Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1896-02-19
RET. DR.. TaLuaGE.
The Eminent Divine's 'Sunda,
Sermon
Subject: "The Place to Begin.

Subject: "The Place to Bexin.s
| TEXT: beginning at Jerusalem. LUX,
xiv, Al.
"There 1t is" said the driver, and we al
instantly and excitedly rose In the carriag
! to catch the first glimpse OF Jerusalem, 8,
long the Joy Of the whole earth. That city
coroneted with temples and palaces ant
radiant, whether looked up at from the val
10y OF Jehoshaphat or gazed at from adjoir
Ing hills, was the capital OF a great Nation
Clouds OF incense had lowered over 1t. Char
lots OF kings had rolled through 1t. Batter
ing rams Of enemies had thundered agains
II. There Isaiah prophesied, and jeremiah
Iamented. and David reigned, and Pau
preached, and Christ was martyred. Mos
interesting city ever built since masonr,
rung its first trowel or plumb line measured
ITS first wall or royalty swung its frs
scepter. What Jerusalem was to the Jewish
klnSdom Washington is to our own country
the capital, the place to which all thu
whose throb sends life or death through the
body polite, clear out to the Biographies a
extremities
What the resurrected Christ said in my
sext to His disciples when He ordered them to
start on the work OF gosplization, "begin.
ming at Jerusalem" )" it seems to me God saws
now IN His providence to tens OF thousands
OF Christians in this city. Start for the
evangelization Of America. "beginning at
Washington" America Is going TO be taken
for God. If you do not believe 1t, take your
hat now and leave and give room to some
man or woman who does believe 1t. A.
surely as God lives and He is able to do as He
says He will this country will be evangelized
from the mouth OF the Potomac to the
mouth OF the Oregon, from the Highlands OF
Navesink to the Golden Horn, from Baffin'a
Bay to the Gulf OF Mexico, and Christ will
walk every lake, whether bestormed OF
placid, and be transflgured on every noun
tain. and the night skies, whether they hover
over groves OF magnolia or over Alaskan
| glacier. shall be filled with the angelic over
ture OF "glory to God and good will tc
men,"
Again and again does the old book an
nounce that all the earth shall see the saliva
tion of God. and as the greater includes the
lesser that takes America gloriously in. Can
| you not sec that il America is not taken for
, God by His consecrated people 1t will be
taken for Apollyou? The forces engaged on
both sides are so tremendous that it cannot
| be drawn battle. 1t is coming, the Arma-
geddon. Either the American Sabbath will
perish and this Nation be handed over TO
derods and Hildebrands and Diocletians
! and Neros OF baleful power, and Alcoholism
will reign, seated upon piled up throne Of
beer barrels, his mouth fOaming with do
| nestle and National curse, and crime will
lift its unhindered knife of assassination
! torch OF widest conhagration, and our
cities be turned into Sodoms, waiting for
mighty tempest OF fire and birthstone
and one tidal wave of abomination
will surge across the continent, or our
Sabbaths will take on more sancti-
ty, and the newspapers will become apocal-
yptic wings of benediction. and penitentiaries
will be abandoned for lack of occupants, and
holiness and happiness, twin son and daugh-
| ter OF heaven, snail walk through the land
and Christ reign over this Nation either in
person or by agency so glorious that the
whole country will be one clear. resounding
echo OF heaven. II viii be one or the other.
BY the throne OF Him who liveth forever and
ever l declare it will be the latter. If the
Lord will help me, as He always does
blessed be. His glorious name-I will show
you how a mighty work Of grace begun at
Washington would have tendency to bring
| the whole continent to God. and before this
century closes.
william the Conqueror ordered the curfew,
he custom Of ringing tho bell at midnight,
1t which all the fires on the hedrths were to
be banked, and all the lights extinguished,
and all the people retire to their pillows. l
pray God that the curfew of this century
may not be sounded, and the fires be banked,
and the lights extinguished as the clock
strikes the midnight hour that divides the
nineteenth century from the twentieth CEN
.ury until this beloved land. which was to
most Of US a cradle and which will be to most
Of US grave, shall come into the full pos
session OF Him who Is 50 glorious that WILL
lam the Conqueror could not be compared to
Him. even the One who rideth forth "con-
luering and to conquer"
Why should 1t be especially advantageou.
II mighty work OF grace started here, ''be-
ginning at Washington" First, because this
:ity Is on the border between the North and
the South. 1t is neither Northern nor South
ern. 1t commingles the two climates. II
brings together the two styles OF population.
It Is not only right, but beautiful that peo-
rple should have especial love for the latitude
where they we're born and brought up. With
what loving accentuation the Alabamian
speaks OF his orange groves! And the man
rom Massachusetts, is sure to let you know
that he comes from the land Of the Adamses
samuel and John and John Quincy. Did
you ever know Virginian or Ohioan whose
lace did not brighten when he announced
himself from the Southern or Northern
State OF Presidents? II man does not like
his native cline, it is because while he lived
there he did not behave well. This capital
stands where, by its locality and its political
influence. 1t stretches forth one hand toward
the North and the other toward the South,
and a mighty work OF grace starting here
would probably be National awakening.
Georgia would clasp the hand OF New Hamp-
shire, and Maine the hand Of Louisiana, and
California the hand of New York, and say,
"Come, let US go up and worship the God
Of Nations. the Christ Of Golgotha, the Holy
Ghost OF the pentecostal thousands" It has
often been said that the only way the
North and the South will be brought into
somplete accord is to have war with
some foreign Nation in which both sections,
marching side by side, would forget every
thing but the foe to be overcome. Well, II
you wait for such a foreign conflict, you
will wait until all this generation is dead
will make the sections forget past contro-
versies il a war against unrighteousness.
such as a universal religious awakening
would declare. What we want is a battle
for souls In which about 40 900 900 Northern
ers and Southerners shall be on the same
side and shoulder to shoulder. In no other
city on the continent can such war be de-
clared SO appropriately, for all the other
great cities are either Northern or Southern.
This Is neither, or rather it is both.
Again. it would be especially advantageous
II a mighty work of grace started here. be-
cause more representative men are in Wash
fngton than in any other city between the
oceans. OF course there are accidents in
politics, and occasionally there are men who
get into the Senate and House of Represen-
tatives and other important places who are
fitted for the positions in neither head nor
heart, but this is exceptional and more ex-
ceptionai now than in other days. There is
not a drunkard in the National Legislature,
although there were times when Kentucky,
Virginia. Delaware, Illinois. New York and
Massachusetts had men in the Senate or
House of Representatives who were maudlin
and staggering drunk across those high
places. Never nobler group of meE sat in
Senate or House of Representatives than sat
there yesterday and will sit there tomorrow,
while the highest judiciary. without ex-
eeption, has now upon its bench men be-
yond criticism for good morals and mental
endowment. SoIn all departments of Off.
eial position, with here and there an excep-
ton, are to-day the brainiest men and most
honorable men Of America. Now, suppose
the Holy Ghost power should fall upon this
city, and these men from all parts of Amer
lea should suddenly become pronounced fol
Christ. Do you say the effect would be cleo
trIcal? More than that. 1t would be ON,
hipotent. Do you say that such learned and
potent men are not wrought upon by relig.
ous inhuence2 That shows you have NOT