The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-12-24
ON TRIAL.
Sermon by Rev. T. De Witt Tall
mage, D. D.
The Great and Awful Day OF Account
The Indictment and the Witnesses
The All Powerful Advocate, and
for Whom He Pleads.

BnooKLYy, n. Y, Dec 10 On Trial"
was the subject of DR.. Talmage's discourse
TO-DAY. He took for his text the first epiS-
tie of John. second chapter, ana part Of the
first verse: I've have an advocate with
the Father Jesus Christ the righteous"
The speaker said:
Standing in courtroom you say to your
self: At this bar crime has often been
arraigned: at this witness stand the oath
has often been taken: at this jurors bench
the verdict has often been rendered; at this
Judges desk sentence has been pro-
nouncedn But have to tell you to-day OF
q trial higher than any oyer and termlEer,
or circuit, or supreme, or caslcery-lt IS
the trial of every Christian man fer the
life of his.scul. This trial is different from
any other in the fact That 1t is both civil
and criminal The issues at stake are ire
mendous. and | shall in my sermon show
YOU, first what are the grounds of COM
paint: then who are the witnesses in the
cause. and. lastly, who are the advocates.
When trial is called or. the first thing
is 10 have the Indictment read. Stand up,
then. o Christian man. and hear the in-
dictment OF the court of High Heaven
against thy soul, 1t is an Indictment OF
ten counts, for thou hast directly or inai-
rectly broken all the len commandments.
You know how it Numbered on Sinai, and
when God came down how the mountain
rocked and the smoke assembled as from a
smoldering furnace. and the darkness
gathered thick and the loud, deep trumpet
uttered the words: The soul that Sinneth,
II shall die,''
Are you guilty or not guilty! Do not put
in a negative plea too quick. for / have to
announce that s.ali have sinned and come
short of the glory of God. There is none
that doeth good: no. not one. Whosocver
shall keep the whole law, yet offend in one
point. he is guilty OF ALL Do not. there
fire, be too hasty in pronounc;ng yourself
not guilty.
This lawsuit before Us also charges you
with the breaking of 4 solemn contract.
Many time did your promise to be the
Lords. You got down ON your knees aud
said: 20 Lord, am Thine now and forev-
err Did you keep the promise! Have
you stood up to the contract. l go back
to your first communion. You remember
1t as well as if it was yesterday. You
know how the vision OF the cross rose be-
fore you. You remember how from the
head, and the hands, and the side, and the
feet. there came bleeding forth these two
words: Remember Inci'' You recall how
the cup of communion trcmblcd in your
hand when you first took it; ami as in 4
"a shell you may hear. or think you hear
the roaring of the surf even
after the shell has been taken
from the beach. 50 YOU lifted the cup Of
communion, and you heard in it the surgins
CT the great ocean OF a Saviour's agony: ard
you came forth from that communion serv-
zee with face shining as though you hal
b 'nn on The Mount Of TRANSPORTATION; and
the very air seemed tremu.ouS with the
love OF Jesus, and the woods, and the
leaves. and the grass, and the birds were
brighter and sweeter voiced than ever be-
fore, and you said down in the very depths
of your soul: Lord, Thou knowest all
things: Thou knowest that l love Thee
Have you kept the bargain, o Christian
mn. Have you not sometimes faltered
when you ought to have been true. Have
you not been proud when You ought 10
have been humble. Have you not played
tue coward when you ought to have been
the heros l charge it upon you and I
charge it upon nysclf-we have broken the
contract.
Still further, this lawsuit claims damages
1t your hands. The greatest SANDER on the
Christian religion is an inconsistent pro-
fessor. The Bible says religion is one thing;
we b. cur Inconsistency say religion is
some other thing, and what is more de-
plorable about it is that people can see
faults in others while they can not see any
in themselves. If you shall at any time
find some miserable old gossip, with imper-
fections from the croWn of her head to the
sole of her foot, perfect blotch of
Sin herself, she will 60 tattling, tattling,
tattling all the years of her life,
ABOUT the inconsistencies Of others, having
no idea she is inconsistent herself. God
save the world from the gossip-female and
male! think the males are the worst. Now
the chariot of Christ's salvation goes on
through the world, but it is our inco INSIST
encies, my brethren, that lock up the
wheels, while all along the line there ought
to have been cast nothing but palm branches
and the shout should have been lifted:
"Hosanna to the Son of David,''
Now you have heard the indictment read.
Are you ready TO plead guilty or not guilty.
Perhaps you are not ready yet to plead
Then the trial will 60 on. The witnesses
will be called, and we shall have the mat
ter decided. In the name Of God / now
make proclamation: ''Oyezt Oyer! oyez!
whatsoever hath any thing to offer in this
trial, in which God is the plaintiff and the
Christian soul the defendant, let him now
step forth and give testimony in this SOL
cmn trial"
The first witncs that call upon the stand
in behalf of the prosecution Is the World
all critical and observant OF Christian
character. You know that there are peo-
pie around you who perpctually banquet
on the fraiities of Gods children. You
may know. if you have lived in the coun-
try, that crow cares for nothing SO much
as a carrion There are those who imagine
that out of the faults of Christians they
can make bridge of boats across the
stream of death. and they are going to try
it: but, alas, fer the mistake: When they
get amid stream away will go the bridge
and down will go their soul to perdition.
o, World OF the greedy eye and hard
heart, come on the stand now and testify
in behalf of the prosecution against this
Christian soul on trial What do You know
about this Christian man! "Oh." says the
World, Il know a great deal.about him.
He talks about putting his treasures in
Heaven, but he is the sharpest man in .
trade lever knew: he seems to want US 10
believe that he is a child of God. but he is
Just full OF imperfections: do not know
bat l am great deal better than he is
now. Oftentimes he is very earthly, and
he talks so little about Christ and so much
about himself. l an very glad TO testify
that this is bad man" ,AsS
Stop. World with the greedy eye and
hard heart. fear You are too much inter-
ested in this trial TO give impartial evil
dcncc. Let all who hear the testimony Of
this witness know that there is an old fam
lily quarrel between these two parties.
There always Eas been a variance between
the world aud the church, and while the
world on the witness stand to-day mas told
O great deal of truth about this Christian
man, you must take it all witE some allow
ance, remembering that they will still
keep the old grudge good o, World of the