The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-03-20
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
SUNDAYS SERMON IN THE NEW
YORK ACADEMY OF MUSIC.
Subject: "New Ground"

three churches in the same city. and not
feeling called upon to undertake the SUPER
human toll OF building a fourth church.
Providence seemed to point to this place as
the field in which I could enlarge my work.
and feel sense OF relief amounting to ex-
ultation. Whereunto this work will grow I
cannot prophesy. It is inviting and promis-
ing beyond anything I have ever touched.
The churches are the grandest institutions
this world ever saw, and their pastors have
no superiors this side OF heaven. but there is
a work which must he done outside OF the
churches. and to that work join myself for
awhile, "Lest I build on another mans
foundation
The church is fortress dlvlnely built.
Now, fortress is for defense and for drill,
and for storing ammunition, but an army
must sometimes be on the march far outside
the fortress. In the campaign of conquering
shis world for Christ the time has come for
an advance movement for general en-
gagement." for massing the troops, for an
invasion Of the enemies country. Confident
that the forts are we'll manned by the ablest
ministry that ever blessed the church. pro-
pose, with others, for awhile, to join the
cavalry and move out and on for service in
the open field.
In laying out the plan for his missionary
tour Paul. with more brain than any OF his
sors. sought out towns and cities which had
not yet been preached to. He goes to Cor
NTH, city mentioned for splendor and vice,
and Jerusalem, where the priesthood and
sanhedrin were ready to leap with both feet
upon the Christian religion. He feels he has
a special work to do. and he means to do it.
What was the result2 The grandest life OF
usefulness that man ever lived. We modern
Christian workers are not apt to initiate
Paul. We build on other peoples founda-
tions. II we erect church. we prefer to
been pious. Do we gather a Sunday-school
class, we want good boys and girls, hair
combed, faces washed, manners attractive.
SO church in this city Is apt to be built out
of other churches. Some ministers spend all
their time in fishing in other peoples ponds,
and they throw the line into that church
pond and jerk out Methodist, and throw
the line into another church pond and bring
out Presbyterian, or there is a religious
row in some neighboring church. and the
whole school of fish swim of from that pond,
and we take them all in with one sweep Of
the net. What is gained2 Absolutely moth
Ing for the general cause Of Christ. It Is only
as in an army, when a regiment Is trans
ferred from one division to another, or from
the Fourteenth Regiment to tbs Sixty-ninth
Regiment. What strengthens the army Is
new recruits
The fact is, this is big world. When In
our schoolboy days we learned the diameter
and circumference Of this planet, we did not
learn half. It Is the latitude and longitude
and diameter and circumference OF want and
WOO and sin that no figures can calculate.
This ons spiritual continent OF wretchedness
reaches across all zones, and II were called
to give It's geographical boundary would
say II Is bounded on the north and south and
east and west by the great heart OF Gods
sympathy and love. Oh, 1t Is great world.
Since O'Clock this morning at least $4,000
have been born, and all these multiplied
populations are to be reached OF the gospel.
In England or In Eastern American cities
we are being much crowded, and az
acre Of ground is OF great value, but out
West 500 acres Is small farm, and TO-
900 acres is no unusual possession. There Is
q vast field here aud everywhere unoc-
cupied, plenty Of room more, not building
on another mans foundation. We need
as churches to stop bombarding the
old iron clad sinners that have been proof
against thirty years OF Christian assault, and
aim for the salvation OF those who have
never yet had one warm hearted and point
blank invitation. There are churches whose
buildings might be worth 100000, VINO are
not averaging five new converts year and
doing less good than many a log cabin meet
ing house with tallow candle stuck In wooden
socket and a minister who has never seen a
college or known the difference between
Greek and Choctaw. We need churches to
get into sympathy with the great outside
world, and LET them know that none are 80
broken hearted or hardly bestead that they
will not be welcomed "No!" says some fas-
tidious Christian: "I don't like to be crowd
ed In church. Don't put any one In my
pew" My brother, what will you do in
heaven? When great multitude that no
man can number assemblies, they will put
fifty In your pew. What are the select few
to-day assembled in the Christian churches
compared with the mightier millions outside
of them2
At least 5000, 900 people In this cluster Of
sesboard cities, and not more than 200 900 in
the churches. Many Of the churches are
like hospital that should advertise that its
patients must have nothing worse than tooth
ache or "run arounds," but no broken heads.
no crushed ankles, no fractured thighs.
Give us for treatment moderate sinners, vel
vet coated sinners and sinners with gloss
on, It is as though man had a farm OF
5000 acres and put all his work on one acre.
He may raise never 80 large ears OF corn,
never 80 big heads Of wheat, he would re-
main poor. The church Of God has bestowed
splendid men and women in that small in
closure, but the field Is the world. That
means North and South America. Europe,
Asia and Africa and all the islands Of the
sea.
It is as though after a great battle there
were left 30, 900 wounded and dying on the
field and three surgeons gave all their time
to three patients under their charge. The
major-general comes in and says to the doc
tors, "Come out here and look at the nearly
so 900 dying for lack of surgical attendance" !"
"No," say the three doctors, standing there
and tanning their patients; "we have three
important cases here, and We are attending
them, and when we Are not positively busy
with their wounds 1t takes all our time to
keep the flies off," In this awful battle OF
sin and sorrow, where millions have fallen
on millions, do not let us spend all our time
in taking care OF few people, and when the
command comes, $50 into the world" say
practically: "No; cannot go. have here
a few choice cases, and I am busy keeping on
the flies" There are multitudes to-day who
have never had any Christian worker look
them In the eye, and with earnestness in the
accentuation say, "Come" or they would
long ago have been in the kingdom. My
mendous reality. II it be asham, let us cease
to have anything to do with Christian as
ISOLATION. If it be reality then great
populations are on their way to the bar OF
God untitled for the ordeal, and what are we
doing?
In order to teach the multitude Of outsid-
ers we must drop all technicalities out OF our
religion. When we talk to people about the
hypostatic union and French ency,lopedian-
ism and erastianism and complutensianism
we are rs impolitic and little understood as
II physician should talk to an ordinary pa.
tient about the pericardium and intercostal
muscle and scorbutic symptoms. Many OF
us come out of the theological seminaries 80
loaded up that we take the first ten years to
show our people how much we know, aud