Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1905-03-11
Calnnase
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmace, d. d.

FRET so long sought by the ancient al
chemists is the topic discussed by the
preacher in this sermon. in which he
shows how. though the body may grow
old. the spirit may retain its youth and
freshness. The text is job xxx. 5.
'When my children were about me-"
Misfortunes are generally gregarious.
They are not recluses. They live not a
hermit's existence. Like the beasts of
fish of the sea. they browse in herds or
fiy in fiocks or swim in schools. If one
appears upon the edge of our horizon
others often follow it with great rapid
ity. as do the April showers when
1.-THE clouds return after the rain"
They pile themselves upon each other
in great drifts. as do the snowfiakes.
They toll their death knells In chorus.
As nothing succeeds like success" SO
nothing destroys like misfortune"
Where there is one emissary Of destruc-
ton roaming there are. as a rule. many
emissaries treading closely upon its
heels. Even when they are small and
insignificant they cripple us by the per-
sistency of their attack. Naturalists
tell us that the small. insignificant
humming bird sometimes alights upon
the head of a mighty eagle. There he
sits and pecks and pecks. no matter
how fast or how high his huge winged
carrier may fly. There he sits and
pecks and pecks until after awhile he
buries his small beak in the brain OF
his gigantic foe. who could crush him
as easily as a hawk might kill spar
row, if the eagle could only get at him.
Trouble is like unto the humming bird.
When trouble struck the grand old
patriarch Job. it hit him again and
again. First came financial trouble.
then domestic trouble. then physical
trouble. 1t was pain in the head. pain
In the heart. pain in the limbs, pain In
the back and pain everywhere. Then
what happened? Job tried to gain
comfort from his "reminiscences. Job
looked back upon the scene of the hap
piest time of his life. He pictured him.
self when he was young husband
planning and working for his future.
He thought of himself when his young
wife was by his side and his little boys
and girls We're playing around in his
nursery. Then Job breaks forth in the
lamentation of my text, which has
come to most fathers and mothers aft
or they have reached their twoscore
years and ten. ''Oh, that | were as in
months past. when my children
were all about me- 1t Is a pathetic
longing not only that time be halted in
its onward sweep, but be compelled to
retrace the steps 1t has already taken.
Not a Sinful Desire.
Is Jobs longing a sinful desire? Is
Il wrong for us to want to become
young again or at least to stay young
Just as long as we can? l trow not.
Therefore the purpose of this sermon
Is to show how we can turn back the
shadow on the dial of Ahaz not only
ten, fifteen, but even twenty and thirty
years for some of US. There is an old
proverb which says, "A man is not as
old as he looks, but as old as he feels"
I am going to prove that man can
years of age, even though his hair is
white, his nose is bridged with a pair
Of glasses and he has to walk about
with a staff.
How shall we renew the days Of our
strong. young manhood? First, by as
sociating with young people. and es-
pecially with children; by making the
intimate companions OF our mature
years and of our old age those who are
on the threshold of life or playing in
the nursery: by stealing or rather con-
tinually borrowing from our married
children their babies; by making our
grandchildren come home and live with
US, or. il we have no married children
Of our own, by borrowing the children
Of some neighborly grandfather and
loving them as we would our own; by
firmly and deliberately making a VOW
with ourselves and with God, Though
/ may live to be sixty. seventy, eighty,
ninety or a hundred years old. will
never allow myself to outgrow my
fondness for little children, and my
sympathy for their joys and sorrows,
and my unceasing desire for their daily
companionship."
Daily association with young people.
especially with children, is essential in
many ways for a mans development.
1t keeps his heart young. Yes, it does
more than that. 1t teaches him what
should be his attitude toward Christ
and toward his fellow men. Some peo-
pie cannot understand what this edu-
eating power of a child's life is upon a
matured man. Why? Like some of u.s.
they have not placed themselves under
the tutelage of children. Some months
ago hired big wagon. put into this
wagon not only my own children. but
went around and raided the neighbors'
houses and piled in some of theirs.
was the only grown person among
them. We took long drive of about
fifteen miles. Then, ut the head of my
cohort Of little ones. proudly marched
into restaurant to give them ice
cream before we started back. AS we
went in a gentleman standing upon the
sidewalk said: "My. man. | pity you!
a.