The southern argus. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Cherokee County, Kan.) 1891-1???, 1891-07-16
GOSPEL WITNESSES.
DR.. TaImage Talks to a Large Audi
ence in Kentucky.
gkeptics Answered BY Modern Wonders
Living witnesses to the Truth Of the
BibIe-VaIue Of Faith-Power Of
Religion.

iii. Is: 1--WE are witnesses" The
preacher said:
Standing amid the hills and groves Of
Kentucky, and before this great multi
tude that no man can number, most OF
whom never saw before and never
will see again in this world, | choose a
very practical theme. In the days Of
George Stephenson, the perfector Of
the locomotive engine, the scientists
proved conclusively that railroad
train could never be driven success
fully without peril; but the rushing ex-
press trains from Liverpool to Edin-
burgh and from Edinburgh to London
have made all the nation witnesses OF
the splendid achievement. Machinists
and navigators proved conclusively that
a steamer could never cross the Atlantic
ocean; but no sooner had they success
fully proved the impossibility of such
an undertaking than the work was
done and the passengers on the Gu
nard and the Inman and the National
and the White Star lines are witnesses.
There went up guffaw of wise laugh
ter at Prof. Morse's proposition to make
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 it was proved conclu-
sively that it was impossible for him to
rise from the dead. It was shown logic
ally 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 of friction or arousaL
They showed it to be an absolute alb
Lurdity 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 wit
nesseS."
Now, let me play the skeptic for
moment There is no God" says the
skeptic, 'for ! have never seen him
With my physical eyesight. Your Bible
IS pack Of contradictions. There
never was miracle. Lazarus was not
raised from the dead, and the water
was never turned into wine. Your re-
ligion is an imposition on the credulity
Of the ages" There is an aged man
moving in that pew as though he would
like to respond. Here arc hundreds Of
people with faces little flushed at
these announcements, and all through
this throng there is suppressed feel
ing which would like to speak out in
behalf of the truth Of our glorious
Christianity, rs in the days Of the text,
crying out: 1--WE are Witnesses
The fact is that if this world is ever
brought I'd God it will never be through
argument, but through testimony. You
might cover the earth with apologies
for Christianity and learned treatises in
defense Of religion-you would not con
vert soul. Lectures on the harmony
between science and religion are beau
tiful mental discipline, but have never
saved a soul and never will save soul.
Put a man Of the world and man Of
the church against each other and the
man Of the world will. in all probable
ity, get the triumph. There are a
thousand things in our religion 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 have faith we must
have testimony and if 500 men, or /, 900
men, or 500, 600 men, or 5000, 900 men
get up and tell me they have felt the
religion Of Jesus Christ Joy, com
fort help, an inspiration, am bound
as fair minded man to accept their
testimony.
want just now to 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
q soul. The Gospel may have had
hard time to conquer us, we may have
foughtit back, but we were vanquished
You say conversion is only an i'm
aginary thing, We know better I'VE
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 Madagas-
ear because they preached ten years
without one convert; but there are
many thousands of converts in NADIA |
gascar to-day. People laughed at DR..
Judson, the Baptist missionary, because
he kept on preaching in Burmah five |
years without a single convert; but |
there are many thousands of Baptists |
in Burmah to-day. People laughed at |
Dr. Morrison in China for preaching |
there seven years without single con
version; but there are many thousands |
Of Christians in China to-day. People |
laughed at the missionaries for preach |
ing at Tahiti for fifteen years without |
single conversion. and at the mission
aries for preaching in Bengal seventeen |
years without a single conversion; vet |
in all those lands there are multitudes |
Of Christians to-day.
But why 60 SO far to find evidences
OF the Gospels power to save a sonic |