Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1894-03-22
AT THE TABERNACLE.
CHARACTERISTIC AND ELOQUENT
SERMON BY REV. DR.. TALMAoE.

SERMON BY REV. Or. TALMAaE.
He Takes For His Subject From Conquest
TO conquest-Is Christianity Retrograd-
ing and the Bible Losing Its HoIds-An
Encouraging Discourse.
BROOKLYN, March 1S-In the Tabernacle
today Rev. DR.. Talmage preached q most
eloquent and characteristically vigorous
sermon in refutetion of the oft renewed as
sertion ofthe enemies of religion that Chris
tiauity is retrograding and the Bible losing
its hold upon the hearts and consciences of
men. The subject of the discourse as an
nounced was, From Conquest to Con-
quest" the text being taken from Amos tx,
Is, behold, the days come, saith the Lord,
that the plowman shall overtake the reap
er"
Picture Of tropical cline with a season
so prosperous that the harvest reaches clear
over to the planting time, and the swarthy
husbandman swinging the sickle in the
thick grain almost feels the breath of the
horses on his shoulders, the horses hitched
to the plow preparing for new crop BE
hold, the days come, saith the Lord, that
the plowman shall overtake the reaper"
When is thati That Is now. That is this
day when hardly have you done reaping
one harvest before the plowman is getting
ready for another.
know that many declare that Christian
ity has collapsed; that the Bible is an obso-
lete book; that the Christian church Is on
the retreat. will here and now show that
the opposite of that is true
An Arab guide was leading a French IN
fldel across desert, and ever and anon the
Arab gaide would get down In Che sand
and pray to the Lord. It disguised the
French infdel, and after awhile as the
Arab got up from one Of his prayers the In
fidel said, "How do you know there is any
God" and the Arab guide said: Flow do
! know that a man and a camel passed
along our tent last night2 I know 1t by
the footprints in the sand. And you want
to know how know whether there is any
God. Look at that sunset. Il that the
footstep Of man" And by the same
process you and have come to understand
that this book Is the footstep of God.
GROWTH OF CHRISTIANITY.
But now let us see whether the Bible is q
last years almanac. Let us see whether the
church of God is In Bull Run retreat,
muskets, canteens and haversacks strewing
all the way. The great English historian,
Sharon Turner, man of vast learning and
of great accuracy, not clergyman, but an
attorney as well as a historian, gives this
overwhelming statistic in regard to Chris
tianity and in regard to the number of
Christians in the different centuries: In the
first century, 700 Christians; in the sec
ond century, 1900, 900 Christians; in the
third century, 5000, 900 Christians; in the
fourth century, 10, 600 900 Christians; in the
fifth century, 1900, 600 Christians; in the
sixth century, 100000 Christians; in the
seventh century, "a, 900 900 Christians; in
the eighth century, 100000 Christians;
in the ninth century, 10000 900 Christians;
in the tenth century. 20, ,000, 900 Christians; in
the eleventh century, 10000, 900 Christians;
in the twelfth century, SO, ,00O, 900 Christians;
in the thirteenth century, 5000, 900 Chris
tians; in the fourteenth century, 80,000,-
900 Christians; in the fifteenth century,
100, 700 Christians; in the sixteenth CEN
tury, 1856 900 Christians; in the seven
teenth century, ISL, ,0O0, 900 Christians; in the
eighteenth century, 2O0, 10000 Christians
"a decadenee, as you observe, in only one
century and moro than made up in the fol
lowing centuries, while 1t is the usual com.
putation that there will be, when the rec
ord of the nineteenth century Is made up
at least 800, 900 900 Christians.
Poor Christianity What pity It has
no friends How lonesome It must be-
Who will take it out of the poorhousei
Poor Christianity Three hundred millions
in one century. In a few weeks Of the yeal
1881 1850, COO copies of the New Testament
distributed. Why, the earth Is like an old
castle with 30 gates and park of artillery
ready TO thunder down every gate. Lay
aside all Christendom and see how heathen
dom is being surrounded and honeycombed
and attacked by this all conquering gospel
At the beginning of this century there
were only $50 missionaries. Now there arr
25.0C0 missionaries and native helpers and
evangelsts. At the beginning of this cen
tury there were only so, 900 0heathen converts
Now there are :, ,750, GOO converts from hea
thendom
There is not seacoast on the planet bui
the battery Of the gospel is planted and
ready to march on, north, south, east, west
army is to plant the batteries. It may take
many days to plant the batteries, and they
may do all their work in 10 minutes. These
batteries are being planted all along tbs
seacoasts and in all nations. It may take q
good while to plant them, and they may dc
all their work in one day. They will. Ma
tions are to be born in day. But just come
back to Christendom and recognize the fact
that during the last 10 years as many peo
Pile have connected themselves with evan
gelical churches as connected themselve.
with the churches In the first so years ol
this century.
A POPULAR BOOK.
So Christianity is falling back, and tn,
Bible, they say, is becoming an obsolet,
book. | 60 into court, and wherever
find judges bench or a clerks desk l finf
Bible. Upon what book could there b,