Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-09-26

Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmade, d. D.


claims of Christ to the homage Of all
races and all times as a divine being
and the greatest Of teachers are elo.
quently presented in this sermon from
the text John vii, 46. Never man
spake like this man."
What strange world this is! As
soon as novelty ceases to be novel.
ty we look upon 1t as quite common
place. What once aroused our admira-
tiou and enthusiasm Is now considered
one of the ordinary, prosaic Incidents
Of everyday life. We marveled not
long ago at the revolving wheel Of the
horseless carriage along our boule.
Yards, which made thousands of pedes.
TRANS line the curbStones with interest,
But that mine days wonder soon
came to an end. Now we grumble ut
the speed limit of the automobile. ap-
ply opprobrous epithets to the chauf-
feur and cross the street In fear and
trembling lest one of these onrushng
machines hurl US into eternity without
|
the telephone bell would make us take
down the receiver with joyful anticpa-
ton to find who next Of our friends
had ordered his name put into the
telephone book. But now, instead of
being impressed with the wonder Of
the telephone wire, we are irritated
by II as an annoyance. Once we said:
Marvellous. Marvellous inventon"
Now we say, IL wish this miserable
telephone had never been invented, for
then could have a few hours in
quiet for work..
But. though a novelty may cease to
be novelty in reference to some Of
the great inventions of the world, yet
some creations of God and man have
never ceased to be novelties because
/ they stand out from all other crea-
tons rs absolutely unique. Why do
the tourists In multitudes annually 20
/ to visit Niagara falls? Because those
waterfalls are different from all other
kinds of waterfalls. Why do the Wis
TORS marvel at the wonders of Vel.
| lovstone park? Because when they
sec the gevsers in full play and the
"Ginnt Paint Pot" and "IIell's Half
Acre" where the ground, as In an
earthquake. IS moving ard trembling
under their feet and where they can
catch a fish In one pool and without
moving their feet throw that living
fish into a natural caldron not ten
yards away and there cook II and take
1t up ready to be eaten. these people
say. There are many wonders in this
world. but there Is no wonder any
where else Just like the wonders Of
Yellowstone park" The same is true
about the pyramids. II we knew how
they were built and why they were
built. and IF there were pyramids In
every land like the Egyptian pyramids,
we would have but little interest in
climbing Pharaoh's marvels. But be.
cause the Egyptian pyramids are diff
ferent from all other piles of stone
tens OF thousands of tourists annually
make pilgrimage to Cairo as to O. sa-
cred shrine.
Differences In Men.
What is true of inanimate things Is
also true of certain men. When you
find man radically different In ca
pacity from all other men. then that
man stands out conspicuous among hiS
fellows. Pagnnini, the master wizard
OF the violin, was such man. The
musical critics Of his day declare that
he developed tone touch which was
peculiarly his own. No other man ever
possessed It before he did. No man
has ever possessed II since. He was
different from all other musicians. Be
cause he was different, the whole must
cal world sat at his feet and listened
and marveled. Edgar Allan Poe was
such man. There were host Of
poets before the author of 1.-THE Ra-
VEN Many have risen and tlouriShed
since, but he vas different from them
all. Never was there n man who coHid
make such rhythmic music OUT Of mere
words as he. Read his famous poem
The Bells" He transforms every
word into bell note. There the
sleighs ring their bells, and the church
towers ring their bells. and the fire
alarms ring their bells, and the solemn
funeral dlrges ring their bells. And
/
from all other poets We find his books
upon almost every library shelf.
Infinitely grander, supernally unique,
even from human standpoint, is ne
Of whom | speak today. Christ was
and is different from all other men.
When he came forth from Nazareth
and began to teach the people tried to
analyZe his power. They tried to find
l simiarities between his personality
and thrt of other prophets, but the
; more they studied him the more they
found he was a law unto himself. And
because he was so peculiarly inlivid-
ual the people began to flock after him
In great multitudes At last every man
, and woman who came in touch with
this new teacher confessed that he was
absolutely and intensely unique. Even
the officers Of the law who We're sent
by the priests and Pharisees to arrest
Jesus would not apprehend him, for
,, they said, Never man spake like this
& man" DO you wonder that man like
Jesus, who was of such unique In
! dividual type, should have gathered
, about his personality the ever increas
= ing multltudes and that he astounded
them with his doctrines! want tC
respects in which Christ was different
,, from other men and why he wants us
10 be like him and be in our way differ