The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1905-01-05
Calrnage
sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaee, D. D.

LUIS AuktlcS, 0di-, DcC. lS.-ku luis
bookmaking age, and particularly at
the season when presses are turning
out the largest OF the years literary
output, the preacher I'm this sermon
gives some timely advice as to the
choice Of books. The text is Ecclesias-
tes XII, u, 'Of making many books
there Is no end"
Wendell Phillips for many years
went up and down the land delivering
q lecture entitled "The Lost Arts"
That lecture was in most respects a
glorifeation Of the past. If, however,
we should halo the present and deliver
a new lecture entitled ''The Found
Arts" almost without exception most
OF us would catalogue the art Of book
making as among the greatest Of all
modern accomplishments. In our ego
,tistic self complaeency many of US
have long supposed that the ancients
knew but little about books. We look
upon the great English and American
and French and German and Russian
libraries as modern developments
(which would be just as incomprehensi-
bile to our ancestors II they should sud-
denly come to life as would be the tele-
phone or the telegraph or the electric
car or the modern steam engine. Thus,
when some Of us today hear the words
OF my text we are amazed. We say to
each other, what did King Solomon
mean when he said. OF making many
books there is no end. and much study
Is a WEAKNESS to the flesh Were there
many books in King Solomon's time,
ior was he In prophetic vision hearing
1.-THE bangings and the crashings of the
modern twentieth century printing
press?"
No. King Solomon was not hearing
the bangings and crashings of the
modern printing press. He was listen
ling. however, to the scratchings Of the
iscribes' pens. The bookmakers We're
then very busy everywhere. They
must have been busy at that time.
Homer, the greatest Of all poets both
living and dead, certainly lived and
wrote not more than few years after
Solomon died. Thucydides, Aristoph-
ianes, Demosthenes, Herodotus and So
Ion, whose writings are placed among
the classics Of the ages, wrote their
thoughts only few hundred years
after King Solomon lived. Five hun
Edred years before Solomon was born
the Lord said to Moses. write this for
"a memorial In q book" That Moses
was well qualified for the task we have
abundant proof. Long before his day
men had written books, cumbrous pro-
auctions In baked clay, that as boy In
Egypt he had laboriously conned. The
practice Of writing books was contin-
med, and the ancient authors had be-
come so prolific that the author Of Ec-
fclesiastes felt as most of us do In try
.ang to dig our way out from amid the
avalanche OF the literature Of the pres
tsnt day. '-Of making many books
there is no end" the wisest Of all men
scried 5000 years ago. "Of making
many books there is no end" we cry
IN the beginning Of this twentieth cen
tury
, Nyriads Of books surround us. The
Congressional library alone has over
100000 Of them. The new library
building has accommodations for 2, 50O,-
900 more. making in all space for $780,
600 books. Books. books, books, books,
books everywhere books In different
Forms as newspapers. books as maya
.yfnes. books recording the histories of
'pafions. books as biographies, books in
fictitious story or In novel form, books
IN Ehythmic meter or as poetry, books
IN eefmonic and theological disserta-
lion. books a. essays. There are mil
Hons and millions Of them-good books
and bad books Now comes the prac-
ficai question, What shall we do with
these books? They come to us to as
aist or retard, to REINFORCE or to ener-
waite US In the struggle OF life. How
shall we use them? How shall we de-
eide which are helpful and which are
Injurious?
Admit Only the Best.
4 mans library. In the first place,
should be like the sanctuary OF his
heart, into which he admits only his
best friends. It should have room for
puly very few and a carefully chosen
collection Of books. These should be
read and reread and read again. Like
pur dearest friends, they should enter
INTO the very warp and wool of our
being. Their thoughts should become
Dur thoughts. and their teaching should
Be translated into the actions Of our
lives. They should not be mere person
Mites with whom we have only a
Ipeaking acquaintance. They should
not be those half strangers to whom
~ have to be reintroduced every time
ne meet them away from our homes.
Chey should become integral parts OF
,ur mental, moral and spiritual being.
We should be so sure OF their wisdom
hat we can accept them as our guides,
. inspire rs to right thinking, right
peaking and right acting. Rare indeed
re such books. When they have been
ound. they should be treasured as
1cre precious than gold, but let rs not
xpect to ind many of them.
"A library to have only room for a
~ booksl What do you mean by that ,
ssertionT some one says. '.Why, /
ways thought the more books man /
aads the better be Is educated, taking I
y granted. Of course, that the books +
. reads ere good books. NY parents Z