The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1896-01-23
TALMAGE'S SUNDAY SERMON.
WHEN TO SPEAK OUT.
30 Much Reticsnoe Among Christians Re.
gsrding Religion.
TErr. "Let tae redeemed Of tbo 1orl s,,

An overture. Az antiphon. doxo!ogy is
this chapter. and in my text David calls for
an outspoken religion and requests ali wao
have been rescued and blessed no longer TO
moe the splendid facts. but to recite them,
publish them and ns far as possible let all the
world know about II. Lot tho redeemed of
the Lord sayso." There is q sinful reticence
which has been almost canonized. The
4 people are quite as outspoker rs they ought
| 20 be on all subjects Of poltico and are fluent
and voluble on the Venezuelan question
and bimetallism and tariffs high and low
and remodeled and female suffrage and YOU
have TO skilfully watch your chance II YOU
want TO put into the active conversation
modest suggestion Of your own, but
on the subject OF divine goodness, reli-
gious experience and eternal besssdness
they are not only silent. but boas,ful OF their
rehcence. Now, IL you have been redeemed
ofthe Lord. why do YOU not say go? Ifvou
have In your heart the pearl Of great price.
worth more than the Kohinoor among Vic
torian jewels. why not let others see it2 II
you got of the wreck in the breakers. why
not tell OF the crew and the stout ufehoet
that safely landed youy II from the fourth
story you ara rescued in time Of conf,agra-
ton, why not tell of the fireman and the lad
der down which he carried YOU II you
have "A mansion in heaven awaiting Won
why not show the deed to those who NAV by
the same process get an emerald castle on
the same boulevard? by the last two words
OF my text David calls upon all of Us who
have received any mercy at the hands of
God to stop impersonating the asylums for
the dumb and in the persanCe OF men women
angels, devils and all wor'd- Say so."
In these January days. thousands OF min
isters and private Christians are wondering
about the best ways OF starting n revival OF
religion. can tell von way ~ starting "A
revival. continental, hemisphere and world
wide. You say n revival starts IN heaven
Well, II starts In heaven inst as 70 prosperous
harvest starts In heaven. The sun must shine
and the rains must descend hut unless YOU
plow and SOW and cultivate the earth YOU
viii not raise n bushel OF wheat or "A neck of
corn between now and the end of the world
How, then, shall universal revival start2
BY all Christian people telling the story of
their own conversion, Let ten men and wo-
men get up next week In your, ,rayer meet
ing and, not in conventional d canting or
doleful way, but in the same sphe they en-
p0y In the family or placIot business,
tell how they crossed IT, line. and
the revival will begin then al there. IL
the prayer meeting has not ,jeen so dun
as TO drive out all except those concern
ing whom II was foreorda he'd from al
eternity that they should be here. There
are so many different ways Z being con-
verted that we want 10 hear a kinds, so that
our own case may be helped. railways puts
mo- aik TO hear2iiJ' bne kind n experience.
-. such as man gives when he tells OF his
Pauline conversion--how he was knocked
senseless, and then had vision aud heard
voices, and after certain number OF DAYS
of horror got up aud shouted for Joy. All
that discourages me, for was never knocked
senseless, and | never had such sudden
burst OF religious rapture that / lose my
equilibrium. But after awhile a Christian
man got up in some meeting and told us low
he was brought up by u devout parentage
and had always been thoughtful about re-
ltfvinpa IN oil sI. q
the gospel came into his soul like the dawn
OF the morning-no perceptble difference
between moment and moment-but after
awhile all perturbation settled down into n
hope that had consoled and strengthened
him during all the vcssitudes OF lifetime
said, THAT is exnilarating; that was my
experience" And so | was strengthened.
In another prayer meeting man got up
and told us how he once hated God amt
went through all the rouni Of iniquity until
We. were all on nettles lest he should 90 too
much into the particulars but one day he
was by some religious power hurled fiat and
then got up Christian and had ever since
been going around with a BAKE ar Bible with
large flaps under his arm. u floating evange.
list. Well. under this story many are no:
helped NJ all, for they know they never hated
God, and they were never dissOlute. But af-
te. awhile some Christian woman arises and
saws. II have nothing extraordinary to
tell. yet think the cares Of life the auXictics
about ms children aud two graves
opened in our family plot made me feel the
need OF God. and weak aud helpless and
heartlrOScn | flung myself upon His mercy,
and feel what the Bible calls the peace 0f
God which pa,scth all understanding and
/ ask your prayers that | may live nearer to
the Christ who has done so much for me. -
declare that before that woman got through
we We're all CRYING, not bitter tears, nu,
tears % joyful emotion, and in three DAYS i'm
that EeishborhOod all tho ice had gone out
.S)f the river in sprngtme ire-het OF saliva
. tion. Let the redeemed OF the Lord say so. "
| have but little interest in what people
say about religion as an abstraction, but
have illimitable interest In what people say
about what they have personally felt Of Re-.
ligion. II was an expression OF his own
gratitude for personal salvation which led
Charles Wesley, after season Of great do
spondency about his soul and Christ had
spoken pardon, to write that immortal
hymn;
Oh, for thousand tongues 10 sing
My great Redeemer's praise
II was after Abraham Lincoln had been
comforted in the loss OF Tad, the bright boy
OF the White House, that he said, II now see
as never before the preciousness of Gods
love in Jesus Christ and how we are brought
near TO God as our Father by Him."
What thrill went through the meeting In
Portland, Or, when an eS-Attorney-Genera
OF the United States rose and said: "Las'
night got upand asked the prayers of God,
people. feel now perfecly satisfied. The
burden is rolled off and all gone, and fee
that could run or fly into the arms Of Jesus
Christ"
What record for all time aud eternity
was made by GelIacius, the play actor. IN
the theatre at Heliopois. A burlesque o
Christianity was put upon the stage. In de
rison OF the ordnance Of baptism bath
tub Allied with water was put upon the stage
and another actor, in awful blasphemy
dipped Geacius, prOnouIcing over him th'
words, ~ baptze thee in the name OF IN,
Father, of the Son and OF the Holy Ghost.
But coming forth from the burlesque bap
tism he looked changed and was changed
and he cried out, II am q Christian. l will
die as a Christian" Though he was dragge.
out and stoned TO death, they could no
drown he testimony made under such awfu
circumstances; ~ am Christian. l vii
die as a Christian" "Let the redeemed o
the Lord say so.
What confirmation would como II all VIII,
had answers to prayers would speak out; !
all merchants in tight Dlaces because of hur,