Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-05-12
Calnase
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Tslmaae, ID. ID.

Los Angeles, Cal, May I'm this
sermen the preacher. while appreciat-
ing at their true value the higher
nights Of oratory and the famous tri-
umphs OF great speakers, shows how
even the humblest may be effective In
the eioqusnee OF Christian converse
ton and example. The text is John
VII. a. ENeyer man spake like this
man" urrE ,-r
What Is true oratory? Mere conjura-
ton, bewitchery. enchantment. mysti-
cisus mesmerism or animal magnet
ism, mere transitory magic spell
with which a great public speaker rs
able 70 hypnotize an audience for an
evening or for a night alone? Is It a
few poetic garlands made up OF pretty
wax flowers which never grew in a
garden, which never caught the in
cense laden breath of the soil, which
cannot stand the light OF the day and
which, like the moon flowers. melt
away as soon as the morning sun has
touched their painted cheeks? Is it a
mere galvanic shock which can make
a human corpse tremble for little
while and even lift hand or shake n
head and vet a current which can new
er bring the dead body back to life?
Is It a mere magnetic needle which
will nomentarily move an iron heart.
as many magnetic needles can make
nails and, screws stand upon their
heads for few seconds and then fall
back cold, motionless screws and nails
rs soon as their lifting touch is taken
awayf Oh, NOT true oratory is more
than that.
True orafory Is one OF the most pc
tent gifts, II not the most potent gift.
with which God has endowed man. 1t Is
mighty for good or mighty for evil. 1t
is a social factor which creates aud
molds and upbuilds or II is social
factor which undermines and destroys
and wrecks. IL it were possible for
me TO believe in the doctrine OF the
transmigration OF souls. then 1 would
believe in this doctrine in reference
to orStory. With mere words a skill
full orator can have his spirit incar-
mated in the minds and the hearts of
his hearers. With mere words not
only can the true orator compel his
fellow countrymen TO think as he
thinks, but to do as be would have
them do and as he himself wants to
do.
The gift OF true oratory is second In
power TO no other human gift. An
oyerstatement is thisg / think not
Andrew Fletcher. the great English
dramatist and poet, once said, 81 be-
lieve IL man were permitted to make
all the ballads OF n country he need
not care who should make its laws"
A true orator has all the power OF
the sweet singer OF the fields. He has
more than that. In his own realm he
has the power OF personal touch. He
has the influence OF the flashing eye.
OF the quivering lip, OF the power which
comes from a soul on fire, which reach
es forth and as n whirlwind drives OPP
position before him or consumes them
as in a mighty confiagration. II the
pen be mightier than the sword, then
the orators scepter is greater than
that OF the warriors or the writer's.
The Demosthenean tongue compelled
mems ears 10 hear what his pen could
not compel his auditors eyes TO read.
Great is the eloquent tongue OF silver
speech
Beccher'. Services ns Orator.
Great II not the greatest OF all gifts
with which God has endowed man is
oratcry. Who but one like Henry
Ward Beecher could have conquered
England during the dark days OF 1S63?
Then the British factories had their
cotton supply cut Off by northern ships
blockading the southern ports: British
capitalists We're calling out, 1.-THE
American war must stop or British
employees must starvc and the British
merchants will have no goods TO SELL"
Not only that but the peerage or the
landowners almost 20 a man hated our
republican form OF government. They
believed the American congress was n
perpetual menace to British interests.
Beecher accomplished with his tongue
what an invading army OF 100000
men could not have accomplished with
bayonets. Alone he faced audience aft
er audience, bitter in their hatred to-
ward him and his people. He faced
enemies. He left friends. He faced
his country's censors He left behind
him his country's applauders. Henry
Ward Beecher won this victory for his
country by the tongue, and the tongue
alone. 80
Great Is the power OF oratory and
orators! But II II is great in the pres
ent age how much greater must IL
have been IN the times of the ancients,
Then the modern printing press had
not yet been born, and the human mind
could only appeal to the human mind
through the influence OF the human
tongue. But, though the generations
preceding Christ sat at the feet OF
some OF the greatest orators who ever
lived. though Pericles and Lysias and
Lycurgus and 4dischines had won their
marvellous triumphs IN old Athens.
though the mighty Roman orators had
lived and. Ike Marcus Tuliius Cicero,
had hurled their verbal thunderbolts.
yet when Jesus began TO speak every
one or his auditors intuitively felt that
new power OF oratory had been born.
The words Of my text prove il. With
one accord Christs hearers said,
'Never man spake like this man.
The Sablfnest Form of Oratory.
Why Is gospel oratory the subllmest
form OF orstory? Why does gospel
speech ofrer to man the greatest oppor-
tunfties for the development of the
true and noble orators gifts? The trus
gospel orators message is the mightiest
or all messages. 1t furnishes the speak
er with the mightiest of ali themes. IL
cradles It's thoughts. not like Moses up
on the waters OF river Nile, but by
the shores Of the great moaning seas
OF the eternities. AS charioteer IL
harnesses to its verbal chariots charg-
ers which have eyes all seeing, ears all
hearing, hoofs so swift that their speed
Is swift as thought. II deals with in
nnitesimals only as they are essential
parts or great inflnities. II halts not
Time at the grave. 1t makes Time, as
Eugene Sues Wandering Jew, move on
and on and on and never die Its trum-
pet is the voice OF the eternitIes. God.
heaven. Immortality. resurrection. as
eension. heaven, hell. eternity, redemp-