimes for years.
xor their right vocations I'm life. lust
she same as you and have done in the
past or may be now doing I'm the pres
Sne- Where there Is one Mozart who
Was born a child genius there are a
cnousand Frederick w. Robertsons
whose intellect and material life have
developed gradually. First came the
seed. then the sprout, then the bios
som and then the luscious fruit.
The First Calls.
The FIRST calls OF the temporal life. as
a rule, fall upon unheedlng ears. The
hrst calls OF the spiritual life I'm the
same way usually fall upon unheeding
ears. When God first called to Samuel
zn the midnight hour. samuel. Sam
usi!" the lad lcaped up and ran to the
old priest. ELI. supposIng that IL was
he who called him, and said, Here am
J." Then ELI answered: my son,
have not called thee. Go back TO bed"
Again Samuel heard Gods voice, and
again he mistook 1t for a human voice.
''Samuel. Samuelg' 'What is II, EliY'
asked the boy. Here / am. / am al
ways ready to wait upon thee" Again
the old man answered, "Afy son, !
have not called thee" Then a third
fime God called, and old Ell said to
samuel: MY son, It Is not I calling
thee. but God. When God calls 10
khse egain do not run to me. but an
swsr. Speak. Lord, for thy servant
nsareth,r Thus young Samuel was
taught to listen 10 the voice of the
Lord In the midnight hour. Thus /
rvould beg you to heed Gods voice
when he speaks to you In the silent
places" or life. God generally calls us
90 our higher spiritual life In the ISL
SAINT places" as he called Samuel to be-
come the prophet OF Israel in the still.
ness OF the midnight darkness.
! Where are these silent places" In
switch you and caA hear the voice OF
Hhs Lord? In the first place, 1 would
state that God calls us in the hours
NJ darkness. He calls to us as he call.
50 Samuel after the first sleep OF the
might Is over. and we suddenly awake
md feel that some one is very near to
ns and speaking. We cannot see him,
but we feel him and hear him. We
feel bis presence and hear him Just the
same as we used 20 recognize our
mothers hand and her kiss and her
Wood night. my boy" when we were
children and she would come and take
. sast look at US to see that we were
ell right before going to bed.
u whea Most People ME.
pefhaps the reason why God is able
20 speak to Us 40 clearly In the early
hours OF the morning can be explained
upon natural grounds. Have you never
noticed the fact that most OF our
friends ole about or 3 O'Clock In the
morning3 As solomon beautifully sym
bolised It, when was the silver cord !
socssd or the golden bowl broken or the |
pReher broken at the fountain or the
Wheei broken at the cistern when your
dear ones were translated9 Your BROTH |
err kew did he goy Your mother said
10 the nurse, .Now. nurse, / think
john Is better tonight. but If you need |
me Just give a rap upon the floor ant |
I will come up." Ii seemed that YOU
were asleep only q little while when a |
In the house made you leap
out OF bed. You rushed to your broth |
er's room. You saw the breathing be-
coming heavier and heavier At last
the doctor, said. He is gone" You
Cooked at the clock, and you heard II
striking. "oae, two. three" When did
your mother die? At noon? In the even
Ing twilight, when the flush of the set.
ting sun was slowly fading away and
Its ball OF fire was sinking behind the
western hills? Oh. no. You had been
awake ali night worrying about her.
The last relapse came about 2 O'clock
In tho TnnrnfnC Har Hfo xya.,k 80 ~..t4x. |