Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-09-15
Calnase
Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt Talnnase. D. d.


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 xi, 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 sacrf-
fee which he himself was, not willing
to make. IL they wept. he wept with
them. II they were a-hungered. he
starved with them. When he warned
them that they might have 20 lay down
their lives for his sake, he set them the
example OF martyrdom by yielding
himself TO the cross. One OF the great
cot elements which bind a human
heart to another heart IL the willing
ness OF man to make sacrifices for a
friend or a nelghbor.
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
grippOd the affections OF his army with
links OF steel. The northern army was
making a forced march from Harrison
Landing to Newport News. Toward
the evening hour 1t was miles away
marching four abreast. came to a small
stream. not very wide or deep, but
just deep enough to wet their feet IL
they waded through It.
Near to the ford n 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
Vita that three or four officers on
horasbRck 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
back with dry feet telling us how to
get wet" Hardly were the words out
% the .soldicr's lips than this officer
leaped or 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 ut 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
MS I 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 or fish on Lake Gaillee,
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 0beyed could the brother of
Mary and Martha 20 forth free. What
Christ did OF old Christ Is doing today.
He IL ready to save men. but he ex.
poets bis disciples to help him in mans
liberation, mental. financial. moral
physical and spiritual. l want to show
how We can aid In the emancipation OF
halpssas men, az the disciples took of,
the GrRReciothes OF resurrected Lac.
arus 60 eioose him and let him CO."
Chxst BIDS us help liberate the In
teileetual man who is struggling in his
mentai dimculties. He wants us to eut
asunder 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 sneer Mt or ridicule
the doubter and the skeptic and the
atheist. He bids us not huri our
taunts at the poor mental cripples who
with hot, blistering feet, are painfully
iimping over the awful deserts OF
blighdng agnosticism. But he bids us
&c to our brethren in mental or intel
lectual difficulties and kindly and
gently and lovingly. yet firmly, lead
them out OF the boys and the quag-
mires and QuicksaRds in which they
have fallen and In which they are
struggling today. Oh. the awful trag.
edy or being mentally blinded and be-
ing unable to get right conception of
Godi Yet there are thousands OF men
and women who by constitution of
brain and intellect are natural born
deubters. They suspect the sincerity
OF every good work. and therefore the,
naturziiy doubt Gods goodness and
love. ktre
An IaefaeAt "a Michael Angelo.
An incident In the life Of Michael
Angelo well illustrates how you and
have 20 continually run UP against
and overcome mems prejudices. The
Florentne master had already CHS.
ele6 some or his greatest pieces Of
sculpture. bur. strange to say, there
were q great many Florentines, as
thsrs are men In our day. who could
not see any perfection In any picture
or piece OF statusry unless II was hun.
dreds or years old, SO Michael Angelo,
to convert his critics, made a new
statue. He then broke Of, one of
tbs arma OF that statue and kept 1t.
Then he stained the rest OF the statue
and buried It under one of the old
churches and then had one OF his
friends ind IL. At once all the art
critics OF Florence gathered around this
exhumed piece OF stone and declared