The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1890-07-24
The TALMAGE SERMON.
The Brooklyn Divine breaches on
the Power of Testimony"
Preached in Open Air Mt Beatrice, Neb.,
to nm Immense Congregation.
TEXT: "IVs are ,ritnesses Acts ill.,, IS.

entStS proved concluSlNelS tuaI i1h""J
train could never be driven by steam power
successfully and without peril; hut the
rushing express trains from Liverpool to
Edinburgh and from Edinburgh to London,
have made all the nations witnesses OF the
splendid achievement. Machnists and
navigators proved conC.usiveiy tnat a
steamer could never cross the Atlantlc
Ocean; but 10 sooner had they successfully
proved the irnposSibility of such an under
taking than the work was done, and the pas,
sengers OH the Cunard and the lnman ard
the National and the White Star lines are
witnesses There went up n gutfaw OF Wise
laughter at Professor Morse's proposition to
make the lightning Of heaven his crrand
bov, and it was proved conclusively that the
thing could never DO done; but now all the
news Of the wide world, by Associated Press
put in your hands every morning and niSh1,
has made all nations witnesses.
So in the time of Christ it was proved
conclusvey that it was impossiblefor Him to
rise from the dead. 1t 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 arousal. They showed it to be an absolute
absurdity that the dead Christ should over
get up alive; but no sooner had they proTeI
this than the dead Christ arose, and the dis
ciples beheld Him, heard His voice and
talked with Him, and they took the witness
stand to prove that to bc true when the
wiseacres of tho day had proved to be inl.
possible; the record Of the experience anu OF
the testimony is in the toxt: Him hath Col
raised from the dead, whereof we are wit
neSSeS."
Now let me play the skeptic for moment.
''There is no God" says tho skeptlc, FOR
have never seen Him with my physical
eyesight. Your Bible is a pack of CONTRA
dictions. There never was miracle. Laz-
arus was not raisel from the dead, ana wa
ter was never turned into wine. Your re-
ligion is an imposition OH the creduiity of tho
ages" Thereis is an aged man moving over
yonder rs though he would like 20 respond.
Here are hundreds of people with faces
" little flushed at the announcements, and
all through this assembly there is sup
pressed feeling which would like to speak
out in behalf of the truth Of our glorious
Christianity, as in the days of the text, cry
ing out "Wearc witnesses"
The fact is that if this world is ever
brought to God it will not be through argu.
ment, but through testimony. You might
cover the whole earth with apologies FOR
Christianity aud learned treatlseS in defense
Of religion-you would not convert a soul.
Lectures on the harmony between science
aud religion are beautiful mental discipline,
but have never saved soul and never will
save q soul. Put man of the world and
OF the church against each other and tho
man Of the world will in all probability get
the triumph. There are @ thousand
things in our religion that seem illosi.
cal to the world and always will
seem illogical. Our weapon in this conflict
is faith, not logic; faith, not metaphysics,
faith. not profundity; faith, not scholastic
exploration. But then in order to have faith
we must have testimony, and if five hundred
men, or one thousand men, or five hundred
thousand men, or five million men get up and
tell me that they have felt the religion Of
Jesus Christ q joy, comfort, help, an as
piration, am bound as fair minded man to
accept their testimony. want just now to
put before you three propositions, the truth
Of which think this audience will attest
with overwhelming uuanimity.
The first proposition is: We are witnesses
that the religion of Christ is able to con-
vert soul. The Gospel may have had
hard time to conquer us, wc may havc
fought it back, but we were vanquished.
You say conversion is only an imaginary
thing. We know better. "We aro wit
neSses." There never was so great q change
in our heart and life Oh any other subject
as on this. People laughed at the mission
aries in Madagascar because they preached
ten years without ono convert; but thcre
arc 33, 600 converts in Madagascar to-day.
People laughed at DR.. Adomran Judson,
the Baptist missionary, because he kept on
preaching in Burmah five years without q
single convert; but there are %, 900 BaptistS
in Burmah to-day. People laughed ut DR..
Morrison, in China, for preaching there
seven years without single conversion; but
there are %, 900 Christians in China to-day.
People laughed at the missionaries for
preaching at Tahiti fifteen years without q
single conversion, and at the missionaries for
single conversions; yet in all those lands
there are multitudes Of Christians to-day.
But why go so far to find evidence Of the
Gospels power to save q soul? "Wc arc
witnesses" We were so proud that no
man could have humbled us; we were so
hard that no earthly power could have
melted us; angels of God were oil around
about us; they could not overcome us. But
one day. perhaps at Methodist anxious
seat, or at Presbyterian catechetical lee
ture, or at burial, or on horseback, 4
power seized US, and made US get down, and
made US tremble, and made US lIneel, all
made us cry for mercy, and we tried to
wrench ourselves away from the grasp, but
We could not. 1t flung US fiat, and When we
arose we were as much changed as GouryiS
the heather, who went into prayer meeting
with o dagger and gun to disturb the meet
ing and destroy it, but tho next day was
found crying: "Oh, my great sins On, my
great Saviour!' and for eleven years
preached the Gospel of Christ to his fellow
mountaineers. the last words on his dying
lips being Free Grace" Oh, it was free
grace.
There is man who for ten years was q
hard drinker. The dreadful appetite had
sent down its roots around the palate and
the tongue; and on down until they were were
interlinEe1 with the vitalS OF the body,
mind and soul: but he has not taken any
stimulants for ten years. What did that?
Not temperance societies. Not prohibition
laws. Not moral suasion. Conversion did
it. "Why," said one upon whom the great
change had come, "sir 1 feel just as
though were somebody elseW There is q
sea captain who swore all the way from New
York to Havana, and from Havana to San
Francisco, and when 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 him psalm singer?
Conversion by the Holy Spirit There arc
thousands Of people in this assemblagc today
who are no more what they once were than
wateriily is q nightshade, or morning
lark is vulture. or day night.
Now, if should demand TINT all thoss
people here present who have felt the con-
vertiny power of religion should rise, so far
from being ashamed til y would spring to
their feet with more alacrity than they ever
sprang to the dance, the tears mingling with
their exhilaration as they cried 'We aro
witnesses AMI if they tried to SIM the
old Gospel hymn they would break down
with emotion by the time they got to tho
second line.
Ashamed OF Jesus, that dear Friend
On whom my hopes OF heaven dtpcnd?
No. When b'I.h, b, this my shame;
That no more revere Ills name.
Again remark that VIC are witnesses Of
tho Gospels power to comfort. There are
Christian parents hero who are willing to
testify to the power of the Gospel to cont
fort. Your son had just graduatel from