The Bossier banner., 1894-01-11
TALMAGES SERMON.
a Worldly Fall Sometimes Pre-
cedes a Spiritual Uplifting.
The Convention of Paul and Its Lessons
Tho Religion of Christ Not Pusu-
lanimous-God's Grace Over
comes All.

Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage delivered the
following sermon at Birmingham, Ala,
during his recent trip south. The sub
ject was "Unhorsed," and the text:
And as he journeyed he came near Damascus;
and suddenly there shined round about him
light from Heaven; and he fell to the earth,
and heard voice saying unto him: Saul, Saul,
why persecutest thou me? And he said: Who
art thou Lord? And the Lord said am
Jesus, whom thou persecutest.-Act TX, IS.
The Damascus of Bible times still
stands, with population of one hun
dred and thirty-five thousand. 1t was
a gay city of white and clustering
architecture, its minarets and cres-
cents and domes playing with the light
of the morning sun; embowered IN
groves of olive, and citron, and orange,
and pomegranate; famous river
plunging its brightness in the scene; a
city by the ancients styled pearl
surrounded by emeralds."
A group of horsemen are advancing
upon that city. Let the Christians of
the place hide, for that cavalcade COM
ing over the hills is made up of perse-
cutors; their leader small and unat-
tractive in some respects, as leaders
sometimes are insignificant in person;
witness the duke of Wellington and
DIR. Archibald Alexander. But there
is something very intent in the eye Of
this man of the text, and the horse he
rides is lathered with the foam of a
long and quick travel of one hundred
and thirty-fve miles. He urges on his
steed, for these Christians must be
captured and silenced, and that reli-
gion of the cross must be annihilated.
Suddenly the horses shy off, and
plunge until the riders are precipited.
Freed from the riders, the
horses bound snorting away. You
know that dumb animals, at the sight
of an eclipse, or an earthquake, or any
thing like a supernatural appearance,
sometimes become very uncomfortable.
A new sun had been kindled in the
heavens, putting out the glare of the
ordinary sun. Christ, with the glories
of Heaven wrapped about Him, looked
out from a cloud and the splendor was
insufferable, and no wonder the horses
sprang and the equestrians dropped.
Dust-covered and bruised, Saul at
tempts to get up, shading hia eyes with
his hands from the severe luster of the
heavens, but unsuccessfully, for he is
struck stone blind as he cries out:
who art Thou, Lord?" and Jesus an,
swered him: II am the One you have
been chasing. He that whips and
scourges those Damascene Christians
whips me and scourges me. It is not
their back that is bleeding; it is mine
1t is not their heart that is breaking
1t is mine. l am Jesus whom thou
persecutest."
From that Wild exciting and over
whelming scene there rises the great
est preacher of all the ages-Paul, il
whose behalf prisons were rocked
down, before whom soldiers turned
pale, into whose hand Mediterranean
sea captains put control of their ship
wrecked craft, and whose epistles arr
the avant courier of resurrection
day.
l learn from this scene that worldly
fall sometimes precedes spiritual up
lifting. A man does not get mucl
sympathy by falling off horse. Peo
pie say he ought not to have got int
the saddle if he could not ride. Thos,
of us who were brought up in tn,
country remember well how the work
men laughed when, on our way bacl
from the brook, we suddenly lost ou
ride. When in grand review gen
eral toppled from the stirrups it be
came q national merriment Here i
Paul on horseback-a proud man, rid
ing on with government documents il
his pocket, graduate in most ia
nous school, in which the celebrate,
DIR. Gamaliel had been professor
perhaps having already attained tw
of the three titles of the school-Rab
the first; Rabbi, the second, and on hi
way to Rabbak, the third and highes
title. l know from his Temperament
that his horse was ahead of the othe
horses. But without time to think O
what posture he should take, or with
out consideration for his dignity, he i
tumpled into the dust. And yet tha
was the best ride Paul ever took. On
of that violent fall he arose into tn
apostleship. So it has been in all ages
and SO it is now.
You will never be worth much fo
Nou anu OhC uuUll YOU lose YOU
fortune, or have your reputation ur
set, or in some way, somehow, ar
thrown and humiliated. You must O.
down before You go up. Joseph find
path to the Egyptian court through
pit into which his brothers threw him
Daniel would never have wall1e,
amidst the bronzed lions that adorne,
the Babylonish throne if he had no
first walked amidst real lions of tn
cave. And Paul marshals all the pen
erations of Christendom by falling fla
on his face on the road to Damascus
Men who have been always prospere,
may be efficient servants of the world
but will be of no advantage to Christ
You may ride majestically seated O,
your charger, rein in hand, foot il
stirrup, but you will never be wort
anything spiritually until you fall of
They who graduate from the school O
Christ with the highest honors hay
on their diploma the seal of a lion
muddy paw, or the plash of an angr
wave. or the droD of a Strer +oo