The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-01-15
HE DIVINE POWER.
n. Talmage Wants More Of
It, in Order to Carry
On His Work.
All Christians Expected to
Join Their Forces for the
Overthrow Of Sin.

BROOKLYN, Special:-Dr Talmags preached
the following sermon from the text Luke
xiv. 40: "Tarry vein the city Of Jerusalem
until We be endued with power from ON high.
For a few months, in the providence Of
God. have two pulpits, one in Brooklyn
and the other in New York. and through the
Kindness of the printing press, On ever widen
ing opportunity. To all such hearers anG
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 need for such 8
religious movement is evident from the fact
that never since our world was swung out
among the planets has thsre been such an
organized aud determined effort to over
throw righteousness and make the ten com
Inandments obsolete and the whole Bible a
derision. Meanwhile alcoholism is taking
down it's victims by the hundreds of thou.
sands. and the political parties get down on
their knees practically saying: 80 thou al
mighty rum Jug, we bow down before thee.
Give us the offices, city, state and national.
Oh, give us the Offices and we will worship
thee forever and ever, Amen" The Christian
sabbath meanwhile, appointed for physical,
mental and spiritual rest, is being serularized
and abolished. As if the bad publishing
houses OF our own country had exhausted
their literary filth, the French and Russian
sewers have been invited to pour their sour.
rility and moral slush into the trough where
our American swine ore now wallowing.
Meanwhile, there are enough houses of in
fanny in all our cities, open and unmolested
of the law. to invoke the omnipotent wrath
yvhJ oh, h,,p, nI ~I1~ L., -
birthstone. The pandemoniac world,
think has massed it's troops and they are
at this moment plying their batteries upon
family circles, church circles, social circles,
political circles IN national circles. Apoy-
on is in the saddle and riding at the head of
his armies 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 magnifi.
can't gospel machinery that the world ever
saw or heaven ever invented. In the first
place, in this country more than 80, 900 min.
listers OF religion and, take them as class,
more consecra ted, holier, more consistent,
more self-denying, more faithful men never
lived. know them by the thousands. 1
have met them in every city. I am told,
not By them, but by people outside our pro-
fession, people engaged in Christian and re-
formatory work, that the clergy OF America
are at the head Of all good enterprises and,
III.
The truth of this is demonstrated by the
fact that when q minister of religion does
fall, it is SO exceptional that the newspapers
report it as something startling while a hun
dred men in other callngs may go down
without the matter being considered as es.
pecially worth mentioning In addition to
their equipment in moral character, the
clergy of this country have all that the
schools can give. All archaeological rhetor-
Ical, scen tifc, scholastic. literary attain.
ment. 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 mem
'bership, and more of them, and host with
out number OF splendid men and women who
are doing their best to have this world pu-
riied, elevated, gospelized. But we all feel
that something is wanted. Enough hearty
songs have been sung and enough earnest
sermons preached within the last six months
to save all the cities OF America and saving
the cities you save the world, for they over.
flow all the land either with their religion or
their infamy.
Bnt look at some of the startling facts 1t
is nearly 1000 years since Jesus Christ
came by the way OF Bethlehem caravansary
to save this world, yet the most of the world
mas been no more touched by this most
stupendous fact of NIL eternity than if on the
first Christmas night the beasts of the stall
amid the bleatings OF their own young had
not heard the bleating of the Lamb that was
to be slain. Out of the 1900, 900, 900 of the
human race 1,4OO, OOO,O are without Cod
md without hope in the world, the camel
driver Of Arabia. Mahoment with his nine
wives, having half as many disciples as our
Blessed Christ, and more people are wor-
shipping chunks of painted wood and carved
stone than are worshipping the living and
eternal God. Meanwhile the most of US who
are engaged in Christian work. speak for
myself as we'll as otEers-are toiling up to
our full capacity of body, mind and soul,
harnessed up to the last buckle not able to
draw pound more than We are drawing, or
lift an ounce more than we are lifting.
What is the matter? NY text let's out the
secret. We all need more of the power from
ON high. Not muscular power, not logical
power, not scientific power, not social DOW
er, not financial power, not brain power,
but power from on high. With it we could
accomplish more in one week than without
it in a hundred years. And am going to
get it, If in answer to prayer, earnest and
lorg continued, God will grant it to me, his
unworthy servant. Men and women who
know how to pray, when you pray for your
self. pray for me that l may be endued with
power from on high. l would rather have it
than all the diamond fields of Golconda,
and al! the pearls OF the sea, and oil the
gold OF the mountains. Many Of the might
lest intellects never had touch of it. and
many OF the less than ordinary intellects
have been surcharged with it. And every
man and woman on earth has u right to
aspire to it, right to pray for it, and,
properly persistent, will obtain it. Power
from on the level is good thing. such
power as l may give you, or you may give
zne. 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 pulpits
are in accord with ours. Power from on the
3evel when the religious and secular press
forward our Christian undertakings. But
power from on the level is not sufficient.
Power from on high is what we need to tai
possession OF us. Power straight from God.
Supernatural power omnipotent power. all
conqnering power. Not more than one ont
of a thousand of the ministers have it con.
tinuously. Not more than one out of O. 900
christians have it all the time. Given in
abundance these last 10 years OF the nine.
tenth century would accomplish more for
God and the church and the world than the
previous 80 years of this century.
A few men and women in each ace of the
world have possessed it, Caroline Fry, the
INN ortal Quakeress, had it, and 800 of the
depraved and suffering of Newgnte prison.
under her exhortation, repeated and believed
Jonathan Edwards had it, and the North
shmpton meeting house heard the outbursr
.of religious emotion Us bespoke ofrighteous.
mess and Judgment to come. Samuel Bud.
igett, the Christian merchant, had it, and his
benefactiOns sho wered the world. John
Newton had it. Bishop Latimer had IL