The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1891-07-29
WE ARE WITNESSES.
a Sermon Among the Hills and Groves
Of Kentucky.
Inspired ~ Glorious Nature and Tnvlg-
grated ny Fresh Air Rev. T. De-
witt Taimsge, d. D., Charms
His Hearers.

witt Tsimage, ID. D., Charms
His Hearers.
DR.. Talmage preached last Sunday al
High Bridge, Ky, and his text was
taken from Acts iii. Is: 1--WE are wit
neEses."
Standing amid the hills and groves oil
Kentucky, and before this great multi
tide that no man can number, most Of
whom I never saw before and never
win see again in this world, choose 9
very practicable theme In the days
Of George Stephenson, the perfector o.
tie locomotive engine, the scientists
proved conclusively that a railroad
train could never be driven by steam
power successfully without peril; but
the rushing express trains from Liver
pool to Edinburgh, and from Edinburgh
to London have made all the nation
witnesses of the splendid achievement
Machinists and navigators proved con
clusively that steamer could never
cross the Atlantic ocean; but no sooner
had they successfully proved the i'm.
possibility of such an undertaking thar
the work was done and the passengers
on the Cunard and the Imam and thu
National and the White Star lines ars
witnesses. M
There went up aguffaw of wise laugh
ter at Prof. Morse's proposition to MAKE
the lightning of Heaven his errand boy
and it was proved conclusively that thu
thing could never be done; but now al
the news of the wide world put in you
hands every morning and night hav'
made all nations witnesses.
So in the time of Christ it was proves
conclusively that it was impossible To-
him to rise from the dead. TWAS showI
logically that when a man was dead HI
was dead, and the heart and the live
and the lungs having ceased to perform
their offices, the limbs would be rigit
beyond all power Of friction or arousal
They showed Il 10 be On absolute ab
surdity that the dead Christ should evel
get up alive; but no sooner had they
proved this than the dead Christ arose
and the disciples beheld him, and heart
His voice, and talked with Him, and they
took the witness stand to prove that Il
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 wit
nesses." 1iait
Now, let me play the sceptic for ,
moment. 'There IS no God" says thu
sceptic, 'for I have never seen hin
with my physical eyesight. Your Bible
is pack of contradictions There new
er was a miracle. Lazarus was no
raised from sne dead, and the watel
was never turned into wine. Your re
ligion is an imposition on the credulity
Of the ages" There is an aged mar
moving in that pew as though he woult
like to respond. Here are hundreds O
people with faces a little flushed a
these announcements and all through
this throng there Is . suppressed feel
ing which would like to speak out IL
behalf Of the truth Of our gloriou.
Christianity, as in the days Of the text
crying out, 1--WE are witnesses"
The fact is, that if this world is evel
brought to God it will not be through
argument, but through testimony
You might cover the whole earth will
apologies for Christianity and learned
treatises in defense Of religion-yo,
would not convert soul. Lectures OF
the harmony between science and re
ligion are beautiful mental discipline
but have never saved a soul, and nevel
will save a soul. Put man Of thu
world and man Of the church agains
each other and the man of the worlt
will, in all probability, get the triumph
There are a thousand things In our re
ligion that seem illogical to the world
and always will seem illogical.
Our weapon in this conflict Is faith
not logic; faith, not metaphysics; faith
not profundity; faith, not scholastic
exploration. But then, in order to hav'
faith, we must have testimony, and i
500 men, or 1000 men, or 500. 900 men
or 8, 900, 600 men get up and tell ne they
have felt the religion of Jesus Christ
Joy, a comfort, help an inspiration
I am bound as fair minded man to &C
cept their testimony. want just nov
to put before you three propositions
the truth of which think this audi
ence will attest with overwhelmin,
unanimity. The first proposition Ia
We are witnesses that the religion o
Christ is able to convert soul. Tn,
Gospel may have had a hard time Il
conquer us, we may have fought /
back, but we were wang uished. Yor
say conversion is only an imaginary
thing. Weknow better. 1--WE are wit
nesses"
There never was so great a change II
our heart and life on any other subjec
as on this People laughed at the mis-
sionaries in Madagascar because the,
preached ten years without one con
vert; but there IRE many thousands o
converts in Madagascar to-day. Peopl,
laughed at DIR. Judson, the Baptist mis-
sionary, because he kept on preachin.
in Burmah Ave years without a singl,
convert; but there are many thousands
of Baptists in Burnah to-day. Peopl,
laughed at DIR. Morrison, il
China, for preaching there sew
en- years without a singl,
conversion; but there are many thou
sands of Christians in China to-day
People laughed at the missionaries fol
preaching at Tahiti for fifteen year
without single conversion, and at tn,
missionaries for preaching in Benga
seventeen years without a single con
version: yet in all those lands there ar,
multitudes Of Christians to-day.