Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1905-05-13

With cry you leap to your feet.
You shake the dying womap's hand Off
your forehead. "What-go for that
drunken brute, whose cruel heel has
given you your death wound? Never
mother-neyer! / will see him in Jail
aye, or in the Internal regions first"
Then your mother begins to plead. She
says: Harry. you have suffered on ac-
count of Joe. but have not l suffered?
Have not l given my life for him?
And. oh. Harry, cannot die happy I'M
less we save your brother Joe" Once
there was n time when you wanted to
save your brother Joe for his own sake
Now there comes a greater inspiration
into your life. You want to save him
because you can make your mother
happy, who is dying on account of Joe's
sins. Is not this the figure of Gods
love? The Christian orator Is inspired
with IL desire to save sinful man from
eternal death for himself But more
than that-aye, far more than that
he Is inspired with the transcendent
hope of pleading for man TO turn from
sin and be saved in order to satisfy
the desire of divine Father for the
return of his prodigals He does 1t
now for Christ's sake-for Christ's
sake. For God so loved the world
that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whatsoever bclieveth on him should not
perish, but have everlasting life" Oh.
the mighty inspiration which makes a
gospel orator not only plead to save
men for themselves, but to save men
for the sake of the divine Fathers
f0rgiving love!
The Power Of the Holy Spirit.
Thus. while the sublime oratory of
the gospel speaker may he awakened
by many different Inspirations. its
mightiest factor is due to the power or
the Holy Spirit himself. When Jesus
Christ stood up before the Jewish peo-
pie to speak. his hearers intuitively felt
there was strange. a superhuman and
divine power about him. When the
true Christian orator arises To speak.
then also this strange influence Is felt.
The same divine influence that Christ
had over an audience you and l may
have in degree IL we will only let the
Holy Spirit work in us and through u.s.
for Christ distinctly says that the very
works he did we may do il we will
only let the Holy Spirit live in us.
"A Christian orator" some one says
''what does that mean? If truly give
myself up to the Holy Spirit. can be-
come great speaker and address great
audiences? Why, have not the voice.
I have not the physical strength. In
one sense I have not the education.
could not stand before n multitude of
people II tried" No. not that. do
not believe God will ever call you to be
Spurgeon, n Guthrie. Beecher or a
Mason. Not that. do not believe. week
In and week out. you will be called up
on to fill an auditorium with formal
sermon. But you can be great orator
for Christ nevertheless. Did you ever
stop to think that public speaking is only
public conversation ON a big scale?
The other day l was talking TO an
old man who used to be student of
the great DIR. Eliphalet Mott Of Union
college. One day I'm the oratOrial
class a student arose to speak He
began to let out his voice in rotund
style. He dramatically lifted his arms
and twitched his eyebrows when DIR.
Mott stopped him and said: my son.
that is not oratory. II You have some
thing to say. just tell 1t to us as you
would II there were only three of us
oil in Il nU fs
only public conversation on Il big
scale" Don't you grasp the truth? BY
the law of S1lristian oratory you may
never be called upon to address a large
audience at once. but you can address
two or three hearers for Christ ut the
breakfast table. You can address a
neighbor for Christ in the street car
going down to business. You can
speak for Christ in the prayer meeting
and in the Sunday school. You can be-
come an exponent of the sublimest or
atory Of the world, the gospel oratory,
by which the Holy Spirit works i'm
you and through you in conversation.
Will you consecrate an eloquent tongue
to the divine Master?
"Just tell it," says DIR. Mott. II you
have anything to say for Christ by the
Holy Spirit power, will you not just
tell it? My father once told me that the
first great orator he ever heard was
Theodore Frslinghuysen of New Jer-
sey. He was an intellectual giant sen
ator. chancellor of the University of
New York. Wing candidate for the vice
presidency in 1874 and president of
Rutgers college His fame was nation
al and international. My father said:
"Of course l expected to see and to
hear perfect whirlwind of oratory.
but great was my surprise when Theo-
dore Frelinghuysen quietly arose in
that New Jersey courtroom. He placed
his foot upon the rung of the chair.
Then he commenced to talk to the jury
in simple. earnest way. as you or I
might talk In private parlor. But he
won his case. 1t was the finest piece Of
quiet oratory to which ! ever listened.
He had something to say. and he said
it." Yes. you may not be speaker to
5000 auditors. but you can have an au-
dience of two, three, five. ten. twelve