The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-01-21
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
The BROOKLYN DIVINE'S SUN
DAY SERMON.


Subject; "A Religious Movement in
1891"
TEXT: ssTdrry ye in the city Of Jerusalem
until ne be endusd aoith power from on
high."-Luke xiv, 40.
For a few months, in the providence Of
God, I have two pulpits, one in Brooklyn
and tho other in New York, and through the
kindness of the printing press an ever
and readers come with an especial message.
The time has arrived for forward move
ment such as the church and the world have
never seen. That there is a need for such
religious movement Is evident from the fact
that never since our world was swung out
among the planets has there been such an
organized and determined effort to over
throw Righteousness, and make the len
Commandments obsolete and the whole Bible
derision Meanwhile alcoholism Is taking
down its victims by the hundreds OF thou
their knees, practically saying: 70 thou al
mighty rum Jug! we bow down before theel
Give us the oflces-city, State and national.
Oh, give us the offices, and we will worship
thee for ever and ever; Amen"
The Christian Sabbath meanwhile, ap-
pointed for physical, mental and spiritual
rest, is being secularized and abolished. As
II the bad publishing houses Of our own coun.
try had exhausted their literary filth, the
French and Russian sewers have been invited
to pour their scurriftY and moral slush into
the trough where our American swine are
now wallowing. Meanwhile there are enough
&c ;,,fo ~. on r,I
unmolested of the law, to invoke the omnipo-
tent wrath which buried Sodom under de-
luge of birthstone. The pandemoniac world,
think, has massed its troops, and they are
at this moment plying their batteries upon
family circles, church circles social circles,
political circles and national circles. Apollyon
Is in the saddle, and riding at the head Of his
myrmidons would capture this world fol
darkness and woe.
That is one side Of the conflict now raging.
On the other side we have the most magnih.
cent gospel machinery th:st the world ever
saw or heaven ever invented. In tho first
place there are in this country more than
eighty thousand ministers of religion and,
take them as class, more consecrated,
holier more consistent, more SCI denying,
more faithful men never lived. know them
by the thousands. I have met them in every
city. am told, not by them, but by people
outside Of our profession, people engaged in
Christian and reformatory work, that the
clergy Of America are at the head Of all good
enterprises, and whoever elsa fail they may
be depended on. The truth of this is demon.
strated by the fact that when minister Of
religion does fall, it is so exceptional that the
newspapers report it as something startling,
while q hundred men in other callings may
godown without the matter being considered
as especially worth mentioning.
In addition to their equipment In moral
character the clergy Of this country have all
that the schools can give. All archaeology.
cal, rhetorical, scientific, scholastic, literary
attainment. SO much for the Christian
ministry of all denominations. In the next
place on our side Of the conflict we have the
grandest churches Of all time and higher
style of membership and more OF them, and
host without number Of splendid men and
women who are doing their best to have this
world purified, elevated, gospelized. But
we all feel that something is wanting.
Enough hearty songs have been sung and
enough earnest sermons preached within the
last six months to save all the cities Of Amer
lea, and saving the cities you save tho world,
for they overflow all the land either with
tfeir religion or their infamy.
But look at some Of the startling facts.
It is nearly nineteen hundred years since
Jesus Christ came by the way Of Bethlehem
caravansary to save this world, yet the
most of the world has been no more
touched by this most stupendous fact OF
all eternity than if on the first Christmas
night the beasts Of the stall, amid the bleat.
ings Of their own young, had not heard the
bleating Of the Lamb that was to be slain.
Out Of the eighteen hundred million Of the
human race fourteen hundrad ISiiiion are
without God and without hope in the world,
the camel Of Arabia, Mahomet, with
his nt7s wives having half as many disciples
as our blessed Christ, and more people are
worshiplng chunks of painted wood and
carved stone than are w0rshiping the living
and eternal God. Meanwhile, the most Of
us who are engaged in Christian work.
speak for myself as we'll es others-are toll.
Ing up to our full capacity of body, mind and
soul, harnessed up to the last buckle, not
able to draw a pound more than we are
drawing or lift an ounce more than we are
lifting.
What is the matter? My text lets out the
secret. We all need more Of the power from
on high. Not muscular power, not logical
power, not scientific power, not social power,
not financial power, not brain power, but
power from on high. With 1t we could &C.
compish more in one week than without It
In q hundred years. AndI am going to get
It, IL in answer to prayer, earnest and long
continued, God will grant 1t to me, His un.
worthy servant. Men and women who know
how to pray, when you pray for yourself,
pray for me that may be endued with power
from on high. would rather have it than
all the diamond fields Of Goiconda, and all the
pearls Of the sea, and all the gold Of the
mountains. Many Of the mightiest intellects
never nad roucn or it, ana many Of the less
than ordinary intellects have been surcharged
with It. And every man and woman on eartt
hasa right to aspire to it, right to pray fol
It, and, properly persistent, will obtain It.
Power from on the level Is q good thing,
srch power as may give you, or you may
give me, by encouraging words and actions.
Power from on the level when we stand by
each other in any Christian undertaking
Power from on the level when other pulpit:
are In accord with ours. Power from on the
level when the religious and secular pres
forward our Christian undertakings. Eu
power from on the level Is not suffic:en
Power from on highs what we need to ta's
possession Of us. Power straight from Go !:
Supernatural power, omnipotent power, a!
conquering power. Not more than one ou
Of thousand Of the ministers has it con
tinuously. Not moro than one out OF tel
thousand Christians has it all the time. Givei
IN abundance, these last ten years of tn
nineteenth century would accomplish mor'
for God, and the church, and the world tina!
the previous ninety years Of this century.
A few men and women in each age OF tn
world have possessed it. Caroline Fry, tn
immortal Quakeress, had it, and three hun
dred Of tho depraved and suffering of New
gate prison, under her exhortation, repentei
and believed. Jonathan Edwards had 1t, an(
Northampton meeting house heard the out
burst OF religious emotion as he spake 0
Righteousness and judgment to come. Sanlue
Budgett the Christian merchant, had it, AM
his benefactions showered the world. Johl
Newton had it. Bishop Latimer had it. lisa
bella Ora ham had it. Andrew Fuller had it
The great evangelists Daniel Baker and DR.