Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1896-09-04
TALMAGE'S SERMON
INTERESTING THEME BY TnE
wAsHINGTOS PREACnLR.
Subjects "The Great Trial"

otAhulhg ~ court room, YOU saw 10 YOUR
self: AT this bar crime has often been
srfalgned; NJ THIS witness stand the oath has
often been taken; at this jurors bench the
verdict has been rendered; AT this iuJrs's
desk sentence has been pronounced. d" But |
have 10 tell you to-day OF trial higher than
any Oyer and Terminer or Circuit or ST.
preme or ChRncery. II is the trial OF every
Christian man for the life Of his soul. This
trial is different from any other in the fact
that II is both civil AMI criminal.
The issues at stake are tremendous. and
shall in my sermon show you. first, what are
the grounds OF complaint; then, who are the
witnesses in the cause, and lastly, who are
the advocates,
When a trial is called on the first thin. ia
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 an Indictment of ten counts, for thou
hast directly or indirectly broken all the ten
commandments. You know how it thun.
dered on Sinai AMI when God came down
how the mountain rocked aud the smoke
assembled as from a smoldering furnaces. and
the darkness gathered thick, and thu loud.
deep trumpet uttered the wordsi "The soul
that sinneth, IL shall diet" Are you guilty.
or not guilty? Do not put in negative plea
too quick, for l have 70 announce that ''all
have sinned and come short OF the glory OF
God. There is none that doe;h good: no,
not one. whatsoever 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.
The lawsuit before US also charges you
with the breaking of a solemn contract.
Many time did we promise to be the Lords.
We got down Oh our knees and said: 80,
Lord, am Thine now and forever" Did
you keep the promise? Have you stood up
TO the CONTRACT Have you not sometimes
/ faltered when you ought to have been true?
Have you not been proud when yoc ought
to have been humble2 Have you not played
the coward when you osght to have been
the hero? charge it upon you and charge
1t upon mYselt-we have broken the con-
tract.
Still further; this lawsuit claims damages
ct your hands. The greatest SANDER on the
the Christian religion is an inconsistent pro-
lessor The Bible says religion Is one thing;
| we, by our inconsistency. say religion is
! some other thing, and what is more depIora-
Bile about It is that people can see faults in
others while they can not see any In them
selves. If you shall at any time find some
miserable old gossip, with imperiections
| from the crown of her head to the sole OF her
/ foot, perfect blotch OF sin herself, she will
/ so tdttling, tattling, tatting all the years OF
/ her life about the inconsistencies OF others,
| having no idea that she is inconsistent her
/ self. God save the world from the gossip,
female and male! think the males are the
! worst
| Now you have heard the indictment read.
| Are You ready to plead guilty or not guilty2
Perhaps you are not ready yet 10 plead.
Then the trial will 90 on. The witnesses will
be called, and we shall have the matter de-
| cided. In the name Of God now make pro-
clamation: Oyez! Oyezl Oyezl whoever
hath anything to offer In this trial In which
God is the plaintiff and the Christian soul
the defendant, let him now step forth and
give testimony in this solemn trial.
The first witness call upon the stand in
behalf OF the prosecution Is the world-all
/ critical aud observant OF Christian char
4 acter. You know that there are people
around you who perpetually banquet on the
| frailues Of Gods children. You may know,
II you have lived in the country that a crow
cares Tor nothing so much a. carbon There
are those who imagine that out Of the faults
OF Christians they can make bridge of
boats across the stream Of death, and they
are going TO try It.; but, alas forthe mistake!
When they get mid-strea m away will go tho
bridge and down will go their souls to perdi-
ton. o world OF the greedy eye and the
hard heart, come on the stand now and ties.
t!fy in behalf Of the prosecution against this
I Christian soul on trial. WHAT do you know
about this Christian man? "0h," says the
world, ~ know a great deal about him. He
talks about putting his treasures in heaven,
but he is the sharpest man in trade | ever
knew. He seems to want us to believe that
he is a child of God, but he is lust full of
imperfections. do not know but am a
great deal better than no is now. Often
times he is very earthly, and he talks so ht-
tie about Christ and so much about himself
am very glad to testify that this is bad
man."
Stop, World, with the greedy eye and
hard heart. | fear you are too much inter.
ested in this trial to give impartial evidence
Let all those who hear the testimony of this
witness know that there is an old family
quarrel between these two parties. There
always has been variance between the
World and the Church, and while the Worlt
on the witness stand to-day has told Il gvea
deal of truth about this Christian man, yOl
must take it all with much allowance, re
membering that they still keep the old grudgt
good. o, World of the greedy and the harl
heart, that will do; you must sit down.
The second witness | call in this case il
Conscience. Who art thou, 0 Conscience
What is your business? Where were yor
born? What are you doing here? con,
says Conscience, ~ was born in heaven
came down to bafriend this man. hay,
lived with him. l have instructed him.
have warned him. l showed him the RICH
and the wrong, advising him to take the on
and escheS the other. l have kindled
great light in his soul. With a whip o
scorpion have scourged his wickedness, anl
have tried to cheer him when doing right
and yet | am compelled to testify on tn
stand to-day that he has sometimes reiectet
my mission. Oh, how many cups Of lif
have | pressed to his lips that he dashed
down, and how often has he stood with hi
, hard heel on the bleeding heart of the Sol
OF God! 1t pains me very much that hav
to testify against this Christian man, an,
yet must, in behalf OF Him who will in II,
} wise clear the guilty, say that this Christian
man has done wrong. He has been worldly
He has been negectful. he has done
thousand things he ought not to have done
and left undone thousand things he ough
, TO have done" That will do, Conscience
You can sit down.
The third witness I call in the case is a
angel of God. Bright and shining one, wha
doest thou here? What hast thou to sa
against this man on trial2 "Oh," SAYS tn
, angel, II have been a messenger to him.
have guarded him. / have washed him. Wit
, this wing have defended him, and often
times, when he knew it not, l led him int
l green pastures and beside still waters
snatched from INN the poisoned chai
ices. When bad spirits came upon him f
destroy him, fought them back with infnit
: flerceness, and yet have to testify to-da
that he has rejected my mission. He ha
not done as he ought to have done. Thong
came from the sky, he drove me bacl
Though with this wing defended him, an
though with this voice l wooed him, hay
to announce his multiplied imperfections.
dare not keep back the testimony, for then
should not dare to appear again amongs
the sinless ones before the great whit
Throne"
There is only one more witnessto be calle
on behalf of the prosecution, and that is ii
. great, the holy, the august. the omnipotel
Spirit of God. We bow down before Hin
Holy Spirit, knowest Thou this man? "Ol
yes" says the holy one, II know him.
have striyen with him ten thousand time