Milford chronicle., 1905-05-12
Caln1aqe
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaee. D. d.

flights Of oratory and the famous tri.
umphs Of great speakers, shows how
even the humblest may be effective in
the elOquence of Christian cOnversa-
tion and example. The text is John
vii Al, "Neyer man spake like this
man"
What is true oratory? Mere conjura-
tiOn, bewitchery, enchantment, mysti-
elsm, mesmerism or animal magnet
ism, a mere transitOry magic spell
with which a great public speaker is
able to hypnotic an audience for an
evening or for a night alone? Is it a
few poetic garlands made up of pretty
wax flowers which never grew in a
garden, which never caught the in
cense laden breath Of the soil, which
cannot stand the light Of the day and
which, like the moon flowers, melt
away as soon as the morning sun has
touched their painted cheeks? Is it a
mere galvanic shock which can make
a human corpse tremble for a little
while and even lift a hand or shake a
head and yet a current which can new
er bring the dead body back to life?
Is it a mere magnetic needle which
will momentarily move an iron heart,
as many magnetic needles can make
nails and screws stand upon their
heads for a few seconds and then fall
back cold, motiOnless screws and nails
as soon as their lifting touch is taken
away? Oh, no; true OratOry is more
than that.
True oratOry is one OF the most pO-
tent gifts, if not the most potent gift, |
with which God has endowed man. 1t is
mighty for good or mighty for evil. 1t |
is a social factor which creates and |
molds and upbuilds or it is a social |
factor which undermines and destroys |
and wrecks. If it were possible for |
me to believe in the doctrine Of the |
transmigration of souls, then l would /
believe in this doctrine in reference /
to OratOry. With mere words a skill
full orator can have his spirit incar-
mated in the minds and the hearts Of
his hearers. With mere words not
only can the true orator compel his
fellow countrymen to think as he
but to do as he would have
them do and as he himself wants to
do.
The gift Of true OratOry is second in
power to no other human gift. An
is this? I think not.
Andrew Fletcher, the great English
and poet, once said, Il be-
Iieve if a man were permitted to make
all the ballads of a country he need
not care who should make its laws"
A true orator has all the power of
the sweet singer of the fields. He has
more than that. In his own realm he
mas the power of personal touch. He
las the influence of the flashing eye,
# the quivering lip, of the power which
comes from a soul on fire, which reach
IS forth and as a whirlwind drives Op- I
position before him or consumes them |
is in a mighty conhagration. If the
zen be mightier than the sword, then ]
he orators scepter is greater than !
hat Of the warriors or the writer's. I
The DemOsthenean tongue compelled | I
mems ears to hear what his pen could {
lot compel his auditors eyes to read. I
9reat is the eloquent tongue Of silver j
peechl {
Beecher's Services as Orator. q
Great if not the greatest Of all gifts
nth which God has endowed man is S
ratOry. Who but one like Henry t
Yard Beecher could have conquered 0
lngland during the dark days Of 1868?
hen the British factories had their t
OttOn supply cut off by northern ships Il
lockading the southern ports. British
apitalists were calling out "The Y
.merican war must stop or British h
mplOyees must starve and the British t,
lerchants will have no goods to SELL" ii
lot only that, but the peerage or the RI
lndOwners almost to a man hated our 1
spublican form Of government. They f,
elleved the American congress was a h
menace to British interests. | II
eecher accomplished with his tongue h
hat an invading army OF 100000 W
zen could not have accomplished with 2
ayonets. Alone he faced audience aft b
: audience, bitter in their hatred to- Il
ard him and his people He faced al
lemies. He left friends He faced Il
Is cOuntry's censors. He left behind h,
m his country's ,applauders. Henry IL
lard Beecher won this victory for his OF
'untry by the tongue, and the tongue a,
one. m
Great is the power Of oratory and 81
ators But If it is great in the pres W
It age how much greater must It III
I've been in the times Of the ancients! o,
len the modern printing press had III
It yet been born, and the human mind n,
uld only appeal to the human mind II
rough the influence of the human ST
ngue. But, though the generations or
eceding Christ sat at the feet Of w
me Of the greatest orators who ever tr
ed, though Pericles and Lysias and III
'curgus and deschines had won their fo
lrvelous triumphs in old Athens, %
)ugh the mighty Roman orators had
ed and. like Marcus Tullius Cicero,
d hurled their verbal thunderbOlts, oil
{ when Jesus began to speak every oe
e Of his auditors intuitively felt that nj
lew power Of oratory had been born. 90
e words Of ny text prove it. With tb
accord Christ'g hearers said