Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1896-08-21

jccted my mission. Oh, how many cups
Of life have l pressed to his lips that he
dashed down, and how often has he stood
with his hard heel on the bleeding heart Of
the Son of God 1t pains me very much
that l have to testify against this Chris
tian man, and yet / must in behalf Of him
who viii in 20 wise clear the guilty say
that this Christian man has done wrong
He has been worldly. He has been neglect
full He has done "a thousand things he
ought not to have done, and left undone a
thousand things lie ought to have done. J"
That Will do, conscience. You can sit
down.
The third witness call in the case is an
angel of God Bright ard shining one,
what docst thou hercg What hast thou to
say against this man ON triHR ooh, !"
SAYS the angel, Il have been IA messenger
to him l have guarded him. l have
watched him With this wing have de-
Tended him, and oftehtimes when he knew
it not, led him into green pastures and
beside the still waters. l snatched from
him the poisoned chalices. When bad
spirits came upon him to destroy him,
fought them back with infinite herceness,
and yet l have to testify today that he has
rejected my mission He has not done as
he ought 70 have done. Though came
from the sky, he drove me back. Though
with this wing defended him, and though
with this voice l wooed him, have to an
nounce his multiplied imperfections l
dare not keep back the tistimony, for then
l should not dare TO appear again among
the sinlcss ones before the great white
throne
There is only one more witness to be
called on behalf of the prosecution, and
that is the great, the holy, the august, the
omnipotent Spirit of God We bow down
before him Holy Spirit, knowest thou
this mani ooh, yes, - says the Holy One,
Il know him. 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 thousand
times ten Thousand has he grieved me, al
though the Bible warned him, saying;
'Grieye 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 tho atonement that
brought with which to cleanse his soul he
sometimes dcspiscd I came from the
throne of God to convert and comfort and
sanctify, and yet look at that man and see
would have made him..
The Rebuttal.
Tho evidence on the part of the prosecu-
ton has closed Now let the defense bring
on the rebuttal testimony What have
you, o Christian soul, to bring in reply
to this evidence Of the world, Of the con
science, Of theangel and of the Holy Ghost!
No evidence? Arc all these things truoY
Eyes. Unclean, 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 interest
ing part of this great trial. The evidence
all in, the advocates speak. The profes-
sion of an 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 uLon those who in the profession
have been guilty of great many mean-
nesses. That profession will I've honorable
as long as it los attached to it such names
as Mansfield and Marshall ard Story and
Kent and Southland and William Writ.
The courtroom has sometimes been the
scene of very marvellous and thrilling
things. Some of you remember the famous
Girard will case, where one Of our advo-
Gates pleaded the cause Of the Bible and
Christianity in mastery Anglo-Saxon, ev-
cry paragraph thunderbolt.
Some of you have read of the famous
trial in Westminster hall Of Warren Has
tings, the despoiler of India by splendid
talents, by courage, by bribes, by gigantic
dishonesty. The whole world had rung
with applause or condemnation. Gathered
in Westminster hall, place in which ~
kings had been inaugurated, was one OF
the most famous audiences ever gathered
Foreign ministers and princes sat there
Peers marched 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 ex-
element such as has seldom been seen IN
any courtroom, Edmund Burke advanced
in n speech which will last as long as the
English language, concluding with this
burning charge, which made Warren Has
tings cringe and cover: II impeach him in
the name of the commons house Of parlia-
ment, whose trust he has betrayed. I'M
peach him in the name of the English ma
ton. whcse ancient honor he has sullied.
I impeach him in the name of the people
of India, whose rights he has trampled on
and whose country he has turned into
desert And lastly, in the name of human
nature, in the name of both sexes III tho
name Of every age and rank, l impeach
him as the common enemy and oppressor
of all -
But 1 turn from the recital Of these
memorable occasions to grander trial,
and have to tell you that in this trial OF
the Christian for the life of his soul the
advocates are mightier, wiser and more
eloquent The evidence all being in, Sc
we're and stern justice rises on behalf OF
the prosecution to make his plea. With
the Bible open Up his hand, he reads the
law. stern and infexihle and the penalty,
THE soul that sinneth, 1t shall die
Then he says: 80 thou Judge and Law
giver, this is thine own statute, and all
the evidence in earth and heaven agrees
that the man has sinned against these en-
actInentsl Now let the sword leap from
its scabhard. Shall man 90 through the
very flames of Sinai unsngedg Let the
law be executed. Let Judgment be pro
nounced. Let him die. l demand that
be dicr'
o Christian, does it not look very dark
for thee? Who will plead on thy side in so
forlorn a cause? Sometimes man will be
brought into n court of law, and he will
have no friends and no money, ana the
Judge will lock over the bar and say, Is
there any ono Vic viii volunteer to take
this mans case and defend him 2" And
some young man rises upHnd s'Iys. Il will
be his counsel, - perhaps starting ON from
that very point to great and brilliant ca
reer Now, in this matter of the soul, as
you have nothing to pay for counsel, do
you think that any one will volunteers
Yes, yes; 1 see one rising. IIe is young
man, only 33 years of age. l sec his coun-
tenance suffused with tears and covered
with blood, and all the galleries Of heaven
are thrilled with the spectacle. Thanks DO
unto God, HwO have an advocate with the
Father, Jesus Christ tho righteous"
o Christian soul, your case begins 70
look better. ! think, perhaps after all,
you may not have to die. Tho best adgo-
cate in the universe has taken your side
No one was ever so qualified to defend you
He knows all the law, all its demands, all