The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1890-07-09
1--WE ARE WITNESSES"
The Power of Testimony Showing
the Value of Religion.
Evidence Of the Gospels Power to Save
Souls and to Give Composure in the
Last Moment--Dr. Talmage
breaches Sermon In
Nebraska.

an immense audience on "The Power OF
Testimony" His text was-Acts 8, IS:
1--WE are witnesses" The eloquent
Brooklyn divine spoke as follows:
In the days Of George Stephenson, the
perfector Of the locomotive engine, the
scientists proved conclusively that
railway train could never be driven by
steam power successfully and without
peril; but the rushing express trains
from Liverpool to Edinburgh, and from
Edinburg to London, have made all the
nations witnesses Of the splendid
achievement Machinists and navigators
proved conclusively that steamer could
never cross the Atlantic Ocean; but no
sooner had they successfully proved the
impossibility Of such an undertaking
than tho work was done, and the passen-
gers on the Cunard, and the Inman, and
the National, and the White Star lines
are witnesses. There went up guffaw
OF wise laughter at Prof. Morse's propo-
sition to make the lightning Of heaven
his efrand-boy, and it was proved con-
clusively that the thing could
never be done; but now all the
news of the wide world, by AS
sociated Press put in your hands
every morning and night, has made all
nations witnesses. So in the time Of
Christ it was proved conclusively that 1t
was impossible for Him to rise from the
dead. 1t was shown logically that when
man was dead, no was dead, and the
heart and the liver and the lungs having
ceased TO perform their offices the limbs
would be rigid beyond all power Of fric-
tion or arousal. They showed 1t to be
an absolute absurdity that the dead
Christ should ever get up alive; but no
sooner rhad they proved this than the dead
Christ arose, and the disciples beheld
Him, heard His voice, and talked with
Him, and they took the witness stand to
,prove that to be true which the wiseacres
Of the 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 a mo-
ment. "There is no God" says the
sceptic, 'for have never seen him with
my physical eyesight Your Bible is a
pack OF contradictions There never
was miracle. Lazarus was not raised
from the dead, and the water was never
turned into wine. Your religion is an
imposition on the credulity Of the ages. "
There isan aged man moving over yonder
as though he would like correspond. Here
are hundreds Of people with faces a
little flushed at these announcements,
and all through this assembly there is a
suppressed feeling which would like to
speak out in behalf OF the truth Of our
glorious Christianity, as in the days Of
the text, crying out, 1--WE are witness
sesl"
The fact is, that IL this world is ever
brought to God, it will not be through
argument, but through testimony. You
might cover tho whole earth with apol-
ogies for Christianity and learned treat.
ises in defense Of religion-y would
not convert soul. Lectures on the
harmony between science and religion
are beautiful mental discipline, but
have never saved soul. Put man Of
the world and a man OF the church
against each other, and the man OF the
world will in all probability get the tri'
umph. There are thousand things In
our religion that seem illogical to the
world, and always will seem illogical
Our weapon in this conflict Is faith, moi
logic; faith, not metaphysics; faith, moi
profundity; faith, not scholastic explo
ration. But then in order TO have faith
we must have testimony, and II five
hundred men, or one thousand men, or
Ave hundred thousand men, or FIVE mill
ion men get up and tell me that they
have felt the religion of Jesus Christ q
Joy, comfort, a help, an aspiration,
am bound as fair-minded man TO &C.
cept their testimony. / want just now
TO put before you three propositions
the truth Of which / think this audi.
ence will attest with overwhelming
unanimitv.
The first proposition is, We are wit
nesses that the religion OF Christ is able
TO convert soul. The Gospel may have
hard time TO conquer us, we may have
fought It back, but we were vanquished
You say conversion is only an imaginary
thing. We know better I'VE are wit
nesses." There never was so great Q
change in our heart and life on any
other subject as on this. People laughed
at the missionaries in Madagascar be-
cause they preached ten years without
one convert, but there are $1,000 con
verts in Madagascar to-day People
laughed at DR.. Adoniram Judson, the
Baptist missionary, because he kept on
preaching in Burmah FIVE years without
a single convert; but there are 90, ,00t
Baptists in Burmah to-day. People
laughed at DIR. Morrison in China, for
preaching there seven years without q
single conversions; but there are $4,000
Christians in China to-day. People
laughed at the missionaries for preach
ing at Tahiti fifteen years without q
single conversion, at the missionaries
for preaching In Bengal seventeen years
without a single conversion, yet in all
those lands there are multitudes oi
Christians to-day. lr
But why go so far to find evidence oi
tho Gospels power to save a soul? "We
are ewitnesses.p = We were so proud thai
no man could have humbled as; wewere
so hard that no earthly power could have
melted u.s. angels Of God were oil around
about us, they could not overcome us
but one day, perhaps At Methodis'
anxious seat, or at q Presbyterian cate'
chetical lecture, Of at burial, ortor
horaahack n nnUar lReizAd uA. and uI1Il