Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1891-07-23

HIGH BRIDGE, KY, July ia yast con
course of people assembled this morning
on the historic camp ground at High
Bridge KY, to hear DIR. Talmage preach
They came from all the surrounding cities
towns and neighborhood. A large contin-
gent from Louisville and another from
Cincinnati were present Many of the
visitors have remained here since yester
day afternoon, when DR. Talmage preached
in the same place. The text of his sermon
this morning was from Acts iii, IS, eve
are witnesses.
Standing 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 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 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 Lon
don, 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 impossibility of
such an undertaking than the work was
done, and the passengers on the Cunard.
and the lnman, and the National, and the
White Star lines are witnesses. There went
up guffaw of wise laughter at Professor
Morse's proposition to make the lightning
of heaven his errand boy, and II 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 il was proved
conclusively that it was impossible for
him to rise from the dead. 1t was shown
logically that when a man was dead, he
was dead, aud the heart, aud 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 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 to be true which the wiseacres of the
day had proved to be impossible: the rec
ord of the experiment and Of the testimony
isin the text; Him hath God raised from
the dead, whereof we are witnesses"
FOLLY OF THE AGSosTIC.
Now let me play the skeptic for mo
ment. "There is no God, says the skeptie,
'for have never seen him with my phys
ical eyesight. Your Bible is a pack OF con
There never was miracle.
Lazarus was not raised from the dead, aud
the water was never turned into wine.
Your religion is an imposition on the ere
iulity Of the ages" There is an aged man
moving in that pew as though he would
like TO respond Here are hundreds of
people with faces a little flushed at these
announcements, and all through this
-hrong there is a suppressed feeling which
would like TO speak out in behalf of the
ruth Of our glorious Christianity, as in the
lays Of the text, crying out 1--WE are wit
lessesw
The fact is that If this world is ever
brought TO God It will not be through ar
gument, but through testimony. You |
night cover the whole earth with apollo |
yies for Christianity and learned treatises |
n defense OF religon-you would not CON |
'ert soul. Lectures on the harmony be- /
ween science and religion are beautiful |
mental discipline, but have never saved a /
oul aud never will save a soul Put "A man /
Il the world and a man Of the church |
gainst each other, and the man OF the
world will, in III probability, get the tri. |
lmph. There are a thousand things ia
'ur religion that seem Illogical to the
world, and always will seem illogical.
Our weapon in this conflict is faith, not
81. Faff I
rofundity; faith, not scholastic explora-
ion But then, in order to have faith. we
must have testimony, and if five hundred
men, or one thousand men, or five hun
red thousand men, or five million men
II up and tell me that they have felt
he religion OF Jesus Christ a Joy. a com.
DIT, help. an inspiration, am bound as
fair minded man to accept their testi-
lony. ! want just now TO put before YOU
hree propositions, the truth of which
hink this audience will attest with over
'helming unauimity. The first proposition
J: We are witnesses that the religion of
hrist is able to convert a soul The Cos.
el may have had a hard time to conquer
5, we may have fought il back, but we
ere vanquished You say conversion Is
My an imaginary thing. We know bet
r. ave are witnesses" There never
as SO great change ia our heart and life
Q any other subject as on this,
People laughed at the Missionaries in
.adagascar because they preached ten
.afs Without one convert; but there are
dny thousands Of converts in Madagas-
u To-day People laughed at Dr. Judson,
lie Baptist missionary, because he kept on
'eachlng in Burmah five years with
1t a single convert; but there are many
Iousands of Baptists in Burmah today
eople laughed at DR.. Morrison in China
r preaching there seven years without
ngle conversion: but there are many
iousands of Christians in China today.
eople laughed at the missionaries for
reaching at Tahiti for fifteen years with
1t single conversion, and at the mis-
onaries for preaching in Bengal seven
en- years without a single conversion; yet
all those lands there are multitudes of
today.
But why 90 so far to find evidences of
lie Gospels power to save a souls I'VE
e witnesses" We were so proud that no
an could have BUNDLED us. we were so
ard that no earthly power could have
elted us. Angels OF God were all around
bout US; they could not overcome US: but