Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-07-13
A PRACTICAL THEME
Rev. Or. Talmage's Sermon at
High Bridge, KY.
ON A HISTORIC CAMP-GROUND,
Listened to by Vast Gathering of People
Who Came from Far and Near.
He Pictures the Skeptic in All His Vaga-
ries, and Casets Certain Theories
Advanced IN a Manner That Ad-
mits Not of Argument.
ON A HISTORIC CAMP-GR0UND.
SERMON IN KENTUCKY.

SpeClal 10 the GaZeile.
Hen BRIDGE, KY. July IA vast con-
course OF people assembled this morning On
the historic camp ground at High Bridge,
NY. to hear DR. Talmare preach They
came from all the surrounding cities, towns
and neiChOorhood. \ large contingent
IRON Louisville and another from Cincin-
natl were present. Many of the visitors
have remained here since yesterday after
noon, when DR.. Talmage preached in the
same place. The text of his sermon this
morning was from Acts 3:15: We are
Witnesses
outstanding amid the hills and groves of
Kentucky, and before this great multitude
that no man can number, most of whom
never saw before and never viii see again
III This world, l choose very practical
theme. In the days OF George Stephenson,
the perfecter of the locomotive engine, the
scientists proved conclusiyely that q rail
road train could never be driven by steam
power successfully without peril; but the
rushing express trains from Liverpool TO
Edinburgh, and from Edinburgh to London,
have made all the nation witnesses CT the
splendid achievement.
HACHINIsTS AND NAvIGAToRs
proved cOnclusively that n steamer could
never cross the Atlantic ocean; but no
sooner had they successfully proved the i'm
possibility Of such an undertaking than the
work was done, and the passengers on the
Cunard and the Inman and the National
and the White Star lines are witnesses.
There went up guffaw OF wise laughter 81
Professor Morse proposition to make the
lightning Of heaven his GRAND boy, and il
was proved conclusively that the thing
never could be done; but now all the news
OF the wide world put in your hands every
morning and night, has made all nations
witnesses.
SO in the time Of Christ it was proved
conclusively that it was impossible for him
10 rise from the dead. II was shown lO@i-
cally that when Il man was dead, he was
dead. and the heart and the liver and the
lungs having ceased to perform their Of
fees, the limbs would be rigid beyond all
power of friction or arousal. They showed
il TO be an absolute absurdity that the dead
Christ should ever get up alive; but no
sooner had 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 10 prove that
10 be true which the wiS2aCrCS OF the day
had proved to be impossible; the record of
the experiment and of the testimony is in
the text: Him hath God raised from the
dead, whereof we are witnesses"
Now. let me play the Skeptic for mo-
ment. There is no Cod" says the skep-
tic, for l have never seen him with my
physical eyesight. Your bible is
4 PACK OF CONTRADICTION.
There never was miracle. Lazarus was
not raised from the dead, and the water WIS
never turned into wine. Your religion is
an imposition on the crcdulitY of the ages"
There is an aged man moving in the pew as
though he would like 10 respond. Here are
hundreds Of people with faces = little
flushed at these announcements, and all
through this throng there is 4 suppressed
feeling which would ike TO speak out in be
half of the truth of our glorious Christian
ity. as in the days of the text, crying out:
I'VE are Witnesses
The fact is. tnat if this world is ever
brought to God, it viii not be through ar
cunent, but through testimony You
might cover the whole earth with apollo
gics for Christianity, and learned tT,atiscS
in defence of religion-vou would not con-
vert a sOnl. Lectures on the harmony be-
tween science and religion are beautiful
mental discipline. but have never saved a
soul, and never will save a soul.
Put man Of the world and 1 man
of the church against each other, aud the
man of the world viii, IN all probability
get the triumph There are a thousand
things in our religion that seem Illogical 10
the world. and always Will seem illogical
Our weapon in this conflict is faith, not
logic; faith, not metaphysics; faith, not
wofundity; faith, not scholastic eXplora-
lion. 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, JOY a comfort, help, an
inspiration, / am bound as fair-minded
man to accept their testimony. | want just
now 10 put before you three propositions,
the truth of which [ think this audience
will attest with overwhelming unanimity.
THE FIRST PROPOSITION is:
We are witnesses that the religion of
Christ is able to convert soul. The Cos
mel NAV have had a hard time TO conquer
us. we may have fought ii back, but we
were vanQuished. You say conversion is
only an imaginary thing. We know better.
we are Witnesses There never was so
great a change in our he art and life on any
other subject as on this. People laughed at
the missionaries in Madagascar because
they preached ten years without one con-
vert bat there are many thousands of con-
vcrts in Madagascar to-day. People laughed
at DR. JudSou, the Baptist missionary, be-
cause he kept on preaching in Burmah five
Years without q single convert: but there
are many thousands of BaptistS in Burmah
to-day. People laughed at DIR. Morrison,
in China, for preaching there seven years
without 4 single conversion; but there are
many thousands of Christians in China to-
day. People laughed at the missionaries
for preaching ct Tahiti for fifteen years
without 4 single conversion, and at the mis-
sionsries for preaching in Bengal seventeen
wears without a single CONVERSION; yet IN
all those lands there are multltudeS OF
Christians to-day.
But why go so far TO find evidences of the
Cospel's power TO save a soul! I'VE are
We were SO proud that no man
could have humbled Us; We were SO hard
that no earthly power could have melted
US; the angels of God were all around
about US; they could not overcome US. but
one day, perhaps at j Methodist anxious
seat, or Presbyterian catechetlcal lecture
or at a burial, or on horseback, a power
seized Us. and made US get down, and made
us tremble, and made Us kneel, and maoeuS
CRY FOR MERCY,
and we tried to wrench ourselves away
from the grasp but we could not. 1t hung
us fiat and when we arose we were as
much changed as Gourgis, the heather, VINO
Went into prayer-meeting with dagger
and q gun, to disturb the meeting and de-
stroy ii. but the next day was found crying:
oh. my great sins! Oh! my great Sa-
vlour!@ and for eleven years preached the
gospel of Christ TO his fellow mountalreers,
the last words on his dying lips being Free
grace On it was free grace!
There Is ! man who was for ten wears q
hard drinker. The dreadful appetite had
sent down its root, around the palate and
the tongue, and on down until they We're
interilnked with the vitals of body mind ard
soul; nut he has not taken any stimulants
for two Years. What did that? Not tenn
perance societies. Not prohibition laws.
Not moral suasion. Conversion did 1t.