Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-03-27
CalnaQe
Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaee. ID. d.


the duty of carrying out the great
plans and purposes of the noble minds
that are gone is the theme of this ser
mon, the text for which is III Kings ii,
Ia, "And he took up the mantle of
Elijah"
We naturally grieve when a young
man of brilliant promise dies. There
are so few young men capable Of fill
ing the places of the great men who
are passing away we can I'll afford to
brilliant young minister OF the Brick
church OF New York, Maltble Babcock,
during an attack of delirlum resulting
from Roman fever committed suicide
in the capital of the Caesars the Pres
byterian general assembly was in ses-
sion in Philadelphia. The moderator
announced the sad news. A hush fell
over that great assembly. 1t was al
most CONSERVATION. Gray haired min
listers looked at one another in sor-
rowful amazement. They had expected
this young pulpit genius to take up the
work aud lead their church when their
hands became too feeble to hold the
standard. That he should be taken be-
fore them caused n sense of desolation
more acute than would have been
caused 10y the death OF an older man.
Maltbie Babcock went as Arthur Hen
nv Hallam went and the young
Ephralm Ellsworth went and the young
poet Richard Kirk White went and the
young DR.. Joseph Warren went and
Jean Regnault. the brilliant young art
list, went. SO the sharp seythe OF death
is continually moving down some of
the brightest and the most promising
of young artists and physicians and
lawyers and ministers. We cannot ex-
plain their premature departures. We
shall understand the reason IN the next
world.
One generation passes away and an
other comes. It is difficult to realize
that in another fifty years at most the
work now being done in the world OF
religion, of letters, of medicine and of
art will be in the hands of new men.
There will be new men not only among
workers, and it is just as essential to
the worlds progress that these hum
bic men should be found faithful as
that the leaders should be men of gen.
ius. Our concern is not only that the
conspicuous pulpits of the church
should be ably filed, but with the
character OF the men who will DO call
ed to the thousands of ordinary pulpits
scattered over the broad land in which
valiant service for the Masters king
dom is now being done. Where there
Is one chief justices seat in the su-
preme court of the United States that
viii need an occupant there are thou
sands and tens OF thousands of ordi-
nary lawyers and justices who are
true TO their profession and are seeing
that might is not triumphing over
right And where there have been I'm
this generation a DR.. Rush and n DIR.
Sayre and n Marion Sims and a Pas
teur and Lorenz, who, as great sur
geons and physicians, have been hon.
ored all around the world for their
brilliant work I'm the medical profess
sion, there have been thousands and
". III
tie known physicians who as humble
FAMILY doctors have cared for the sick
and have come to our bedsides TO alIe-
viate our pains Aye, these ordinary
men OF the past generations have been
Just as essential to the progress of the
world and OF civilization as have been
the great men. i want to direct your
thoughts today to the falling nantes
not only of the great men, but of the
ordinary men. Who of us will be win.
ing to pick up their nantes even m
Elisha picked up the fallen mantle of
Elijah? Every man has his work. The
important thing for Us ana for the
world Is not 70 much whether II be
humble or conspicuous, but whether It
is well done. II we take up the man
tie OF an Elijah, let us see 10 Il that.
like him, we are bold and daunfless in
service; IL we take up the mantle OF a
number prophet, let us see to that at
least we are true and faithful.
Mantles Of the Old Pastors.
Who. in the first place, is going to
wrap about his shoulders the mantle
or one or the old fashioned Christian
pastors, scores and hundreds OF whom
1 might name IL would? These men
were noble preachers in their day. but
tney held their pulpits and deepened
their Christian influence year after
year not only by the two great SER
mons they preached before audiences
which hlled the church auditoriums on
the Sabbath day. but by the hundreds
or little sermons preached during the
week days before audiences made Nm
or one or two or at the most three or
Tour auditors by the family fires;de.
These ministers found their way into
the directions OF their people not so
much because they We're puipf4 Kings
as by being devoted, loving and indie
fatgable pastoral friends.
These men OF God preached Christ
on sundays to the accompaniment of
singing choirs. They preached Christ
during the week to the accompaniment
OF the cheerful talk and laughter of the
nome, and without any doubt the most
powerful sermons they ever preached
were their talks on Mondays and Tues
days and Wednesdays and Thursdays
fridays and Saturdays, which they de.
hvered upon the streets 10 the mem.
bers OF their congregations as they me,
them by the wayside.
Who shall fill the places Of thess
men? Is the call for old fashionee
Christian pastors to fall upon unheed
Ing ears? You tell me that the Creates
need or the church OF God is for greai
preachers and not for great pastors
think not, my brother. There may b<
need for great preachers. There can