The Washington times., 1894-12-10
MULTITUDES Hear TALMAGE
Four Sermons and an Outdoor Address
Delivered in Washington.
CROWDS RUSH TO SHAKE HANDS
Eloquence of the Missionary of the World"
Fills the Old First Presbyterian Church
The Bible Described and Defended in
Burning Words-Pen Picture of Him.

lttSlOE Ol luo 1hD6tuuclo CuuICL, JCIOOkiyu,
now evangelist of the world at large, preached
four times in this city yesterday. Some 5000
persons listened TO his eloquent, earnes
words and 500 shook his hand. He was given
an ovation such as no man has received in
Washington within year.
In the morning he preached first in the
main audience room of the Eastern Presby-
terian Church and again at the close of that
service lie spoke in the lecture-room below to
the children and scores of older persons who
had been unable to get in above.
The church was filed for the first sermon
a quarter OF an hour before the time to begin.
AT II o'clock the high stone steps leading
from each side to the entrance to the auditor
ium were covered with people trying to get
in, and the ragged edge of the crowd was out
lined upon the sidewalk in front, while every
moment groups OF twos and threes turned
away A few were still being admitted to the
lecture-room to await the later address, and
few were going TO the gallery where there
was still little standing room from which
tall man could catch Il glimpse OF the speaker
and sharp ear could catch his discourse.
Later the doors OF the lecture-room had to be
locked to keep out the crowd, though it
would be an hour before the address there
began.
The audience was made up of all classes.
There was spriuklng of Congressman and
others high in official life. Representative
John Pickler sat in the gallery, second seat
back, and listened attenrivey throughout.
Fully two thousand heard Mr. Tamage at
the two services.
In the evening DIR. Talmage preached at
DR.. Sunderland's church, the First Presbyter-
ian. Long before the hour for opening the
crowd came pouring in. At 7:l5 the church
was filed and the scores eager TO get within
earshot were thronging the anterooms.
call Tor policemen 10 direct the movements OF
the crowd was sent to headquarters and
squad of half dozen bluecoats was soon on
hand They kept the way clear so that per-
sons desirous OF hearing should be able 70 get
places IN the asles and in the gallery. Finally
the gallery was filed and all the long ante
rooms on the second floor, and mere signt-
seers were croWding the Yestibu,e below and
spread over the sidewalk and into the street.
When DR.. Talmage arrived and passed in,
and it was evident there was no chance TO
hear him in comfort. hundreds Of these went
away. There yet remained a packed house
with dozens standing in the open doors all
the way back to the wall. standing upon the
benches against the wall and hanging half
way through the windows looking from the
stairway into the audience-room. Cyclone
jim Marshall" " Representative in Congress
from the Ninth Virginia District, stood hold
ing the left casing of the left door. tiLtoeing
and cranjng his neck to catch a glimpse and
hear the words of the great pulpit orator. In
response 10 this great eagerHess 10 hear him,
DR.. Talmage announced that he would speak
a few words of greeting and exhoration in
the open air alter the service within had
closed
When he had finished his sermon in the
him and shake his hand, and Tor twenty min
utes he he'd reception in the pulpit.
As an instance of what happened, a beneyo-
lent matrOn came back enthusiastic and eX-
cited 10 tell how she got within reach and
shaken hands with the great divine. Il was
almost equal to the man who took pride in
the hand that had shaken Sulivans
When he could, DR.. Talmage went to the
church steps. and while the crowd filled the
vestlbule and stretched up and down the
sidewalk and nearly across the street and
came out and stood in doorways opposite and
opened windows on the second floor TO hear
he spoke for quarter OF an hour on the
help, the hope and JOY of the Christian relig-
ion" Nearly three thousand heard him at
the night meetings.
Talmage has massive. bony frame. big
head with rugged, home!y features lighted
with kindly expression and a cleaning eve.
His hair Is spare. sandy, sprinkied with gray
and with long Struggling locks combed il
streaks across the broad. bald expanse on
top. HIS voice frequently rasps and CRATES.
but IS always clear and very strong, and often
harmonious and sympathetic. 1t varies
through wide range OF loudness and quality
10 match the words and the feeling II melts
into tears, trumpets defiance or broadens
with holy Joy and triumph. HIS hands. arms
and entire figure in rhythmical movements
follow and emphasize his discourse.
2 ha rgl, H. fTr,lr,
introduced by the pastor, DR.. Easton, as his
friend. who appeared in that pulpit for the
first time since his long travel abroad.
From the front of the pulpit, with that
sturdy, earnest. and kind manner which has
so endeared him to religious audiences in all
parts of the world, he announced his text as
part OF the eighth verse of the fourteenth
psalm, "The statutes of the Lord are right"
and said he would devote his time to proving
this to be true in every sense.
Old books 90 out of date When written.
they discussed questions of living interest:
they struck at wrongs then besetting the
world. But if poetry, they were filled with
mythology that has vanished before civiliza-
tion like mists before the morning sun: if
history, the facts have been better classified:
II ethics, civilization rejects the maXims of
antiquity. We do not want Sappho and
Philemon and Aristophanes are neglected.
Books, as men, are born and live and do
their work and die.
But there is one old book that does not die.
1t grew under the hand of Moses and of
David. of Matthew and of John and of Paul
1t was at Jerusalem and Rome, at Athens and
at Patmos. The emperors hurled their edicts
against it and il has been mathematical by
Rome: but in vain. 1t crossed the English
Channel by the hand of Wyclfl. and all Eng
land saw its light; ii crossed the Atlantic and
struck on Plymouth Rock from which it has
q ha a hlpGSinty to oil IopI
To-day 100, 600 Christian ministers stand with
their hands on this book, pointing the wav 10
life eternal.
There is not so much evidence that Milton
wrote Paradise Lost" that Shakespeare
wrote Macbeth, that Bryant wrote ''Thana-
topsis, or Scott, "Marmion." or Tennyson,
the charge of the Light Brigade as there
is evidence that God Almighty by the hand of
patriarch and prophet and apostle wrote this
book. Tho divine origin is shown by its in
iuence over the world; by its preservation.
When the effort to destroy it began there were
only 400 copies; now there are more than
400 0G0,0 600.
After series of refutations of infidel criti-
cisms and combinations of the Scriptures.
based upon explorations in Oriental coan-
tries and discoveries of scientists. he said:
when landed in England not lohg ago.
l was handed telegram saving: PRAY. come
to me at Hawarden,' and signed w. +. Glad
stone. went. And when, next morning.
we were taking run through the park in
the clear, crisp air-I say run rather than
walk, because while Mr.. Gladstone was then
already past eighty-two, he was still 1.-the and
active-and we were. tripping along at a
lively STEP and L asked him: Mr.. Glad
stone, does your faith in Christianity
increase or decrease as you grow older?'
He stopped short and turned to me. THE
only question in the world he exclaimed,
is how to bring the gospel home TO the
Masses Then he went on to say that he
had taken some part in the affairs of the Eng