Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1891-08-06
I'VE ARE WITNESSES"
DR.. TALMAGE TALKS AT AN
HISTORIC SPOT.
A Thriilln. Sermon ut High Bridge,
kentucky-Ile DiscOurses From
the Text Acts 3:I5-WC are VIII.
heSSea.

heSses.
HlGu BRIDGE, Ky, July 10. 1soi-A
vast concourse of people assembled this
morning on the historic camp ground
at High Bridge, KY, to hear DR.. Tai
mage preach. They came from all the
surrounding cities, towns and neigh
borhood. a large contingent from
Louisville and another from Cincinnati
were present. Many Of the visitors
have remained here since yesterday
afternoon, when DR.. Talmage preached
in the same place. The text of his
sermon this morning was from Acts
Is: 1--WE are Witnesses"
Standing amid the hills and groves
| Of Kentucky, ana before this great null
| titude that no man can number, most
| of whom l never saw before and never
will see again In this world, choose a
very practical theme. In the days of
George Stephenson, the perfcctor of the
locomotive engine, the scientists
proved conclusively that rail-
road train could never be driven
by steam power successfully without
peril; but the rushing express train
from Liverpool to Edinburgh, and from
Edinburgh to London. have made all ma
|
ment. Machinists and navigators
proved conclusively that steamer
gould never cross the Atlantic Ocean;
but no sooner had they successfully
proved the impossibility of such an un-
dertaking 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 ut Prof Morsc's
proposition to make the lightning of
heaven his errand boy. and it was
proved conclusively that the thing
could never 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 1t was proved
conclusively that it was impossible for
him to rise from the dead. 1t was
shown logically that when man was
dead, he was dead, and the heart and
the liver and the lungs having ceased
to perform their offices, the limbs
would be rigid beyond all power
1t to be an absolute absurd
ity 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, to prove that to be true
which the wiseacres 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"
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 II five hundred men, or one thous-
and 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, comfort, a
help, IN inspiration, am
bound as fair-minded man
to accept their testimony. I
want just now to put before you three
propositions, the truth of which think
this audience will attest with over
whelming unanimity. The first propo-
sition is: We are witnesses that the re-
; ligion of Christ is able to convert soul.
The Gospel may have had q hard time
to conquer US, we may have fought it
, back, but we were vanquished. You
|
thing. We know better. 1--WE are
witnesses" There never was so great
change in our heart and life on any
: other subject as on this. People laughed
at the missionaries in Madagascar
because they preached ten years
without one convert; but there are
many thousands of converts in NADIA.
gascar to. day. People laughed at DIR.
Judson, the Baptist missionary, be-
cause he kept on preaching in Durmah
Eve years without a single convert; but
there are many thousands of Baptists
, in Burmah to-day. People laughed al
: DR.. Morrison, in China, for preaching
| there seven years without a single con
, version; but there are many thousands
of Christians in China to-day. People
, laughed at the missionaries at Tahiti
for preaching for fifteen years without
q single conversion, and at the mission
aries for preaching in Bengal seven
teen years without single CONVEX
sion; yet in all those lands there
are multitudes Of Christians to-day.
But why go SO far to find evidences o
Y the gospels power to save soul? wv,
l are witnesses" We were SO proud tina
D no man could have humbled us; W,
were so hard that no earthly powe
cOulO nave lHeltcu us, dukclS VI NOS
!, were all around about us; they coult
!. not overcome us; but one day, perhap
at a Methodist anxious seat, or at
: Presbyterian catechetical lecture, or a
4 burial, or on horseback, powe
I seized us, and made us get down
8 and made us tremble, and mad
us kneel, and made us cry TO
n mercy, and we tried to wrench our
= selves away from the grasp, but W
- could not. It flung us nat, and whe
, we arose we We're as much changed a
: Gourgis, the heather, who went into
!. prayer-meeting with dagger and
= gun, to disturb the meeting and dcstro
: It, but the next day was found crying
Y "Oh! my great sins! Oh! my grea
!. Savior!" and for elevenlyears preache
the Gospel Of Christ to his fello,
mountaineers, the last words on hi
dying lips being Free grace!" Oh,
was free grace!
n | No,r, ShA,,11 Iovv,onI that n