Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1894-04-04
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIvTSE'S SUM
DAY SERMON
Subject: "From Conquest to Con-
quest"

reaper. Amos tx, 13.
Picture Of a tropical cline, with season |
so prosperous that the harvest reaches c!ear /
over to the planting time, and the sWartny |
husbandman swinging the sickle in the thIck |
grain almost feels the breath OF the horses on |
his shoulders. the horses hitched to the |
pIow preparing for new crop. "Behold |
the dayz come, saith the Lord, that the ploW-
man shall ovsrtake the reaIer. Nnen ls
that? That is now. That ., this day, Wnen
hardly have you done reaping one harvest
before the plowman IS getting ready ior
another.
know that many declare that Christianity
has collapsed that the Bible is an Obsolete
book: that the Christian church is on the
retreat l will here and now show that the
opposite OF that is true.
An Arab guide was Leading a French IN
fdel across a desert. and ever and anon the
Arab guide would get down in the sand and
pray 10 the Lord. II disgusted the French
InHdel, and after awhile as the Arab got mp
from one o' H.s prayers the infdel said,
"HOw 20 you know there is any Godf' and
the Araf. Guide said : 'How do l know that
a man and a camel passed along our tent last
night? l know il by the footprints IN the
sand And you want 10 know how know
whether there Is any God? Look at that
sunset Is that the footstep of a manY And
by the same process you and have come to
understand that this book is the footstep OF
God.
But now let US see whether the Bible is
last years almanac. Let us see whether the
church OF God is IN Bull Run retreHt,
muskets. canteens and haversacks streW!nS
all the way. The great English historian.
Sharon Turner, man OF vast learning and
Of great accuracy, not a clergyman. but an
attorney well as q historian, gives TINS
overwhelming statistic in regard to Chris
tianity and In regard to the number OF Chris
tians in the different centuries In the first
century, 100000 Christians; in the second
century, 1900, 900 Christians in the third
century 600 600 Christians in the fourth
century, 10000, 600 Christians; in the fifth
century, j., 600, 900 Christians in the sixth
century, 20. GOO 600 Christians in the seventh
century, q 900. .OO0 Christians in the eighth
century. 80 500, 900 Christians; in the
niutu century, 40, ,0OO, 900 Christians; in the
tenth century. 10000, 900 Christians; IN
the eleventh century, 10000, 900 Christians
in the twelfth century, SO, ,000,0 900 Christians
iR the thirteenth century, 75,OOO, 600 Christ
ians in the fourteenth century. so, 100000
Christians in the fifteenth century. lOO,-
CO., 600 Christians; in the sixteenth CEN
ury, l25 900, 600 Christians; in the seven
teenth century, $4,000 600; in the eight
eenth century, 200 0OO, 600 Christians de-
cadence, as you observe, in only one century
aud more than made up in the following CEN
turtles, while it is the usual compu-
ts:iou that there will be, when the
record o. the nineteenth century is made up.
ut least SO 600, coo Christians.
Poor ClT stilnity What pity It has no
friends How lonesome it must be Who
Will t1s0 1t out Of the poorhouse2 Poor
Christianity! Three hundred millions in On
century. in lew weeks OF the year 1881
2.5Gg 600 copies of the New Testament dis
tEttu~ri. Why, the earth is like an old cas-
tie with twenty gates and park artillery
raaay to thunder down every gate. Lay
as de all Curisten lon and see how heathen-
com is being surrounded and hOneycombei
and attacked 10y this all cOnquaring gospel.
~ the beginning OF this century there were
only 80 missionaries now there are %, OJ9
missionaries and native helpers and eysng-
elis.s. At the beginning of this century
there were only 90, 600 heathen converts now
tl9-e are 1,7JO, 900 converts from Eeatuen-
GOm.
There is not a seacoast on the planet but
the battery Of the gospel IS planted and ready
to march on-nOrth, south, east. west. You
all know that the chief work OF an army IS to
plant the batteries. 1t may take many days
TO plant the batteries, and they may DO all
their work in ten minutes. These batteries
are being planted all along the selcOasts and
In all nations. 1t may take a good wIi!e to
plant them, and they may do all their WORK
IN orc cay. They will. Nations are 10 be
born in one day. But just come back to
C1ristCndOm and recognize the fact that
du- -.nI the last ten years as many people
hav2 connected themselves with evangelical
churches Us connected themselves with the
.u-y.
So Christianity is falling back, and tbs
Bible, they say, is becoming an obSOle;e 9
hook. / 20 into a court, and wherever !
find a judges bench or clerks desk find
A Bible. Upon what book could there be
uttered the soleunity OF an Oath? What
book Is apt TO be put in the trunk OF the
Young man as he leaves for city life? The
Bible. What shall find in nine out ofevery
ton homes in BROOKLYN? The Bible. In nine
p fV,( rFrfaf fan
Bible NOltairs wrote the prophecy that the
Bible in the nineteenth century would be-
come extinct. The century is nearly gone,
and as there have been more Bibles pub
lished in the latter part OF the century than
in the former part Of the century, do you
think the Bible will become extinct In the
usNt six years?
1 have 20 tell you that the room in which
VOltaire wrote that prophecy not long ago
ras crowded from floor TO ceiling with
ioles from Switzerland. Suppose tine Con-
ross Of the United States should pass a law
that there should be no more Bibles printed
Ia America and no more Bibles read. II
there are 40,OO0, 900 grown people in the
United States, there would be 40, 600, 600 peo-
pie in army to put down such Jaw and
defend their right to read the Bible. But
suppose the Congress OF the United States
should make a law against the reading or
the publication OF any other book, how many
people would go out in such a crusade?
Could you get 400, 900 600 people to 20 cut
and risk their lives In defense of Shake
speRre's tragedies or Gladstone'5 tracts or
Macaulays History Of EnSland?" You
know that there are 1000 men who would
die in defense of this book where there Is
not more than one man who would die in
defense OF any other book. You try to in
suit my common sense by telling me the
Bible Is fading out from the world.
It is the most popular book of the century.
How do I know il? 1 know 1t just as know
in regard to other books. How many vol
umes o! that book are published? Well, you
say, 5000. How many copies OF that book
are published? hundred thousand.
Which is the more populRr2 Why, of course
the one that has 100000 circulation. And II
this book has more copies abroad in the
world. II there are five times as many Bibles
abroad as any other book, does not that
show you that the most popular book on the
planet to-day is the word OF God?
"Oh," say people, 1.-The church IS 4 collec-
tion OF hypOcrites, and 1t is losing its power,
and il is fading out from the world" Is It!
A bishop OF the Methodist church told NE
that that denomination averages two new
churches every day OF the year. There are
at least 1900 new Christian churches built in
America every year. DOesthat look as though
the church were fading out, as though II
were de.unCt institution? Which institu-
tiou stands nearest the hearts Of the people
OF America to-day2 / do not care in WHIST
village, or in what city, or what aighhor.
hood YOU GO. Which institution is it2 Is il
the p0stoflce? Is II the hotel? Is il the
Iecturing hall? All, YOU know il Is not. You
know that the institution which stands near.
est to the hearts Of the American people is
the Christian church. II you have ever seen
a church burn down, you have seen thou.
sands OF people standing and looking at II
people who never 20 into church-the
tears ra'r'nc down their checks. The Who'll.
story is told.
You may talk about tho church being a
r0llect on Of ny ocrites hut when the diph
iberia sweeps your children of whom dt
YOU sen for? The postmaster. the attorney
general, The hotel-Seeper. alderman? No
You send for n minister of this Bible region
And if YOU have not room in your hous
for the ObsHquies, what building DO YOU So
lcit2 DO yOu say, "G.ya me the finest roOr
in the hote!?' DO you say. "Give me tha
theayreT' Dc you say. "Give me place II