Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1908-05-09
Calnage
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank DE Witt Talmaec. ID. d.

the preacher eXaltS love as the highest
Of the Christian grnces. DIR. Talmags
has resigned his pastorate In Los An.
geles. feeling the need OF complete rest.
and has gone 10 Europe. where he will
remain six months. He Will compose
no sermons during his absence. The
text Of this farewell sermon Is taken
from Corinthians xiii. 10. "And the
greatest OF these IL love- CR W.
Talking with n friend before setting
out on my European journey. | re-
ferred 20 my long cherished desire TO
visit the famous canyon OF Arizona
that ! might study II and describe It TO
my eastern friends. 1T cannot he
done" said my friend. "No living man
could describe the grandeur and mai
csiy Of that wonderful scene Just be-
fore went there was told that a
man approached the brink Of that aw-
mi chnsm. and MS he looked across ii
and down into its depths and up into
the sky he dropped upon his knees and
cried. 20 God. how infinitely great
art thou! never realized until my
eyes beheld II this wonderful manifes-
tation OF thy handlworkr All that you
can do when you visit the Grand can
yon is 10 be overwhelmed with the i'm
menslty Of its conception. 1t Is greater,
far greater. than your widest imaglna-
ton could ever conceive"
Well. ] said to myself n that Is true
there is one fact | will learn from the
Grand canyon. That will be its SUI
perlatlyeness as basis for COMPARE
son There are things that are above
and beyond utterance. Paul heard
things when he was caught up 10 henv-
On that he said were unspeakable. and
on another occasion. trying TO describe
the things God had prepared for them
that love him, he said that eye had
not seen nor ear heard neither had II
entered into the heart OF man. and
John IN Patmos fell down as one dead.
When read OF these strange incidents
] shall always think Of the oyerwhelm-
ing Impression which one gets from his
first view of the Grand Canyon of Art
IONA. II is a species Of measuring rule
by which estimate other Impressions.
II IS this kind Of eliminating COMPARE
son that Paul uses in my text
The Celestial Music.
In the first place. Paul leads us into
the celestial choir lofts of heaven. He
gathers before us the sweet voiced
singers who once sang the song of the
Nativity above Bethlehem of Judea.
He leads those white winged messen-
gers OF the sky to sing until their unit
cd choruses roll about us In great tidal
waves OF harmony. Some of us have
heard the most famous songstresses on
earth lift up their voices In praise. But
never will our ears hear melodies like
those celestial songs until NJ last az
redeemed spirits we ourselves are sing
ing the song of Moses and the Lamb
before the great white throne of heav
en- Then after Paul has In imagina
ton led us up through the boulevards
of gold. down past the great white man
sions of the skies, and has overwhelmed
us with the beauty and pathos and
grandeur of the inspiring oratorios of
singing is the most beautiful singing of
all the ages. From human lips and
throat could never come music so en-
chanting. But, though we could sing
like that. our song would be empty and
meaningless and discordant II II had
not In It that one thrilling note of love.
Though | speak with the tongue of an
gels and have not love. | am become
as sounding brass or a tinkiing Gym
bal II is love that gives celestial mu-
sic its sweetness"
Then Paul has us sit at the feet OF
Hebrew teachers like Gamallel and
Hllel He introduces TO us the proph-
wise men or the magi OF the east. Ho
solves for us all the knotty social prob
lens OF the day and leads US down
amid the temples of old Egypt and
amid the wonders Of Nineveh and
Babylon and Rome and Athens. Then
he shows us the giants OF faith as IL
tans changing the Typographical con
structlOn OF the earth. Then after he
has piled learning upon wisdom ami
intellectually upon intellectually anu
superlatlve upon superlatiye and made
man omniscient as well as omnipotent
he uttcrs these words: And IL have
the gift OF prophecy and know all mys
teries and all knowledge and II have
all faith so as 20 move mountains but
have not love. am nothing" All. yes;
love Is greater than all the knowledge
contained within the walls Of an Alex.
andrian library Love IS greater than
the wisdom Of King solomon. Love Il
greater than the prophetic eye which
can look through the black curtain
which separates the present and the
events that Will happen millions Of
years hence. Love Is greater than the
strength Of the everlasting hills Love
is greater than the highest triumphs Of
art For II we have not love. no mat
ter how great our intellectually may
he. we are IS nothing Ave. we nrc
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