Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1905-09-11
Calnase
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Taln1aee, D. D.

Los Angeles, Cal, Sept 10.-In this
sermon the preacher describes mans
mission Of helpfulness to his fellows
and indicates the lines upon which
that mission may be carried out The
text is John Il. A. Loose him and let
him GO"
Never was human leader In closer
touch with his followers than Jesus
Christ. He walked and ate and slept
with his disciples He was closer than
that. he shared their joys and sor-
rows and privations He set them an
example of self sacrifice. He never
asked his followers to make any sacr-
fee which he himself was not willing
to make If they wept, he wept with
them. II they were a-hungered. he
starved with them. When be warned
them that they might have to lay down
their lives for his sake, he set them the
example Of martyrdom by yielding
himself to the cross. One Of the great
est elements which bind a human
heart to another heart is the willing
ness Of man to make sacrifices for
friend or a neighbor
In our own history we have seen an
example Of this fraternal leadership.
George B. Mcclellan, the most popular
commander the Army Of the Potomac
ever had, was beloved by his men on
that account. Let me give you an In
cldent how this devoted general
gripped the affections of his army with
links of steel. The northern army was
making forced march from Harrison
Landing to Newport News. Toward
the evening hour it was miles away
from It's destination. The soldiers,
marching four abreast, came to a small
stream, not very wide or deep, but
just deep enough to wet their feet If
they waded through it,
Near to the ford q large tree had
fallen, and the trunk had bridged the
stream. The soldiers, dropping into
single file, were crossing over the tree
trunk. This, of course, took extra time
The lines in the rear, marching rapidly
forward, became congested. The whole
brigade was becoming disorganized.
With that three or four officers on
horseback rode up to the ford. AT once
they saw the difficulty. Then one Of
those officers in the dusk cried OUT
Wade right through, my men. Wade
right through. Never mind about getting
your feet wet. Wade right through"
With that one Of the private soldiers
surlily grumbled back, WADE through
yourself and don't sit there on horse
L. 60 &oVi
get wet" Hardly were the words out
of the soldiers lips than this officer
leaped off his horse and waded through,
saying: Come on, men! We must not
block the line. Wade right through"
When the officer turned the men saw
he was their sturdy little commander,
George B. Mcclellan. They at once
raised a cheer and waded through, and
the disorder in the rear ranks ceased.
Mcclellan never asked his soldiers to
do what he himself was not ready to
do. The result was he was idolized by
his army as but few men have ever
been. When he was superseded some
of the strongest of men wept as chill
dren.
Christ Sought Cooperation.
But, though Christ never asked his
followers to make any sacrifice which
he himself was unwilling to make, yet
as / study the miracles Of Christ I
find that almost without exception he
sought cooperation from those whom
he would help. He was willing to
feed the multitude with few loaves
and fishes, but he made the disciples
distribute the bread and the fish and
collect the fragments that remained.
he was ready to give his disciples a
great catch of fish on Lake Galilee,
but he made them launch their boat
out into the deep and let down the net
and bring the fish to hand. He was
ready and willing to resurrect the dead
Lazarus, but he called upon the by
ISLANDERS to loose the graveclothes
which bound him hand and foot. Not
until they obeyed could the brother of
Mary and Martha go forth free. What
Christ did Of old Christ is doing today.
he is ready to save men. but he ex-
poets his disciples to help him in mans
liberation, mental, financial, moral,
physical and spiritual. want TO show
how we can aid in the emancipation Of
helpless men, as the disciples took off
the graveclothes of resurrected Laz-
arus to. loose him and let him 60"
Christ bids US help liberate the IN
eellectual man who is struggling in his
mental difficulties. He wants us TO cut
Rsunder< the old bonds of prejudice
with which they are born and which
are gripping them almost as power
fully as the officers handouts hold the
criminal by his side. He would have
US not laugh at or sheer at or ridicuIe
the doubter and the skeptic and the
atheist. He bids US not hurl our
taunts at the poor mental cripples who.
with hot, blistering feet, are painfully
hmping over the awful deserts Of
blighting agnosticism. But he bids us
go to our brethren in mental or intel
lectual difficulties and kindly and
gently and lovingly. vet firmly. lead
.fbap, nsrf Of horS oyd e.