The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-12-03

ALL MANKIND IS TURNING TO-
WARD ISRAEL
DR.. TaImage Eeads the signs Of the
Times in Notable Sermon Real
Meaning or Electricity, Steam and
other improvements.

BRooKLrS. n. Y. Dec 2.-Dr Tai
mage chose for the subject of his ser
mon through the press to-day, the
COLLECTIONS to Religious Revivals, %
from the text. Luke v.6. "They in
closed a great multitude Of fishes, and
their net broke.
SIMON and his comrades had expert
enced the night before What fishermen
call poor luck" Christ steps on board
the fishing smack and tells the sailors
\ to pull away from the beach. and di-
reefs them t 3 sink the net. Sure enough,
very soon the net IS full Of fishes. and
the sailors begin to haul i'm 80 large
a school Of fish was taken that the
hardy men begin TO look red in the
face as they pull. and hardly have they
begun to rejoice at their success when
snap goes a thread Of the net, and snap
goes another thread, 50 there is danger
not only of losing the fish, but Of los
ing the net
Without much care as to how much
the boat tits. or how much water IS
splashed on deck, the fishermen rush
about, gathering mp the broken meshes
of the net Out yonder is a ship dane
ing on the wave. and they hail il:
s.Ship ahoyl bear down this way The
ship comes, and both boats, and fish
ing smacks are filled with the fOun-
dering treasures
Abr says some one, '.hOw much
better it would have been if they had
STAYED on shore. and fshed with
hook and line, and taken one at a
time. instead of having this great ex-
element, and the boat almost upset,
and the net broken, and having to call
for help. and getting sopping wet with
the seal The church is the boat. the
gospel is the net. society is the sea,
and great revival is a whole school
brought in al one sweep OF the net
/ have admiration for that man VINO
goes out with a hook and line TO
fish. / admire the way he unwinds
the reel, and adjusts the bait, and
drops the hook in d quiet place on a
still afternoon. and here catches one
and there one: but like also a big
boat. and large crew aud net a
mile long and swift oars, and stout
sails. and stiff breeze and great
multitude Of souls brought-so great a
multitude that YOU have to get help TO
draw it ashore. straining the net 70 the
utmost until it breaks here and there,
letting a few escape, but bringing the
great multitude into eternal safety
In other words believe in revivals-
The great work of saving men began
with 5000 people joining the church IN
one dav. and it viii close with forty or
4 hundred million people saved IN
tzvenly-four hours, when nations shall
be born in day But there are OBJ
iections to revivals. People are OPP
Dosed to them because the net might
ret broken. and if by the pressure OF
souls it does not get broken then they
take their own penxnives and slit the
net They inclosed a great multitude
Of fishes and the net broke.
1t is sometimes opposed to revivals
of religion that those who come INTO
the church at such times do not hold
out: as long as there IS gale OF bless
inc. they have their sails up; but as
soon as strong winds stop blowing
then they drop into a dead calm But
what are the facts in the case2 In all
our churches, the vast majority Of the
useful people are those who are
brought in under great awakenlngs,
and they hold ont. Who are the prom
inent men in the United states in
churches in prayer meetings. in sab
bath schools2 For the most part they
are the product Of great awalenlngs
have noticed shat those who are
brought into the Kingdom OF God
through revivals have more persistence
and more determination in the Chris
tian life than those who come IN under
a low state of religion. People born
in an ice house may live, but they will
never get over the cold they caught I'D
the ice house. A cannon ball depends
upon the impulse with which it starts
for how far it shall 60 and how swiftly;
and the greater the revival force with
which a soul is started. the more FAR
reaching and far-resOunding Will be
the execution
But it is sometimes objected to re
vivals that there Is 50 much excitement
that people mistake hysteria for re-
Hgion-
We must admit that in every revival
of religion there is either a suppressed
or a demonstrated excitement In
deed. if a man can go out Of state OF
condemnation into a state of accept
ance with God. or see others 60, with
out any agitation of soul, he is ia a p
unhealthy. morbid state, and is as re-
pulsive and absured as as a man who
should boast he saw child snatched
out from under a horses hOOfs, and
felt no agitation, or saw a man rescued
from the fourth story of a house on
fire. and felt no acceleration Of the
pulse.
Salvation from sin and death and
hell into life and peace and heaven
forever, is such tremendous thing
that if man tells me he can look CD
it without any agitation I doubt his
Christianity. The fact is. that some
times excitement is the most impor
tant possible thing In case Of resusic-
tation from drowning or freezing the
one idea is to excite animation. Be