The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1896-08-27

always has been variance between
the 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 it
all with much allowance, remembering
that they Still keep the old grudge
good 0 world of the greedy eye and
the hard heart, that will do; you may:
sit down.
The second witness I call in this case
is Conscience. Who art thou, o Con
science? What is your business?
Where were you born? What are you
doing here? "Oh,'' says Conscience,
II was born in heaven. came down.
to befriend this man. I have lived
with him. have instructed him. I
have warned him.. showed him the
right and the wrong, advising him to
take the one and eschew the other.
With whip of scorpions have
scourged his Wickedness, and have
tried to cheer him when doing right;
ard yet am compelled to testify on
Lie stand to-day that he has some
times rejected my mission. Oh, how
many cups Of life have pressed to his
lips that he dashed down, and how
often has he stood with his hard heel
Oh the bleeding heart of the Son of
God! 1t pains me very much that
have to testify against this Christian
man, and yet must, in behalf Of Him
who will in no wise clear the guilty,
say that this Christian man has done
wrong. He has been worldly. He has
been neglectful. He has done a thou
sand things he ought not to have done,
and left undone a thousands things he
ought to have DONE" That will do,
Conscience. You can sit down.
The third witness I call in this case
in an angel Of God. Bright and shin
ing one, what dost thou here? What
hast thou to say against this man on
trial? "Oh," says the angel, II have
been a messenger to him. I have
guarded him. I have watched him.
With this wing have defended him,
and oftentimes, when he knew it not,
led him into green pastures and be-
side the still waters. L snatched from
him the poisoned chalices. When bad
spirits came upon him to destroy him
fought them back with infinite fierce
ness, and yet have to testify to-day
that he has rejected my mission. He
has not done as he ought to have done.
Though I came from the sky, he. drove
me back. Though with this wing de-
Tended him, and though with, this voice
I wooed him, I have to announce his
multiplied imperfections. I dare not
keep back the testimony, for then I
should not dare to appear. again
amongst the sinless ones before the
great white throne.
There is only one more witness TO be
called on behalf of the prosecution,
and thar is the great, the holy, the au-
gust, the omnipotent spirit of God.
We bow down before Him. Holy Spir-
it, knowest thou this man? ooh, yes,"
says the Holy One. Il know him. I
have striven with him ten thousand
times, and though sometimes he did
seem to repent, he fell back again as
often from his first estate. Ten thou
sand times ten thousand has he
grieved me, although the Bible warned
him, saying: 'Grieve not the Holy
Ghost. Quench not the Spirit Yes, he
has driven me back. Though am the
third person of the Trinity, he has
trampled on my mission, and the blood
of the Atonement that brought with
which to cleanse his soul, he sometimes
despised. came from the throne Of
God to convert, and comfort, and sane
tify; and yet look at that man and see
what he is compared with what, unre-
sisted, I would have made him."
The evidence on the part Of the pros
ecution has closed. Now let the de-
Tense bring on the rebuttal testimony.
What have you, o Christian soul, to
bring in reply to this evidence OF the
world, Of the conscience, Of the angel
and of the Holy Ghost? No evidence?
Are all these things true? eyes. IN
clean, unclean," says every Christian
soul. What? Do you not begin to
tremble at the thought of condemna-
ton?
We have come now to the most in
teresting part Of the great trial. The
evidence all in. The advocates speak.
The profession Of advocate is full Of
responsibility. In England and the
United States there have arisen men
who in this calling have been honored
by their race and thrown contempt
upon those who in the profession have
been guilty of a great many mean
nesses. That profession will be hon
orable as long as it has attached to it
names such as Mansfield, and Mar
shall, and Story, and Kent, and South
ard and William Writ. The court
room has sometimes been the scene of
very marvellous and thrilling things.
Some of you remember the famous
Girard will case, where one Of the ad-
vocates pleaded the cause Of the Bible
and Christianity in mastery Anglo
Saxon, every paragraph a thunderbolt
Some of you have read Of the famous
trial in Westminster Hall of Warren
Hastings, the despoiler of India That
great man had conquered India by
splendid talents by courage, by
| brides, by gigantic dishonesty. The
whole world had rung with applause
or condemnation. Gathered in West
minister Hall, the place where thirty
kings had been inaugura ted, Was one
of the NEST famous audiences ever
gathered. Foreign ministers and
princes sat there. Peers narched in,
clad in ermine and gold. Mighty men
and women from all lands looked down
upon the scene. Amid all that pomp
and splendor, and amid an excitement
which has seldom been seen in any
court room, Edmund Burke advanced in
a speech which will last as long as the
English language, concluding with this
burning charge, which made Warren
Hastings crinpe and COVER. ST i'm