Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1888-07-04

WINFIELD, KAN, June 24.-Uncounted
| w multitudes were present to-day at a
| great outdoor meeting held in this
place, where the Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage,
DID,, was the preacher. Not only this but
adjoining States were represented in the
congregation, and the occasion will be long
remembered. The text was: ''They that
turn many to righteousness shall shine as
the stars forever and ever. daniel xii, 3;
and the subject: ''The Consultations of the
Redeemed DR.. Talmage said:
| Every man has thousand roots and a
thousand branches. His roots reach down
through all the earth; his branches spread
through all the heavens. He speaks with
voice, with eye, with hand, with foot. His
silence often is thunder, and bis life is an
anthem OF a doxology. There is no such
thing as negative influence. We are all
positive in the place we occupy, making the
world better or making it worse, on the
Lords side or on the DEVILS, making up
reasons for our blessedness or banishment;
and we have already done mighty work
in peopling heaven OF. he'll. hear people
tell of what they are going to do. A man
who has burned down city might as we'll
talk of some evil that he expects to do, or a
man who has saved an empire might as well
talk of some good that he expects to do.-
By the force of your evil Influence you have
already consumed infinite values, or you
have, by the power of a right influence, won
whole Kingdoms for God.
1t would be absurd for me to STAND here,
and by elaborate argument, prove that the
world is off the track. You might as well
stand at the foot of an embankment, amid
the wreck of a capsized rail train, proving
by elaborate argument that something is
out of order. Adam tumbled over the en-
bankment sixty centuries ago, and the
whole race, in one long train, has gone on
tumbling in the same direction. Crash
crash The only question now is, by what
leverage can the crushed thing be lifted p
by what hammer may the fragments be re-
constructed?
I want to show you how we may turn
many to righteousness, and what will be our
future pay for so doing.
First. We may turn them by the charm
of right example. A child, coming from
a filthy home, was taught at school to wash
its face. 1t went home so much improved
in appearance that its mother washed her
face. And when the father of the house.
hold came home, and saw the improvement
in domestic appearance, he washed his face.
The neighbors happening in, saw the
change, and tried the same experiment un-
til all that street was purified, and the next
street copied its example, and the whole
city felt the result of one school boy wash
ing his face. That is a fable, by which we
set forth that the best way to get the world
washed of its sins and pollution is to have
our own heart and life cleansed and puri-
fed. A man with grace in his heart, and
Christian cheerfulness in his face, and holy
consistency in his behavior, is a perpetual
sermon; and the sermon differs from others
in that it has but one head, and the longer
it runs, the better. There are honest men
who walk down Wall street, making the
teeth of iniquity chatter. There are happy
men who 60 into sick room, and by
look, help the broken bone to knit, and the
excited nerves drop to calm beating. There
are pure men whose presence silences the
tongue of uncleanness. The mightiest agent
of good on earth is a consistent Christian
1 like the Bible folded between lids of cloth,
of calfskin, or morocco, but like it better
when, in the shape of a man, it goes out in
to the wnrld-a Bible illustrated. Courage
is beautiful to read about; but rather would
l see man with all the world against him
confident as though all the world were for
him. Patience is beautiful to read about;
but rather would 1 see buffeted soul
calmly waiting for the time of deliverance.
Faith is beautiful to read about; but rath-
er would find man in the midnight walk
ing straight on as though he saw every
thing. Oh, how many sonls have been
turned to God by the charm of bright ex-
ample!
| When, in the Mexican war, the troops
were wavering, a general rose in his stirrups
and dashed into the enemy's lines, shout
ing. "Men, follow - They, seeing his cour-
age and disposition, dashed on after him
and gained the victory. What men want to
rally them for God is an example to lead
them. All your commands to others to ad-
vance amount to nothing so long as you
stay behind. To affect them Alright, you
need to start for heaven yourself, looking
back only to give the stirring cry of, 'Men,
follow p
Again: We may turn many to righteous
ness by prayer. There is no such detective
as prayer, for no one can hide away from it.
1t puts its hand on the shoulder of a man
ship mid Atlantic. The little child cannot
understand the law of electricity, or how
the telegraphic operator, by touching the
instrument here, may dart a message under
no sea to another continent; nor can we,
~; II our small intellect understand how the
wi, WV of Christians prayer shall instantly
C.u:Il U.uin soul on the side of the earth. You
ec1 St;,, and go to some other country, and
eaAe e .san sn.p a. II o'clock in the morning. You
sIo .sS,onl, sne.I a. ~ New York, and the message
oats hapo ot clock in the same morning.
go's gn nelo "S seems to arrive here five
hn Ia osnsa bf"r mo.is' str ~ ID Like that is pray
er. God says: "Bel ne & 1ney can cali' WI, sha
hear" To overtake a 'slu eSa,od que s.ond oa .ne
road, you may spur up a la. 9TH Of hrouoht % ta, the
til he shall OUTRAGE the one tn. so.si, :. tas ~
news to Ghent, but prayer sha. .ou, ho,ns =, =,
one gallop. A boy running awayfi, conn' ne
may take the midnight train from the % t;me
try village, and reach the seaport in ie