The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1914-12-19
SATURDAY NIGHT
Ma SERMONS
>WS BY
q REXSAMUEL
WpUPVISDD
THE SUBLIME ORATOR.

Jesus was popular preacher
Crowds focked to hear him. The
synagogue was full when he spoke
Town and village focked to the fields
when he spoke there The beach was
crowded when he spoke from the prov
Of Simon Peters fishing boat The
farmer left his plow. the fisherman his
boat. the woman her kneading trough.
the tax gatherer his booth Rich men
like Nicodemus and Joseph of Arima.
thea listened secretly. the common
people heard him gladly. The high
priests came to the conclusion that
they must silence him or they them
selves would soon be overthrown. The
very sanhedrin itself would soon
60 down before this new leader who
had such eloquence Of word and spirit,
such fascination and charm of soul,
that the multitude were carried away
by his addresses. So they sent their.
police to arrest him. The officers
waited too long before acting. II they
had gone up to him while he was
silent, but they were curious to hear
him speak. In a short while his ar.
rest at their hands was no longer a
part Of their days work. He had ar
rested them, They came back to their
superior officers empty handed "why
have ye not brought him?" they In
quired. Never man spake like this
man." was the answer. Then the
Pharisees sneered in their faces and
said. Are ye also deceivedT"
Tho Art of Arts.
Not all great men are speakers.
Washington never made a speech. In
the zenith of his fame he once tried It,
failed and gave it up, confused and
abashed. Jefferson never made
speech. Grant was ''the silent man of
Galena." Napoleon. whose abilities
as an executive were unparalleled,
couldn't talk before an audience. Men
are born oratorsT Not any more
than born DOCTORS or born lawyers"
There are Of course an inherent capa-
bility and capacity with some, but be-
yond all that it is an accomplishment,
an art, a science 1t is the one master
full art that can be acquired. The pub
lie speaker dominates those who hear
him, convinces their reason. controls
their Judgment, compels their action.
He is their master. Patrick Henry
and Nathan Hale each was immortal
lied by single sentence. A great par
liamentary reputation was built on a
single speech by a man who had wit
enough to keep silence afterward. Part
of great evangelist's attraction is
that folks like to see and hear q real
live man In action. talking In the YER
nacular of the common people The
bearing and the manner are often
more eloquent and more truthful than
the tongue. The speaking eyes. the
teltale cheeks-the living man.
The Great Preacher.
Three elements combine to mako
eloquence-a great occasion, a great
theme, great personality. Lincoln
at Gettysburg. Webster at Bunker Hill,
Beecher at Manchester, Chatham in
parliament. When John Randolph was
about to die he said to his fellow sea
ators. Lift me up" They lifted him.
Il want to hear that voicer' "Whose?"
Henry Clay's." Then he was willing
to die. The occasion brings eloquence
Christ's occasion was the need of hu-
manity; his theme. the kingdom Of
God-at hand. He spoke of the great
questions that belong to all time and
ages He talked Of God and man. He
took God out of the clouds and pitched
his tents close to the tents of men.
He spoke about humanity. He put
new meaning in the word neigh
bor." His personality was unique. He
was filed with the spirit he sought to
fmpart to others. The secret of pull
pit power and eloquence is not in the
teaching of the schools, though that is
useful. To teach theology is not to
preach religion. Wesley and White
field We're great preachers-one Armin-
ian, the other Calvinist.t Massillon
and Melanchthon-one was Roman
Catholic, the other Protestant Au.
thority, sympathy, love of nature, pro-
found spiritual experience, love Of hu.
the fundamentals Of oratory.
Christ the convsrsationaiist.
The Master was not a Demosthenes
with action" for his three rules of
oratory. He did not depend for his
power on dramatic effects. He taught
often sitting down. He didn't captfvate
his audience by oratorical splendor.
His power wasn't primarily intellec-
tual, not the dialogues of Plato or the
philosophy of Hegel or Kant Most
of his teaching was conversational
Colloquial talks with men rather than
set speeches Only about five of his
discourses can properly be called ser,
mons. Yet he continually dealt with
the greatest problems of human life
What is the object OF life: the secret
of happiness. of Wilderness. holiness OF
character; the duty of man: the issue
of life; the outcome of the drama Of
human history? His parallels are in
depreciation of great spiritual truths
His conversations with Nicodemus and
the woman of Samaria are rich in food
value His table talks at the dinner
feasts are uplifting. Would that we
could take our profitless exchange OF
empty phrases in conversation and
vitaliZe them Not all can be orators;l
all can reach the human heart through