Milford chronicle., 1908-05-01
Calnaee
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaee. D. D.

OF the Christian graces. DR.. Talmag'
has resigned his pastorate in Los An
Rsles. feeling the need Of complete rest
and has gone to Europe. where he will
Femain six months. he will COMPOSE
30 sermons during his absence. The
ext Of this farewell sermon is taken
from l Corinthians Kill, Is. And the
greatest OF these is love" Or. W.
Talking with a friend before setting
ont on my European journey. re-
ferred to my long cherished desire to
visit the famous canyon Of Arizona
that might study it and describe 1t to
my eastern friends. 1T cannot be
done" said my friend. mo living man
could describe the grandeur and maj
esty OF that wonderful scene. Just be-
fore / went there l was told that a
man approached the brink Of that aw-
full chasm, and as he looked across it
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 It this wonderful manifes-
tation Of thy handiworkr All that you
can do when you visit the Grand can
yon is TO be overwhelmed with the i'm
mensity Of its conception. 1t is greater,
far greater. than your widest magma
ton could ever conceive"
Well, l said to myself II that is true
there is one fact will learn from the
Grand canyon. That viii be its su-
perlativeness as a basis for COMPARE
son. There are things that are above
and beyond utterance. Paul heard
things when he was caught up to heav-
en- 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 It
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 Overwhelm-
ing impression which one gets from his
drst view of the Grand Canyon OF Ari-
Eona. 1t is a species OF measuring rule
BY which | estimate other impressions.
IT Is this kind Of eliminating cOmpari-
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
above Bethlehem Of Judea. j
He leads those white winged messen-
gers Of the sky to sing until their unit
ed 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 at last as
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 magma
lion led US up through the boulevards
Df 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
The celestial city he says to US: That
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
Ike that, our song would be empty and
and discordant If it had
not in it that one thrilling note Of love.
Though speak with the tongue Of an
gels and have not love, l am become
as sounding brass or a tinkling GYM
bal. 1t is love that gives celestial mu-
BIC its sweetness"
Then Paul has US sit at the feet OF
Hebrew teachers like Gamaliel and
HHlel. He introduces to us the proph-
FITS OF old. He brings before us the
wise men or the magi Of the east. He
solves for us all the knotty social prob
ems Of the day and leads us down
amid the temples Of old Egypt and
amid the wonders OF Nineveh and
and Rome and Athens. Then
he shows us the giants of faith as IT.
tRns changing the typographical con-
struction Of the earth. Then after he
has piled learning upon wisdom and
Intellectually upon intellectually and
superlative upon superlative and made
man omniscient as well as omnipotent
he utters these words: "And If have
the gift Of prophecy and know all mys-
Ieries and all knowledge and If have
al faith so as to move mountains, but
have not love. am nothing" An. yes;
ove is greater than all the knowledge
contained within the walls Of an Alex
lndrian library. Love is greater than
he wisdom Of King Solomon. Love is
yreater than the prophetic eye which
an look through the black curtain
which separates the present and the
vents that will happen millions Of
ears hence. Love Is greater than the
trength Of the everlasting hills. Love
5 greater than the highest triumphs Of
1T. For If we have not love. no mat
er how great our Intellectually may
e. we are as nothing Aye. we are
vorse than nothing Is not Paul's sec
nd comparison again approaching the