Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-05-11

Del IL the VOICB OF tOc eVeTutttcC. 0Uus
heaven. immortality, resurrection. as
ccnsion, heaven, he'll, eternity. redemp.
ton, salvation, eternal coronation, eter.
nal suffering, are its mighty subjects.
Like the meanings Of the mighty deep,
Its voice comes reverberating down the
halls Of the past ages. Like the echoes
which are tossed from hillside to bill
side up among the Alpine crags. its
hopes go echoing down the centuries
upon centuries and the millenniums up. |
on millenniums to come. It's themes are |
the mightiest Of all themes. No sub |
ject in all the realm Of thought II a.
great a. that which occupies the public |
speaker in gospel oratory.
II it's theme were not the greatest Of
all themes. then my caption today
could not he written. You must have
great theme to produce sublime ora.
tory" All the students Of oratory rec
ognize this law. Why Ia Abraham Lin
coins Gettysburg address to be rank
cd among the greatest orntions Of the
ages? Was he placing few poetic gar
lands upon the graves Of the dead? No.
He was making national plea for for.
giveness and love. Why did Patrick
Henry. the great Virginia orator. with
a single sentence rouse the passions of
his hearers until he swept them from
off their feet? Though the hangman's
moose was dangling over every one OF
his auditors heads, yet they were
ready to risk all because he was plead
ing for sweet Libcrty's shrines. Why
did John Knox's eloQuence set all Scot
land adre? Why did Martin Luther's
invectives thrill all Europe with the d.
vine love? Why did Savonnrola arouse
Italy until its Inhabitants were tumul-
tuous in agony and strife? Why did
CicerO's nrraignment OF Catiline and
the philippines that Demosthenes hurled
against the king Of MacedOn create
armies and make men enthusiastic In
for selfish political purposes, merely
trying to destroy rivals who were OBJ
structing their path? No. They were
attacking lust and RIGHTEOUSNESS and
tyranny and crime Of all sorts. 1t was
their mighty themes that made their
eloQuence effective. You must have q
great theme to have great Grafton.
Must Have Great Theme.
This contention is true. Where, then,
can you find greater themes for true
eloquence than in gospel oratory? Ia
there a sounding line which can 60 to
the bottom Of "A deeper sea? Ia there
any power on earth which more surely
can transform wrong to right. make
the strong care for the weak. make Tyr
amy take her iron heel off the neck Of
PROSTATE Helplessness, than the power
Of Jesus? Where can you find an i'm
mortal panacea for the graves horror
and for the cure Of sin save In the
Crucifixion and the resurrection and
the atonement Of Jesus Christ? The
themes of gospel oratory are not only
wide enough and great enough to put
a man in right touch with God and
heaven. but they are so great that II
We once accept them and practice
them they will give us perfect homes
perfect neighbors. perfect nations and
a perfect world. They are 70 great
that II we only practice them Glove
Joy. peace. long suffering. gentleness
goodness, faith, meeEness. temper
ance." shall everywhere be supreme II
the human heart Could we have q
surer cure for all the evils of the world
to come than Is offered in the themes
Of gospel oratory?
TO make right might and to redress
the wrongs Of a limited class have beer
the causes which have inspired wonder
full orations during the past years
Watch the lightnings Of invective thai
have leaped out OF the eyes Of the ora
tors during the dark days Of the aboli
ton movement. Amid that mighty bur
ricane Of oratory we can sec William
Lloyd Garrison. with clinched fists, dc
flying the Boston mobs. We can heal
his biting words. amid perfect pande
monium Of wrath, crying: You will
hear me! In spite Of yourselves 20,
will hear me-" You can see Wendell
Phillips standing amid shower o
brickbats waiting for a lull in the storm
to drive into the hearts Of his hearer
another sentence to prove to them VIII.
the black men should be free. We cal
hear glorious John Bright pleading 70
the rights Of the black meE from tn
other side of the sea. And II injustic
against the black men offered such
mighty theme for the eloquent tongu
shall not modern injustice against tn
white slave offer just rs great
theme for gospel eloquence? Oh. yer
gospel orators have the mightiest O
themes for eloquent speech! The gos
pei Of Christ will right all wrongs
II will emancipate sinner from a
sins. 1t would make all men conquer
ors in this world as we'll as in til
world to come. Man, would you
truly eloquent? Then by the power q
the Holy Spirit have your tongue plea
for the universal acceptance Of tn
gospel In impassioned oratory.
The Cure For Ills.
Gospel oratory gives the sublimest {
all themes. 1t does more than that
,, offers the greatest Of all authorities
which those themes are discussed.
comes to man and places in bis han
the Bible and says: "Man. here IL h
word of God. These are not my stat
ments. These are promises made b
, our divine Father. II you W.T.! acceI
Gods word and do a. this book direct
your life will be blessed" Now, Il
. Nh easy matter to discuss wrong.
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