Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-08-17
Caln,a9e
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De witt Talmase, D. D.

I,os, Angeles, Cal, Aug. 18--1n this
sermon the preacher shows that II the
church ever means to win the world
cor Christ It must be true to It's pro-
LESSONS, collectively ana individually.
Tho text Is solomon's Song vi, 10,
Terrible az an army with banners"
Dif1cult 10 It ITO keep sweet and keep
moving" a. q poet once wrote-difa-
cult not to look upon the dark side Of
life and be impressed by the mean
nesses ana the contemptibleness Of
men rather than by mans good quail
ties and by bis nobillties. Almost all
people every day Of their lives have
some injustices or seiashnesses prac-
ticed upon them. Unless very careful
We are prone to become pessimistic
and to entertain dtsparaging views Of
our fellow men. 1t may be that the
couduct Of some with whom we come
in contact leads us to think them AZ
worthless as that man whose life Paul
Boyton saved q few years ago. Mr..
Boyton was spending few weeks In
Atlantic CITY, on the New Jersey coast.
One day the cry Of Help" was raised
A bathsr who WINS very wealthy
man had been swimming fur out be-
yorMl the hfe lines. Caught in the cur
rents, he was being swept out to sea.
Mr.. Boyton OF once Jumped into the
water and ut the peril of his own life
brought this millionaire to shore in an
unconscious condition. Next day the
rescued man hunted mp Paul Boyton.
After thanking him for what he had
done be took out of his pocket a big
roll of bills. He turned them over and
over. Then he put the bills back into
hts pocket. Not one was small enough
for hts fancy Then he took out
fifty cent piece and handed It to the
rescuer. what is that for?' asked the
great swimmer. why. for saving my
life" "Oh." said Boyton. Then the
swimmer took out his own pocketbook
and counted out 40 cents and handed
them back to the millionaire. Here
is your change" said he. For whatP'
why" said Boyton, "you have over
paid me. Any millionaire like you
who would offer man 30 cents for
saving his life has soul SO mean and
small that It h not worth more than a
penny. IL It is worth even that" 1t
was the reproof Of justly incensed
man. But we have to beware lest un-
der provocations similarly contempti-
BILE we come to entertain too low an
estimate of human character as a
whole.
| Pessimistic Views.
The pessinnistic way in which some
of us regard men Is very similar to the
estimate some Of US place upon the
spiritual movements of the day. espe-
cially those which find expression In
the work Of the church Of the Lord
Jesus Christ. We try to honestly and
intelligentiy read 1.-THE signs Of the
time" There We hnd much to dis
courage us. We do not see the chill
dren OF this generation loving the
word Of God and the house Of God as
did the fathers and mothers Of the past
generation. We find our Sabbaths look
ed upon as holidays instead Of holy
days. We find the golden calf" the
shrine mt which the human race is
anxious to worship and that the saloon
Is being intrenched everywhere. We
find the Bible being driven out Of ouI
public schools and that many Of OUT
state colleges have men in their pro
fessorial and presidential chairs who
never darken the doors Of the church
and whose whole influence. direct and
Indirect, IL to lead their students into
the paths Of ''free thought and moi
into the paths converging at the feet
Of the Lord Jesus Christ. YES" some
OF you say, 1T Is all we'll enough t
talk about a coming millennium. but
where are the signs Of its coming
Tho world Is growing darker ant
darker. This Is not a spiritual land O
the midnight sun. but one Of midday
blackness. Everythingspiritually seems
to be going askew." Is 1t, my brother
l would not have you take such de
pressed view Of things l arm toda!
going to take my stand upon the proph
ecy Of my text. am not only goinl
to show you a vision Of a couquerinl
church In the years to come, but con
ouering church in the years that ar,
now Mt hand.
Because Paul BOyton saved the If
OF a millionaire who offered him I
fifty cent piece for his service 1t doe
not follow that all men are misers ant
ungratefui. Because the morning SUI
for some of us seems to be obscuret
by the fog banks Of mist. that does no
prove that these mists shall never b.
cleared away. Listen to the prophecy
WHO Ia she that looketh forth as tn
morning, fair as the moon. clear a
the sun aud terrible us an army witt
bannersr' exclaims the sacred writer
This Ia the church." comes th
answer. "This the conquering churcl
OF the Lord Jesus Christ. which shal
usher in the millennial morn of
Eaviour's earthly enthronement"
, The future OF the conquering churct
In the first place, Is not to be estimate
, by the myriad numbers Of her soldier
nor the costliness OF her barracks. no
, the lofty altitude OF her watchtowers
|, nor the inexha ustibie gold OF her treat
ury, nor the sharpness of her stes
, weapons. The text does not ash
"Who 10 she that cometh forth, leadlu
,, ON an armed host Ike that With whic
,, the invading conQueror. King DartuI
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