The Forrest City times., 1890-07-12
POWER OF TESTIMONY.
Rev. Dr. Talmags Talks of ths IpAu,no,
 of With ,sssa
The Celebrated Drooklya Divine Preacher | Sermon to an Immsnss Outdoor Congre- gstion in Nsbraska-Hh Elegantly Cloth,d ArFumsntl

gstion in Nsbraska-H Elegant
 oloth,d ArgumsntA
 Rev. T. Dc Witt Talnase preached to an immense outdoor assemblage at Beatrice, Neb., last Sunday. His text was "Wc are Witnesses" tActs 3,i5.l Following is his sermon,
 In the days Of George Stephenson, the ?erfector of tho locomotive engine, the scientists proved exclusively that rail way train could never be driven iv steam. power successfully and without ,jeril; but the rushing express traius from Liverpool to Edinbursh, and from Edin >urgh 10 London, have made all the nat ions wit hesses of the splendid achicvem fit Ma chinists and navigators proved conclus- lively that steamer could mover cross the Atlantic Ocean; but no sooner had they successfully proved the itnpossibility of hnch an undertaking than the work was done, and tho passengers on the Cunard, and the Inman, and the National and the White Star lines arc witnesses. There went up guffaw of wise laughter at Prof. Morse's proposition to make the lightning or heaven his errandboy, and it was proved conclusively that the thing could never be done; But now all tho nows of the wlde world, by Associated Press put in your hands every morning and night, has made all nations witnesses So in the .imc of Christ it was proved conclusively that 1t was impossibl, for Him to rise from the dead. It was shown logically that when man was dead, he was dead, And tho heart and the liver and the lungs having ceased to perform their offices, the limbs would be rigid beyond all power of friction or arousil. They showed it to te an absolute absurdity that the deal Christ should ever get up alive; but no sooner had they proved this than the dead Christ arose, and the disciples beheld Him, heard His voice, and talked with Him, and they look the witness stand to prove that to be true which the wiseacres of tho day had proved to be impossible; the record of the experience and of the testimony is in the text: Him hath God raised from the dead, whereof we are witnesses.'
 Now let me play the sceptic for moment There is no God, says the scsptic. "for I have never seen him with my physical eye. sight Your Bible is pack of eontradic- tons There never was q miracle, Laza- rus was not raised from the dead. and the water was never turned into wine. Your religion is an imposition on the creiuality of the ages" There Is an aged man nov. Ing over wonder as though he would like 10 respond. Here arc hundreds of people with Faces little flushed at these announce inen,s, and all through this assembly there Is suppressed feeling which would like to speak out in behalf of the truth of our glorious Christianity as in the days of tho text crying out, TWO are witnessesi'
 Tho fact is that If this world is ever brought to God 1t will not bc through a ,apt hut might cover the whoic earth with apologies for Christianity and learned sreatises in defense Of religion-you would not convert soul, and never will sava soul Lectures on the har- mony between science and religion are beautiful mental discipline but have never saved a soul Put man of tho world and T man of the church against each other, and tho man of tho world will in all probability got the triumph There are n thousand things In our religion that seem illogical 10 tho world. and always will sccm illogical Our weapon in this conflict is faith, not logic; fasth, not metaphysics; .faifA, not profunditv; faith, hot scholastic exploration. But then, in order 10 have faith, we must have .esti- ulons, and If five hundred mcr. or one thousand men, or iive hundred thousand men, or five million men get up and toll mo that they have felt tho religion of Jesus Christ a joy, comfort a heln. an asvira. ton, am bound as a fair. minded man so accept their testimony. want just now to put before you hrfs lsreposifisss the truth Of which 1 think this audience will attest with overwhelming unanimity.
 1ho frs, proposition ls We arc wit. nesscs that tho religion Of Christ is able 10 convert soul. The gospel may have had hard time ta conquer us, ws may have fought 1t back, but we were vanaulshed. You say conversion is only m imaginary lining. Me Know better. "ne are wit. nesscs." Thcro never was 30 great a change in our heart and life on any other subject as on this. People laugh at tho missionaries in Madagascar because they preached ton years without one con. wort, but there arc S30eo converts in adagascar to-day, People laughed at Dr Adoniram Judson. the Baptist nis sienary because he kept oa preaching ia Barmah i've years without a single con vert; but therc are aa,ooo Baptlsts in Bur. nah today. People laughed at Doctor Morrison, in China for preaching therc seven years without a single conversion, bni there arc 25 tno Christians in China to- day. People laughed a, the missionaries for preaching at Tahiti fifteen yeara with. out single conversion and at the mission. aries for preaching in Ben al seventeen years without single conversion; yet in all those lands thero are muititudes of Christians to-day,
 There is man who was for ten yesrs hard drinker. The dreadful appetite had sent down It's roots srouad tho palate and tongue, and on down until they were inter ai ,ett h., x.lt s,f soul; but hc has not taken any stimulsnts pcr.nce societies Not prohibition laws Not mora, suasion. Conversion did IL "Why,n said one upon whom tho great change had como, 'sir, feel Just as though l were somebody else!'' There is n sea captain who swore all the way from New York to Havan,. and from Havana 10 San Francisco. and whom he was in port he was worse than when he was on the sea What power was it that washed his tongue clean of profanities. and made hm a psalm singert Conversion by tho Holy Spirit Thero aru thousands of people in this assemblagc today who are no moro what they once wcrs than water lilly Is a ni9htsh de, or a morning lark Is \ vulturc. or day is night
 Now. if should demand that all those people here present who have felt the con verting power of religion should rise, % far from being ashamed, they would spring 10 their feet with more alacrity than tho y ever sprang to the dance. the tears mingled with their exhlaration as they cried .Ws ars rstssssss'n Aud if they tried to sing tho old Gospel hymn. they would break down with emotion by the time they got to the second line.
 Ashamed Of Jesus, that dear k'rtcnd
 On whom my hopes of heaven dependi
 No, When blush. be this my shame:
 That no more revere His name.
 Again I remark shat 'we arc witncsses' of the Gospels power to comfort Thcro arc Christian parents hero who arc willing to iesisfy to tho powsr of this Gospel to comfort Your son had just graduated from school or college and was gotna into bus ncss, and tho Lord took him. Or your daughter had just graduated from tho