Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1891-01-10
REV. DR. 7ALMAGE.
The Eminent Brooklyn Divine's Sun
day Sermon.
subject. "a Religion. movsmsn, in 'ol"

TEXT: "7Idr1p ye IN the city Of Jerusalem
stftii ne be endlted aCtth potcer from on
high. Luke xiv, 49,
For few months, in the providence Of
God, | have two pulpits, one in Brooklyn
and the other in New York and through t,e
kindness of the printing press an ever
widening opportunity. To all such hearers
and readers leone 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 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 Ten
Commandments obsolete and the whole Bible
a derision. Meanwhile alcoholism is taking
down its victims by the hundreds of thou
sands, and the political parties get down on
their knees, practically saying: 30 thou al
mighty rum Jug we bow down before thee!
Give us the offices city, State and national.
On, give us the offices, and we will worship
thee for ever and ever; Amen
The Christian Sabbath meanwhile, APP
pointed for physical, mental and spiritual
rest, is being secularized and abolished. As
II the bad publishing houses of our own couu-
try had exhausted their literary fifth, the
French and Russian sewers have been invited
TO pour their scurrilitY and moral slush into
the trough where our American swine arc
now wallowing. Meanwhile there are enough
houses of infamy in all our cities, open and
unmolested OF the law. to invoke the omnipo-
tent wrath which buried So1om 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 for
darkness and woe.
That is one side Of the conflict now raging.
On the other side We have the most maguih-
cent gospel machinery that the world ever
saw or heaven ever invented. In the first
place there are in this country more than
eighty thousand ministers OF religion and,
take them as a class, more eonsecratsd,
holier, more consistent more self denying,
more faithful men never lived. know them
by the Thousands. | have met them in every
city. am told, not by them, but by people
outside of our profession, people engagedin
christian and reformatory work. that the
clergy of America are at the head of all good
enterprises aud whoever else fail they may
be depended on. The truth of this is demon
strated by the Fact that when a minister of
religion does fall, it is so exceptional that the
newspapers report it as something startling,
while hundred men in other callings NAV
I
as especially worth mentioning.
In addition to their equipment IL 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
erandest churches of all time aud higher
style of membership and more of them, and
a host without number of splendid men and
women who are doing their best to have this
world purified, elevated, gospeiized, But
We all feel that something is wanting
Enough hearty songs have been sung AMI
enough earnest sermons preached within the
last six months to save all the cities of Amer
lea, and saving the cities you save the world,
for they overflow all tho land either with
their 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
bleatlng OF the Lamb that was to be Slain.
Out Of the eighteen hundred million Of the
human race fourteen hundred million ars
without God and without hope in the world,
the camel driver of Arabia, Mahomet, vita
his nine wives, having half as many disciples
as our blessed Christ, and more people are
worshiplng chunks OF painted wood and
carved stone than are wOrshiping the living
and eternal God. Meanwhile the most OF
us who are engaged in Christian work.
speak for myself as well as 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
Il Wi
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 OIL high. Vita it we could ac-
complisn moro in one week than without &c
in hundred years. And [ am going TO gel
1t, II in answer to prayer. earnest and long
continued, God will grant it to me, His IN
worthy servant. Men and women VINO know
how to pray, when you pray for yourself,
pray for me that may beenduat with power
from on high. / would rather have il than
all the diamond fields of Golconia, ami all tbs
pearls Of the sea, and all the gold of the
mountains. Many of tbs mightisst int lects
never had touch Of il, AMI many OF the less
than ordinary intelects have been surcharged
with 1t. And every man and woman on earth
has right to aspire to it. right to pray for
1t, and, proper y persistent, viii obtain it.
Power from on the level is a goo thing.
such power as l may give YOU, or you may
give me, by encouraging words All action;
fower from on the level when we stand by
each other in any Christian undertakiuy
Power from on the level when other puluits
are in acrorl with ours. Power from on tho
level when the religious and secular press
forward our Christian UNDERTAKINGS Bu.
power from on the level is not sufficien.
Power from on high is what we need TO take
possesslono of US. Power straight from Col.
Supernatural power, omnipotant power, all
conquerlng power. Not more thaa one on.
OF thousand OF the m nisters has it CON
tlnuously. Not more than one out OF ten
thousand Christians has it all tine time Given
IN abundance, these last ten years OF tho
nineteenth century would accomplish more
for God, and the church, and the world than
the previous ninety years Of this century
few men and women in each age OF the
world have possessed it. Caroline FRY, the
immortal Quakeress, had it, and three hun
dred OF the depraved and suffering of sNey-
gate prison, under her exhortation, rapenteJ
and believed. Jonathan Edwards had it, AMI
northampton meeting house heard the out =
burst of religious emotion as he spake OF
Righteousness and judgment to come Samua.
Budget, the Christian merchant had it an 3
his benefactions showered the world John
WI ileu ~ t9isANR i4htllicf Nhl 1t. lSa
bella Graham had it. Andrew Fniler had il
The great evangelists Daniel Baker AMI D..
Nettleton and Truman Osborn and Charles
u. Blnney had it. In my boyhood | saw Tru-
man Osborn rise to preach in the village
church at S0merville, n. J., and before b.
had given out his text or uttered a word
people In the audience sobbsi aloui with re-
nglous emotion. 1t was the power from on
high. All in greater or less degree may have
1t. once get it aud nothing eau stand bsfora
you. satan goes, down. Caricaturs gO.s
down. Infidelity goes down. Worthless
goes down. Ali opposition goss down.
several times in the history OF tho church
and the world has this power from on hisl
been demonstrated In thu seventeenth
century, after q great season OF moral de-
preston, this power from on high came
down upon Jonn TIlotsOn aud Owen an
tlavel and Baxter and Bunyan, and there
was deluge OF mercy higher than the tops
Of the highest mountains of sin. In tia
eighteenth century. in England and America.
religion was at low water mark William
Cowper, writing of the clergy Of these days,
said
Except few with Eliis spirit blest.
hophni ami Pht1Cas may describe tie rest
The infidel writings of Smstes5ury an
Hobbies and Chubb hau done their Wort
BUT power from on high care upon both
the Wesleys and Lady Huntington on the
other side the Atlantic, and upon William
Tenant and Gilbert Tennsut AMI Divil
Brainerd on this side the Atlantic, sud both
hemispheres felt the tread OF par loniu ,
God. Coming to later date, there may be
here and there IN this audiences an aged man
or woman who can remember New York in
1881, when this power from on high de-
seconded most wondIously. Il came upon
pastors aud congregations and theatres aud
commercial establishments. Chatham
Street Theatre. New Yors. was the snsne of
"A most tremendous religious weakening.
a committee Of Christian gentlemen called
upon the lessee of the theatre and said they