Semi-weekly independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1895-1897, 1896-02-15
Sermon at the Capital.

The audience of DR.. Talmage in Wash
ington is thronged with the chief men of
the nation and people from all parts.
making this sermon most timely. An hour
and Il half before the doors open the pco-
pie gather in the street. and policemen
keep the way open for the pew holders.
The text chosen for last Sundays dis
course was Luke xiv, II, beginning
at Jerusalem.'
There it IS" said the driver. and we
NIL instantly and excitedly rose in the ear
rage To catch the first glimpse of Jeru-
salem. So long the JOY of the whole earth.
That city. coroneted with temple and
palace and radiant. whether looked up at
from the valley of Jehosaphat or gaZed at
from adjoining hills. was the capital of
a great nation. Clouds of incense had
lowered over IT,. Char;ots of kings had
rolled through it.. Gathering ANS of enc
mics had Numbered against it. There
Isaiah prophcSicd. and Jeremiah lament
ed. and David r2igncd. and Paul preach
Ell. and Christ was martyrcd. Most inter-
esting city ever built since masonry rung
its first trowcl. or plumb line measured
It's first wall. or royalty swung its first
scepter. What Jerusalem was 10 the
jewish kingdom Washington IS 10 our own
country-thc capital. the place to which
all the tribes cone MP. the great national
heart whose throb sends life or death
through the body polite clear out 10 the
geographical ~eXtremiticS.
What the rcSurrected Christ said in my
text to his disciples when he ordered them
to start on the work of gospelization. be
ginning at Jerusalem" it seems To me
God says now in his providence to tens of
thousands of Christians in this city. Start
for the evangclization of America. be
ginning at Washington America is GO
ing TO be taken for God. If YOU do not
believe it, take your hat now and leave
and give room to some man or woman
who does believe it.. As surely as God
lives. and he * able to do as he says he
will. this country will he evangelical from
the mouth of the Potomac TO the mouth of
the Oregon. from the Highlands of the
Navcsink 10 the Golden Horn, from BAT
fms Bay To the gulf of Mexico. and Christ
Will walk every lake. whether bestormed
or placid. and be TRANSPORTED on every
mountain, and the night skies. whether
they hover over groves of magnolia or
over Alaskan glacier. shall be filled with
angelic overture Of glory 10 God and
good will TO mem"
For God or for A%pollyOn.
Again and again does the old book an
nouncc that all the earth shall see the sal
vation of God. and as the greater includes
the lesser that takes America gloriously
IN. Can you not see that if America is
not taken for God by his consecrated peo-
pie it Will be taken for Apollyon: The
forces engaged on both sides are so tre-
mcndous that it cannO De Il drawn bat
tie. 1t is coming. the Armageddon. Either
the American Sabbath will perish and this
nation be handed over 10 Herods and Hill
debrands and Dioclctians and Neros of
baleful power. and Alcoholism will reign,
seated upon piled up throne of beer bar
rels. his mouth foaming with domestic and
national curse. and crime will lift its un-
hindered knife Of assassination. and rattle
keys of worst burglary. and wave torch of
widest cOntlagration, and our cities he
turned into SOdoms. waiting for Almighty
tcmpests of fire and birthstone. and one
tidal wave of abomination will surge
across the continent. or our Sabbaths will
take on more %sanctity. and the newspa-
pcrs will become apocalyptic wings of ben
ediction. and pcnitcntiaries will be aban-
doned for lack of occupants. and holiness
and happiness. twin son and daughter OF
heaven. shall walk through the land. and
Christ Ieign over this nation either in
person or by agency SO glorious that the
whole country will be one clear, resound-
ing echo of heaven. 1t will be one or the
other. BY the throne of him who livctl
forever and ever / declare it will be the
latter. If the Lord will help me. as he al
ways does blessed be his glorious name
I will show You how Il mighty work of
grace begun ut Washington would have q
tendency 10 bring the whole continent t.
God and before this century closes.
William the Conqucror ordered the cur
few. the custom of ringing the bell nj
midnight. at which all the fires on the
hcarths were to he banked, and all tn.
lights eXtinSuished. and all the people re
tire to their pillows. / pray God that the
curiew of this century may not be sound
ed. and the fires be banked. and the light.
eXtlnguished as the clock strikes the mid
night hour that divides the nineteenth
century from the twentieth century. unit
this beloved land. which was to most OF
us a cradle, and which will he TO most al
us IL grave. shall come into the full posses
sion of him who is so glorious that vii
liam the C0nquerOr could not he compared
to him. even the One who rideth fortl
"%conquering and to conquer"
a Battle for Souls.
Why would il De especially advantage
Gus if a mighty work of grace starte,
here, beginning at Washington:' First
because this city is on the border between
the north and the south. 1t is neitheI
northern nor southern. 1t comminrlc
the two climates. 1t brings together tin,
two styles of population. 1t is not onl,
right, but beautiful, that people shout,
have especial love for the latitude wher,
they We're born and brought up. Wit
what loving accentuation the Alabamial
speaks of his orange groves. And TIN
man from Massachusetts is sure to let yor
know that he comes from the land of tin,
Adamscs-Samue and John and .Johl
Quincy. Did you ever know n Eirginial
or Ohioan whose fa g did not brighter
when he announced himself from tn
southern or northern State of presidents
If a man does not like his native cline. i
is because while he lived there he did no
behave well. This capital stands where
by its locality. and its political influence