The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-05-14
DIR. TALMAGE'S SERMON.
Nv THE REV. FRANK DE WITT rALMAeE. D. g.

DE WITT TALMAGE. D. g.
purposes. merely trying to destroy rivals
who were obstructng their path? No.
They were attacking lust and licentious-
ness and tyranny and crime of all sorts.
1t was their mighty themes that made
their eloquence effective You must have
great theme to have great grafton.
Must Have Great Theme.
This contention is true. Where. then,
can you find greater themes for true elo-
quence than in gospel oratory? Is there
sounding line which can go TO the bot
! tom of a deeper sea? Is there any power
on earth which can more surely trans
form wrong to right, make the strong
care for the weak, make Tyranny take
her iron heel off the neck of PROSTATE
Helplessness. than the power of Jesus?
Where can you find an immortal panaeea
for the graves horror and for the cure
of sin save in the crucihxion and the
resurrection and the atonement of Jesus
Christ? The theme Of gospel oratory are
not only wide enough and great enough
to put 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 perfect
world. They are so great that If we only
practice them "love, joy, peace, long suf-
fering, gentleness. goodness, faith meek
ness, temperance" shall everywhere be
supreme in the human heart. Could we
have a 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 been the
causes which have inspired wonderful ora
lions during the past years. Watch the
lightnings of invective thet have leaped
out of the eyes of the orators during the
dark days of the abolition movement.
Amid that mighty hurricane of oratory
we can see William Lloyd Garrison, with
clinched fists. defying the Boston mobs.
We can hear his biting words, amid
perfect pandemonium of wrath crying:
you will hear mel In spite of yourselves
you will hear met You can see Wendell
Phillips standing amid a shower of brick
bats waiting for a lull in the storm to
drive into the hearts of his hearers an
other sentence to prove to them why the
black man should be free. We can hear
glorious John Bright pleading for the
rights of the black men from the other
side of the sea. And If injustice against
the black men offered such a mighty
theme for the eloquent tongue shall not
modern injustice against the white slave
offer just as great a theme for gospel
eoquence? Oh, yes gospel orators have
the mightiest of themes for eloquent
speech. The gospel of Christ will right
all wrongs 1t will emancipate sinner
from all sins. 1t would make all men
conquerors in this world as well as in the
world to come. Man, would you be truly
eloquent? Then by the power of the Holy
Spirit have your tongue plead for the
universal acceptance of the gospel in i'm
FASHIONED oratory
The Cure for Ills.
Gospel oratory gives the sublimest of
all themes. 1t does more than that. 1t
offers the greatest of all authorities by
which those themes are discussed. 1t
comes to man and places In his hand
the Bible and says Man, here is the
word of God. These are not my state
ments. These are promises made by our
divine Father. If you will accept Gods
word and do as this book directs, your
life will be blessed" Now, 1t is an easy
matter to discuss a wrong. 1t is often
very easy for a physician to diagnose a
cancer. But the cure-aye, that Is the
rub! Easy to attack a moral wrong.
Yes But it is another matter TO find
q right solution for that wrong. This
the Bible offers. 1t comes not as the
orist. 1t comes to the gospel orators
hearers as did Jesus Christ. 1t comes as
one speaking with a divine authority.
No men in the world have greater infiu-
ence over their hearers tndn tnOSe WHO
are backed with the positive authority of
the Bible.
When man speaks with authority he
becomes imperative in his demands. Why
is Helen Hunt Jacksons masterpiece.
Ramona" one of the most eloquent
books ever penned? She pleaded for JUS
tice to the American Indian with the idea
that the law of the land would uphold
her in her plea. She was not pleading
for the red man as a utopian, theorist
or a social dreamer. She was pleading
for the red man at the bar o. American
law When she represents poor Alessando
as being driven from farm to farm she
was not picturing scoundreh but
man defrauded of American rights. When
she finally describes this poor. innocent
Indian as shot down by drunken white
loafer and then pictures that drunken
loafer as being allowed to go free, she
was not appealing to human prejudces
for favoritism toward the red man. She
was saying: what is the law? What
is the American law? The law of Amer
lea upholds me in my claims"
AS Helen Hunt Jackson pleaded for the
rights of the Indian under the American
law the Christian orator pleads for the
emancipation of man from sin under the