St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1896-10-10
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
The Famous Preacher Conducts thu
Trial Against Sin.
An Eloquene Prosentatioa Of the Case
Against the Culprlt and . Plea for
Aercy-A Graphic Word
Picture.

Picture
Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage delivered
the following sermon before his Wash
ington congregation, taking for his
text:
We have an advocate with the Father, Je-
Gus Christ the righteous.-I John. IL. l.
Standing in a court room, you say to
yourself: AT this bar crime has often
been arraigned; at this witness stand
the oath has often been taken; at the
jurors bench the verdict has sbeen
rendered; at this judges desk sentence
has been pronounced" But have to
tell you to-day of trial higher than
any oyer and terminer or circuit or
supreme or chancery. 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 it is both
civil and criminal.
The issues at stake are tremendous.
and shall in my sermon show you,
first, what are the grounds of com
plant: then, who are the witnesses in
the cause, and, las Iy, who are the ad-
vocates.
When trial is called on the first
thing is to have the indictment read.
Stand up then, O, Christian man. and
hear the indictment of the court of
High Heaven against thy soul 1t is
m indictment of ten counts, for thou
hast directly or indirectly broken all
the ten commandments. You know
L. Il
God came down how the mountain
rocked and the smoke assembled as
from a smoldering furnace. and the
darkness gathered thick. and the loud,
deep trumpet uttered the words: 1.-THE.
soul that sinneth, it shall die." Are
you guilty, or not guilty? DO not put
ip a negative plea too quick, for l
have to announce that AL 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 is
guilty of all.' Do not. therefore, be
too hasty in pronouncing yourself not
guilty.
This lawsuit before us also charges
you with the breaking OF. a solemn con-
tract Many time did we promise to
be the Lords. We got down on our
knees and said: 20, Lord am thine
now and forever" Did you keep the
promise? Have you stood up to the
contract? go back to your first COM
munion. You remember it as well as
if it were yesterday. You know how
the vision of tho Cross rose before
you. You remember how from the
head and the hands and the side and
the feet there came bleeding forth
these two words: Remember Me-"
You recall how the cup Of communion
trembied in your hand when you first
took it; and as jim \ seashen you may
hear. or think You hear, the roaring
Of the surf even after the shell has
been taken from the beach, 50 you
lifted the cup of communion and you
heard in it the surging of the great
ocean of savior's agony; and you
came forth from that communion scrv-
ice with face shining as though you
had been on the Mount of Transfigura-
ton: and the very air seemed tremu-
lous with the love of Jesus, and the
birds were brighter and sweeter-
voiced than ever before. and you said
down in the very depths of your soul:
Lord, Thou knowest all things;
Thou knowest that l love Thee"
Have you kept the bargain. 0, Chris
tian man? Have You not sometimes
faltered when you ought to have been
true? Have you not been proud when
you ought to have been humble?.
Have you not played the coward when
yon ought to have been the hero? l
charge it upon You and l charge it
upon myself-wc have broken the con-
tract.
Still furthur. this lawsuit claims
damages at your hands. The greatest
SANDER on the Christian religion is IN
inconsistent professor. The Bible says
religion is one thing; we. by our in
consistency say religion is some other
thing, and what is more deplora bic
about it is that people can see faults
in others while they can not see any
in themselves. If you shall at any
time find some miserable old Cos
sip. with imperfections from the
crown of her head to the sole
of her foot, pefcct blotch of
sin herself, she will go tattling, tat
Ting, tattling, all the years OF her life
about the inconsistencies of others,
having no idea that she is inconsistent
herself. God save the world from the
gossip, female and male! think the
males are the worst! Now the chariot
of Christ's salvation goes on through
the world; but it is our inconsistencies,
my brethren. that blocks up the wheels.
while all along the line there ought to
have been cast nothing but palm
branches, and the shout should have
been lifted: "nosanna to the Son of
DavidT
Now, you have heard the indictment
read. Are you ready to plead guilty
or not guilty? Perhaps you are not
ready to plead. Then the trial will
go ON. The witnesses will be called,
and we shall have the matter decided.
In the name Of God l now make proc
lamation: Oyer! Oyez! Oyer; who
soever hath anything to offer in this
the Christians soul the defendant. let
him now step forth and give testimony
In this solemn trial
The 6rst witness call upon to stand
In behalf of the prosecution is the
World-all critical and observant of
Christian character. You know that
there are people around you who per-
petually banquet on the frailties Of
Gods children. You may know. If
you have lived in the country. that .
crow cares for nothing % much IS
carrion. There are those who imaR-
Inc that out of the faults Of Christians |
they can make a bridge of boats across
the stream of death, and they are GO
ing to try it; but, alas for the mistakel |
When they get m:dstrear, away will |
60 the bridge and down will go their |
souls to perdition. o world of
the greedy eye and the hard
heart. como ON the stand now and tes-
tify in behalf Of the prosecution
against this Christian soul on trial. |