Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1896-09-02

Standing in court room. You say to your
Self: AT this bar crime has often been
arraigned; at this witness stand the oath has
often been taken; at this jurors bench the
verdict has been rendered; at this judges
desk sentence has been pronounced But
have to tell you to-day OF trial hi CHER than
any Oyer and Terminer or Circuit or Su-
preme or Chanrery. 1t is the trial of every
Christian man for the life of his soul. This
trial is different from any other in the fact
that il is both civil and criminal.
The issues at stake are tremendous and l
Shall in my sermon show You, first. what are
the grounds of complaint: then, who are the
witnesses in the cause, ana lastly, who are
the advocates.
When trial is called on the first thing Is
to have the Indictment read. Stand up them
.. Christian man. and hear the Indictment
OF the court of high heaven against thy soul
1t Is an Indictment of ten counts, for thou
hast directly or Indirectly broken all the ten
commandments. You know how it thun-
dered on Sinai ami when God came down
how the mountain rocked and the smoke
assembled as from IA smolderinS furnace, and
the darkness gathered thick, and tn. loud,
deep trumpet uttered the words: 1.-The soul
that sinneth, ii shall die!" Are YOU guilty,
or not guilty2 Do not put In IA negative plea
TOO quick, Tor have TO announce that "all
have sinned and come short of the glory OF
God. There Is none that doeth good; no,
not one. Whosoever shall keep the whole
law. Yet offend in one point. he il guilty Of
all. Do not. therefore. be too hasty la
pronouncing yourself not guilty.
The lawsuit before US also charges YOU
with the breaking of Il solemn contract.
Many time did We promise to be the Lords.
We got down on our knees and said: 80.
Lord, am Thine now and forever" Did
You keep the promise? Have you stoo up
to the contract5 Have you not sometimes
faltered when you ought to have been truef
Have you not been proud when yos: ought
to have been humble? Have you not played
the coward when you oHght to have been
the herop l charge l. upon you and charge
it upon myself-we have broken the con-
tract.
Still further; this lawsuit claims damages
At your hands. the greatest slnuier on the
the Christian religion is an inconsistent pro-
fessOr. The Bible says religion IL one thing;
we. by our Inconsistency, say religion Is
some other thing, and what Is more deplOra-
bi" about 1t is that people can see faults in
others while they can not any In them
selves. II YOU shall mt any time find some
miserable old gossip. with imperfectiOns
from the crown of her heal to the sole of her
foot, Il perfect blotch of sin herself she will
go tdttIing, IaitlinS, tattliug, all the years OF
her life about the Inconsistencies of others,
having no ilpa that she is inconsistent her
self. God save the world from tho gossip,
female ani maiei l tn nk the males are the
worst!
Now you have heard the indictment read.
Are You really to plead guilty or not guilty?
Perhaps You are not ready yet TO plead.
Then the trial will 90 on. The witnesses will
be called, AMI we shall have the matter de-
cidei. In the name Cf God now make pro-
clamaton: OyeZ, OyeZ, Oyez' whoever
hath anything to otfer in this trial In which
God is the plaintiff aud the Christian soul
the defen iant. let him now step forth and
give testimony in this solemn trial.
Tie first witness | call upon the stand in
behail Ol the prosecution Is the world-all
critical and observant of Christian char
actor. You know that there are people
around you who pPrpetually banquet on tho
fraiities of Coils children. You may know,
II you have lived in the country. that a crow
cares tor nothing so much ~ carriOn. There
are those who imagine that out of the faults
OF Christians they can make a bridge of
boats across the stream of death, and they
are going to try it; but, alas for the mistake!
When they get mid-Sti 81 IN away will go tho
bridge ami down Will go their souls to perdi-
ton. world of the greedy eye aud the
hard heart, come on the stand now and tes-
t.fy In behalf Of the prosecution against this
Christian soul on trial. What do you know
about this Christian man? "Oh," says the
world, 81 know great deal about him He
talks about putting his treasures in heaven,
but he il the sharpest man in "A trade | ever
knew. He seems to want us to believe that
he is II child OF God. but he is Just full of
imperfec.ions. | do not know but | am a
great deal ber' er than lie il now. Often
times he Is very earthly, and he talks 80 lit
tie about Christ an so much about himself.
am very glad to testify that this Is a bad
man."
Stop, o World. with the greedy eye and
hard heart fear you are too much inter
ested In this trial to give impartial evidence.
Let all those who hear the testimony Of this
witness know that there Is an old family
an fr..l h..tty hos. tvn RI.
always has been variancs between tho
World and the Church, and while the World
ON the Witness stand to day has told "a great
deal OF truth about this Christian man, you
must take 1t all with much allowance, re-
membering that they still keep the old grudgs
good. o, World Of the greedy and the hard
heart, that will do; you must sit down.
The second Witness call in this case l.
Conscience. Who art thou, o Conscience
What Is your business9 Where were you
born? What are you doing here? son"
says Conscience. 81 was born In heaven. |
/ came down to b'friend this man. 1 have
lived with him. l have instructed him. /
have warned him. l showed him the right
and he wrong, advising him to take the one
and eschey the other. L have kindlci "a
great light in his soul. With II whip of
scorpion l have scourged his wicketinsss and
| have tried to cheer him when doing right,
and yet | am compelled to testify on the
stand to-day that hs mas sometimes rejected
my ia S-iOn. Oh, how many cups Of life
have l pressed to his lips that he dashed
down, and how often has be stood with his
hard heel on the bleeding heart Of tha Son
OF God II pains me vers much that have
to testify against tits Christian man. and
vet | must, In behalf Of Him who will Ia no
wise clear the guilty. say that this Christian
man has done wrong. He has been worldly.
He has been neglertful. He has done II
thousand things he ought not To have done,
and left undone a THOUSAND things he OHght
to have done. That will do, Conscience.
You can sit down.
The third witness | call In the case A. an
angel of God Bright anu shining one what
doe=t thou herrg What hast thou 10 say
against this man on triall 'Oh. says the
angel. II have been a mess engsr to hi,l. ]
have guarded him. | have washed him. With
This wing I have defended him, and often
times, when he knew IL not, | led him into
green pasiu ami beside still waters. /
snatchei from him tn. poisoned chat
ICES. When bad spirits came upon him 10
destroy him, fought them back with infinite
fercen-ss. and yet have to testify today
that he has rejected my mission. He has
not done a. he ought 10 have done. Thsugh
/ came from the sky, h- drove m. hack.
Though with this wing defended him, and
though with this voice wOoed him, | have
10 announce his multiplied imperfeciions-
dare not keep back the testimony. Tor then
should not dare to appear again amongst
the -ini-Ss ones before the great white
ThrOue.
There - only one more wItnesst To- be called
on behalf ofihs prosecution, aud that II the
great, the holy, the august, the Omnipotent
Spirit Of God. We bow down before Him.
HOLY Spirit, knowezt Thou this mNnP "Oh,
yes saws the holy one. II know him l
have striyen With him ten thousand times,
aud though sometimes h. did seem 10 repent
h.. fell tack again a. often from his frst 80
tate. Ten thousand times ten thousand has
he grieved Me, although the Bible warned
hin, saving 'Gn-ve not tho HoIv dh1sr.
Qurnch not the Spirit. Ye-. ha has driven
Ne back Though am the rhiri P-rs.n 81
the Trinity. he has trampisi on w Mission,
and the blood Of the Atonement that
brought with which 20 cleanse his snui, he
sometimes d-spI-ei. I cams from the throni
Of God 20 convert, snd comfort and sancti-
~, and yet look at that man and see what es