Connecticut western news., 1893-09-14
RELIGIOUS ADVANCE.
REV DR. TALMAGE BREACHES A SER
 MON OF HOPE.

His Text, "The Battle Ours"-Courage His
 watchword-More Unity In Religion
 Than In soience-The Great Trial of
 Past Centuries.
 BROOKLYN, Sept. 10.-This forenoon Rev. T. De Wit Talmage preached to a thronged audience in the Brooklyn Tab ernacle. The keynote of the service was one of gladness. Many of the audience had been absent during the summer and had returned for this service. The pas tor commenced on passages of Scripture depicting the morning of the worlds de- hverance. The subject of the sermon was, "The Battle Ours" the text being I Kings xxx, 27, And the children of Israel pitched before them like two little hocks of kids"
 With S3 kings drunk in one tent this chapter opens. They were allies plot ting for the overthrow of the Lords Is- rael. You know that if lion roar flock of kids will shiver and huddle together. One lion would conquer thousand kids. The battle opens. There are a great multitude of Syrians under General Ben-hadad, strong as lions. The Israel ites are few and weak, like two little focks of kids. Who beat? The lions, of course. Oh, no; the kids, for it all de- ponds whether God is on the side of the lions or the kids. After the battle 100,- GOO Syrians lay dead on the field, and N,OO0, attempting to fly, came along by a great wall, which toppled and crushed them to death.
 Which was the stronger weapon great Goliaths sword or little David's sling2 David had five smooth stones from the brook. He only used one in striking down Goliath. He had sur plus of ammunition. He had enough to take down four more giants if they had appeared in the way. It all depends upon whether God is on the side of the shepherd boy or on the side of the giant.
 THE PUBLISHERS AND RELIGION.
 There have been many in our day who have ventured the opinion tlAt Christi anity is falling back, and that in 50 years 1t will be extinct. They found their opinion on the assumed fact that the Bi- ble is not as much of 8 book as it used to be, and that portions of it are repulsive to the people. reply by asking, Which one of the publishing houses of New York, Philadelphia, Boston or Chicago is publishing the Bible today with the omission of single verse or chapter? Are not our publishers intelligentmen? And would they contrary to their finan- cial interests continue to publish the Bi- ble without the omission of single chap ter or single verse if it were becoming an unpopular book and the people did not want it?
 If Harpers or Appleton or Scribner or Lippincott should publish Bible with the omission of one chapter, they would not sell 10 copies in 10 years. The fact that throughout Christendom there are hundreds of printing presses print ing the word of God without the omis- sion of 8 chapter or 8 verse proves that the Bible is popular. and the fact that there are more being printed in this dec- ade than any other decade proves that the Bible is increasing in popularity.
 go through the courtrooms of the country. Wherever find a judges bench or clerks desk I find the bible. sBy what other book would they take solemn oath2 What is very apt to be among the brides presentsp The Bible. What is very apt to be put in the trunk of the young man when he starts for city life? The Bible. Voltaire predicted that the Bible during the nineteenth century would become an obsolete book. We'll, we are pretty nearly through the nine teenth century. The Bible is not obso- lete yet. There is not much prospect of it's becoming obsolete, but have to tell you that that room-the very room in which Voltaire wrote that prediction 1o1 to ceiling with Bibles for Switzerland. Suppose the congress of the United States should pass law that no Bibles should be printed in the United States.
 If there are 80,OOO, 900 grown men and women in the country then there would be 30,0O0, 900 people armed against such 8 law. But suppose the congress of the United States should pass Q law that Macaulay's history or Charles Reade's novels should not be read-could you get half as large an army or the fourth as large an army2 In other words, there are, as you know and know, 8 thou sand men who would die for their Bibles where there are 50 men who would die for any other book. The fact that there are now more Bibles being printed than ever before, that publishers find 1t financial interest for them to continue the Bible, proves that this book is still the most popular book on the planet.
 A SOURCE OF COMFORT.
 But" say those who are antagonistic, Christianity is falling back from the fact that the church is not as much re- spected as it used to be and is not as in- huential." reply to that with the sta tistic that one denomination- Meth odist church-according to a statistic given me by one of their bishops, dedi- cates on an average new church every day of the year. Three hundred and gixty-five new churches in one denomi- nation in a year and over 6 thousand new churches built every year in this country. Does that look as though the church were failing in it's power and were becoming wornout institution? Around which institution in our com munities gather the most ardent affec- tions2 The postofice, the .hotel, the courthouse, the city hall or the churches2
 Why, when our old Tabernacle was burning there were hundreds of men standing in the streets who never went to church, tears raining down their cheeks. It is because the church of God stands nearer the sympathies of the American people than any other insti- tuition. Men may caricature the church and call 1t 8 collection of hypocrites, but when their children are swept off with the diphtheria for whom do they send? To the postmaster, to the attorney gen. eral, to the aldermen. or to the pastors of the churchesi And if there be not room for the obsequies in the private house what building do they sohcita The academy of music, the hotel, public hall, courthouse2 No; the churches. And if they want music on the sad occasion do they select the 'Marseillaise" hymn. or "God Save the Queen" or our own grand national air9 No, they want the old hymn with which we sang their old Christian mother to sleep. They want the Sunday school hymn that their little