Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-04-30

Serfn
By Rev.
Franz. De Witt Talmage, d. y.

New YORK, April Eth this sermon
tho preacher exalts love as the highest
of the Christian graces. Dr. Talmage
has resigned his pastoratc in Los An
gcles. feeling the need of complete rest.
and has gone to Europe. where he will
remain six months. lie will compose
no sermons during his absence. The
text of this farewell sermon is taken
from ! Corinthians xiii, 10, And the
greatest of these is love" (R. W.
Talking with friend before setting
out OH my European journey. ] re-
ferred to 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
rould describe the grandeur and mai
esty Of that wonderful scene. lust be-
fore ] went there was told that a
man approached the brink of that aw-
full chasm, and rs he looked across it
md down into its depths and up into
the sky be dropped upon his knees and
cried: 20 COD, how infinitely great
eyes bcheld It this wonderful nantes
tation Of thy handiworlr All that you
can do when you visit the Grand can
yon is to be overwhelmed with the i'm
mensity of its conception. it is greater,
far greater, than your Widest imagina-
ton could ever conceive"
Well, | said to myself If that is true
there is one fact will learn from the
Grand canyon. That will va its su-
perlativeness as a basis for compari-
Son. There are things that are above
and beyond utterance. Paul heard
things when he was caught MP to heav-
en- that he said were unspeal;nble, 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 1t
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 overwh helm
Ing impression which one gets from his
first view of the Grand Canyon of Ari-
zona II is species of measuring rule
by which | estimate other impressions.
81 Is tllS hll1u VI Culllll llllE CbutpHll-
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
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 bear melodies like
those celestial songs until at last as
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
tion led us up through the boulevards
Of gold, down past the great white man
yons 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 on
chanting. But, though we could sing
like that. our song would be empty and
meaningless and discordant If it had
not In II 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 tinkling Gym
bal. 1t is love that gives celestial mu-
sic It's sweetness"
Then Paul has us sit at the feet Of
Hebrew teachers like Gamaliel and
Hillel. Ee introduces to US the proph
cts Of old. lie brings before US the
wise men or the magi Of the east. He
solves for rs all the lSnotty social prob
lens Of the day and leads us down
amid the temples of old Egypt and
amid the wonders Of Niueveh and
Babylon and Rome ard Athens. Then
he shows us the giants OF faith as Ii
tans changing the Typographical con
Etruction of the earth. Then after he
has piled learning upon wisdom ant
intellectually upon intellectually anC
superGtive upon supcrlative and made
man omniscent as well as omnipoten
he utters these words; And II hav;
the gift of prophecy and know all mys
terios and all knowledge and If have
oil faith so as to move mountains. bu
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 thai
the wisdom OF King Solomon. Love i
greater than the prophetic eye which
can look through tie black curtain
which separates the present and tn
events that will happen millions o
years hence. Love is greater than tn
strength Of the everlasting hills. Low
is greater than the highest triumphs 0
art For If we have not love, no mat
ter how great our intellectually ma.
he, we are as nothing. Aye, we ar
worse than nothing. Is not Pauls sec
end comparison again approaching til
eliminating superative?
Love the Greatest Of All.
Then, as a guide leads us higher an
higher over n mountain range and W
climb from peak to peak until at las
we stand upon the topmost plnnacl
overlooking all mountains. rising out q
material into moral elevation. Par
saws: Love ia more than this Thong