Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1908-04-04
Calnnase
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaee. d. d.

ny IN his own sphere owes 10 the world
the duty Of carrying out the great
plans aud purposes Of the noble minds
that are gone is the theme OF this ser
mon the text for which is II Kings II,
II. And he took up the mantle Of
Elijah"
We naturally gricve when young
man OF brilliant promise dies. There
are 81 few young men capable Of fill
ing the places Of the great men who
are passing away we can III afford 10
spare amy Of them. When that most
brilliant young minister of the Brick
church OF New York. Maltbie Babcock,
during an attack of dcllrum resulting
from Roman fever committed suicide
In the capital OF the Caesars the Pres
byterIan general assembly was IN SEES
sion In Philadelphia The moderator
announced the sad news hush fell
over that great assembly. II was al
most CONSERVATION. Gray haired min
rowful umazement. 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 lie should he taken be
fore them caused Il SENSE OF desolation
more acute than would have been
-. - 4.
Maltbie Babcock went as Arthur Hen
~ llallam went and the young
Ephralm Ellsworth went and the young
poet Richard Kirk White went and the
young Dr Joseph Warren went and
Jean RegnauIt the brilliant young art
list. went So the sharp scythe 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. 1t IL difficult 10 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 he In the hands OF new men.
There will be new men not only among
the leaders but among the ordinary
workers. and II is just as essential to
the worlds progress that these hum
BILE men should he 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 be call
ed TO the thousands OF ordinary pulpits
scattered over the broad land IN which
valiant service for the Masters king
dom IL now being done. Where there
Is one chief Justices seat In the su.
preme court OF the United States that
Will need an occupant there are thou
sands and tens of thousands Of ordi-
nary lawyers and justices who are
true 10 their profession and are seeing
that might is not triumphlnR over
right And where there have been In
this generation a Dr. Rush and Il DR..
teur aud I.orenZ. who. ns great sur
geons and physicians. have been hon
ored all around the world for their
brilliant work In the medical profes-
sion. there have been thousands and
hundreds of thousands OF ordinary, lit
lie known physicians who as humble
family doctors have cared for the sick
and have come TO our bedsides TO ale
vlate our pains. Aye. these ordinary
men Of the past generations have been
just as essential 10 the progress OF the
world and of civilization as have been
the great men. | want TO direct your
thoughts today 10 the falling mantles
not only OF the great men. but of the
ordinary men. Who Of us Will be Will
ing 10 pick up their nantes even as
Elisha picked up the fallen mantle OF
Elijah? Every man has his work. The
important thing for us and for the
world is not so much whether II be
humble or conspicuous hut whether 1t
is well done. II we take mp the man
tie of an Elijah. let MS see Ia II that.
like him. we are bold and dauntless ~
service: II we take up the mantle OF
humber prophet. let us see 10 that ut
least We are true tand faithful.
Nantes ofsthe Old Pastors.
Who. in the first place. is going TO
wrap about his shoulders the mantle
OF one Of the old fashioned Christian
pastors. scores and hundreds OF whom
! might name II would: These men
Were noble preachers In their day. but
they held their pulplts and deepened
their Christian influence year after
year not only by the two great ser
mons they preached before audiences
which filled the church auditorlums on
the Sabbath day, but by the hundreds
OF little sermons preached during the
week days before audiences made up
OF one or two or at the most three or
four auditors by the family iireside,
These ministers found their way into
the affections OF their people not SO
much because they were pulpit kings
AZ by being devoted. loving and indie