Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1886-12-30

unresisted, would have made him."
The evidence on the part OF the prosecution
has closed. Now let the defense bring on the
rebuttal testimony. What have you u Chris
tlan soul, to bring In reply to this evidence Of
the world, of the conscience, Of the angel, and
OF the Holy Ghosts No eyidencef Are all
these things truel eyes, unelean, unclean,"
says every Christian SOUL What! DO you not
begin to tremble at the thought Of condemna-
tioni
We have come now to the most interesting
part of this great trial The evidence all In,
the advocates speak. The profession OF an ad-
vocate Is full OF responsibility. In England
aud the United States there have arisen men
who In this calling Lave been honored by their
race and thrown contempt upon those who in
the profession have been guilty Of great
many meannesses. That. profession will be
honorable as long ms 1t has attache'i 10 IL such
names as Mansfield, and Marshall, and Story,
and Kent, and Southland, and William Writ.
The courtroom has sometimes been the scene
OF very marvellous and thrilling things. Some
OF you remember the famous GIrard Will Case,
where one of our advocates pleaded the cause
Of the Bible and Christianity in mastery An
glo-Saxon, every paragraph thunderbolt.
Some of on have read OF the famous trial In
Westminster Hall, of Warren Hastings, the
despoier of India. That great man had con-
cuered India By splendid talents by courage,
by brides, by gigantic dishonesty. The whole
world had rung with applause or condemna-
Ill
Of the most famous audiences ever gathered.
Foreign ministers and princes sat there. Peers
marched In clad In ermine and gold. Mighty
men and women from all lands looked down
upon the scene Amid all that pomp and
spendor, aud amid an excitement such as has
Sc dora been seen in any court room, Edmund
Burke advanced in speech which will last MS
long as the English language, concluding
with this burning charge whcI made Warren
Hastings cringe and cover; 81 impeach him
In the name Of the Commons House OF Parlia-
ment, whose trust lie has betrayed. l impeach
him in the name of the English nation, whose
ancient honor he has sulled. impeach
him in the name of the people Of India, whose
rights he has trampled on, aud whose country
he has turned into desert. And, lastly, in
the name of human nature In the name OF
both sexes, In the name of every age and rank,
l impeach him as the common enemy and OPP
presSor of ALL"
But turn from the recital of those memora-
Bile occasions to a grander trial, and have 10
tell YOU that In this trial of the Christian for
the life Of his soul, the advocates are mightier,
wiser and more eloquent The evidence all
being In, Justice rises on behalf Of the prose-
cution to make his plea. With the Bible open
in his hand he reads the law, stern and IN
flexible, and the penalty ''The soul that sim
meth, it shall die" Then he says: 20 Thou,
Judge and Lawgiver, this is Thine own stat
ute and all the evidence In earth and heaven
agrees in stating that this man has sinned
against all these enactments. Now let the
sword leap from its scabbard Shall man go
through the very flames of Sinai unsinged!
Let the law he executed. l. judgment be
pronounced. Let him die. demand that he
die.n
0 Christian, does it not look very dark for
theei Who will plead on thy side In so forlorn
a causel Sometimes man will be brought
into a court of law, and he will have no
friends, and no money, and the judge will look
{ T.
will volunteer to take this mans case, and de-
fend hima" and some young man rises up and
says: II will be his COUNSEL" perhaps starting
on from that very point TO great and brilliant
career Now, in this matter Of the soul, as
you have nothing to pay for counsel, do you
think that any one will volunteers Yes, yes: l
see One rising. He is a young man, only
thirty-three years of age. l see His counte-
nance sutfused with tears and covered with
blool, and all the galleries OF heaven are
thrilled with the spectacle. Thanks be unto
God! 1--WE have an advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous"
o Christian soul, your case begins to look
better. l think, perhaps. after all you may
not have to die. The best advocate in all the
universe has taken your side. No one was
ever so qualified to defend q man as this
advocate, Is qualified to defend you, He
knows all the law all its demands, all its
penalties. He is always ready. No new
turn of the case can surprise Him, and He
will plead for you for nothing as earnestly as
though you brought world of treasures TO
HIS feet. Besides that He has undertaken
the care of thousands who were as forlorn as
you, and He has never lost case. Courage,
o Christian soul! | think that after all there
NAV be some chance for you, for the great
Advocate rises 10 make his plea. He says:
II admit all that has been proved against
my client. ! admit all these sins, aye, more;
but look at that wounded hand of mine, and
nnl ct hat hnF ,yn hand m
right foot and at my left foot BY all these
wounds plead for his clearance. Count all
the drops of nv tears. Count all the
drops of my blood By the huInil alton of
Bethlehem, by the sweat of Gethsemane, by
the sufferings of the cross demand that he
go free. On this arm he hath leaned; to this
heart he hath flown; in my tears be hath
washed; on my righteousness he hath depend
ed. Let him 90 free. | am the ransom. Let
him escape the lash, | took the scourgings.
Let the cup pass from him, drank it to the
dregs. Put on him the crown OF life, for |
have worn the crown OF thorus. Over against
my cross of shame, set his throne triumph"
Well, the counsel on both sides have
spoken and there is oaly one more thing now
remaining, and that is the awarding OF The
Judgment. II you have ever been in court
room YOU know the silence, and the s0lemnity,
when the verdict is about TO be rendered or
the judgment about 10 be given. About this
soul on trial, shall 1t be saved or shall 1t be
losti Attention. above. around, beneath. All
the universe cries: Hear! Hearw
The Judge rises and gives this decision,
never to be changed, never to be revoked
There is therefore now no condemnation TO
them who are In Christ Jesus"
'rThe soul that on Jesus hath leaned for
reposc.
viii not, l will not, desert to His foes;
That sonl though all hell should endeayo'
to shake,
RI
But, my friends, there is coming day OF
trial IN which not only the saint, but the sin
ner must appear That day Of trial will come
very suddenly. The farmer will be at the
plough, the merchant will be in the counting
room the woodman will be ringing his axe on
the hickories, the weaver will have his foot on
the treadlc, the manufacturer will be wa king
amid the buzz of looms and the clack of flying
machinery, the counsel may be standing al
the bar pleading the law, the minister may be
In the pulpit pleading the Gospel, the drunk
ard may be reelng amid the cups, and thu
blasphemer with the oath caught between hi
teeth.
Lol The sun hides. Night comes down al
mid-noon. A wave Of darkness rolls Ovei
the earth. The stars appear at noon day
The earth shudders and robs There ar
| earthquake opens and city sinks as croco
d lie would cranch a CHI ld. Mountains roll in
their sockets and send down their granite
cl fl in an avalanche of rock. Rivers pause
IN their chase for the sea, and ocean, uprear
| ing, cries to flying Alps and Him laval, Beasts
below, and moan, and snuff up the darkness
Clouds fiy like focks OF swift eagles. Grea
thunders beat, and boom, and burst. STAR
shoot and fail. The Almighty. rising on hi
throne, declares that time shall be no longer
| and the archanges trump repeats it till al
| the living hear, and the continents Of deaf
spring to their feet, crying: Time shall b
no longer'
have shown you how well the Christian
will get off in his trial. viii you get off a
well In your trial! Will Christ plead on you
side or will he plead against youl Oh, wha
will you do In the last great assze, If you
conscience is against you, and the world
against you, and the angels Of heaven ar
| against you, and the Holy Spirit is agains
| you, and the Lord God Almighty is agains
youl Better this day secure an advocate.