Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-03-05
Caln,aSe
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talrnaee, D. d.

Frank De Witt Talrnace, d. d.
Los Angeles, Cal, March THAT we
hould make no compromise with evil
nd should be bold and outspoken In
lr stand against sin, no matter how
huch we may love the sinner, Is the
esson of this sermon. the text for
Ehich is taken from ! Samuel xvi, I,
How long wilt thou mourn for Saul?"
Who has not read with thrilling in
erest Sir Walter SCOTS story of Jcanle
Deans? l was much interested in
Farming that the heroine of that story
vas a real character. Il girl who lies
uried near Dumfries, on whose tomb
tone Is an epitaph written by Scott
imself. 1t is impossible to refrain
rom tears as we read the story. The
irl, whose life is wrapped up in that
I her young sister. gives evidence
gainst her that convicts her of a cap
al offense and then walks all the way
% London to obtain pardon for her
he brave girl could not tell lie even
o save her sister from shameful
cath, but could undergo hardship to
oliver her. That is heroism. the hero
SIN Of fine soul that loved intensely
but feared TO sin. Few of us could
ave done thing SO heroic We try
o shield our loved ones. We shrink
rom exposing them. We sometimes
brink even from reproving them lest
We cause them pain. We try TO shield
nd cover up their wrongdongs even
8 you sometimes see foolish mother
hields from her husband the wrong
oings of her prodigal son because she
afraid the father might punish the
boy
1t was In this way that Samuel chung
10 his protege, Saul. Most of us think
bf Samuel as stern faced. grim Wis
ged mentor to the young king. We
picture him standing before the offend
pr implacable as goddess Of justice
with blinded eyes holding high the
scales and ready without Il particle Of
personal regret to execute the sentence
when the scales indicate guilt. But
Underneath this stern set, iron mUscled
tountenance of Samuel was a heart Of
leep, tender, faithful love. Though he
must denounce Saul's sins. he could
bot cease TO love Saul. His heart seem
td to cling TO Saul and he would have
been glad. had it been right, to cover
Up Saul's misdeeds. Thus in the text
he Lord finds the OH prophet and
Bays practically this: Samuel, how
ong are you going to grieve for Saul?
BE has done wrong Are you going to
continue to stay at home and grieve?
Are you not going forth to try to rec
tify the evil Saul has done: Come,
Samuel. be a man. BE brave and true
30 your nober and better self Come.
have selected another king for Is
tael" AS God came to Samuel in
times of old God is coming to us and
bidding us refrain from useless grief.
Saul a Born King.
In the first place you must remember
That Saul was a handsome man. He
Iwas not only king by election. but
he was one Of those wonderful men
'who are described as every inch
kings because of their physical pres
ence. He was not only tall, standing
head and shoulders above all his com
pa Mons, but he was perfectly formed
And his face In it's beauty must have
looked like the features chisecd out of
marble by Phidias to form the beauti
Iful countenances of Greek gods. His
bearing when he first came before
Samuel was so humble and pure that,
even in the eyes Of the stern faced
prophet, nothing was to he criticised,
nothing was TO be unprecedented.
Saul had the refinement in his make
up which came from q cultured life
= He was the son of one of the repre-
sentative men Of his tribe His blood
was of the best. He walked with the
conscious gait of one well born, who
was a natural leader among men. His
ancestors for generations had been
great men. IF you turn to the record,
you can read these words: Now, there
was man Of benjamin, whose name
was Kish, the son Of Abel, the son of
Zeror, the son OF Bechorath the son of
Aphiab, Benjamite, Il mighty man Of
power. And he had a son whose name
was Saul, a choice young man and
goodly, and there was not among the
children Of Israel gOodlier person ia
look upon than he. From his shoul-
ders and upward he was higher than
amy Of the people" Can you not see
Saul moving along, the exposure OF all
eyes? Cannot you see him, handsome
as an Apollo Belvedere? Was it any
wonder that Samuel the prophet should
love him and hate to give him up? II
Is so easy to excuse the sins Of man
and woman when they nre beautiful
md graceful But because Saul, The
handsome man, was sinner. was that
any reason why his sins should not be
condemned by God just as much as il
he was an ugly dwarf?
Mary, Queen Of Scots.
Take, for instance, the life of Mary
queen of Scots. There is a lot OF
maudin sentimentality expended OveI
that sinful life. But was not John
Knox right when he used to stand uT
in the Scottish pulpit and denounce hel
profigacies until that beautiful queer
would drive the nails into the palm
Of her hand and her teeth into her lips
until the blood came? And should no
lcore- and hundreds of our women to
day in socinl life be denounced by
some modern John Knox if they are