Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1896-08-22
THEGREAT LAWSUIT.
a SERMON DRAWN FROM SCENES IN
THE COURTROOM.

1t Appears That Rev. DR.. Talmsge Over
studied Law. but When tho World Lost
Great Advocate It Gained Creator
Preacher.
! I WASHINGTON, Aug. 16.-The illustra-
tions of this sermon are drawn from the
scenes in a courtroom, with which DR..
Tallnage became familiar when he was
studying law, before he studied for the
ministry. The text is I John ii, l.
'eWe have an advocate with tho Father,
Jesus Christ, the righteous.
Standing in courtroom you say to
yourself. "At this bar crime has often
been arraigned; at this witness stand
the oath has often been taken; at this
jurors bench the verdict has been rem
dered at this judges desk sentence has
been pronounced. " But l have to tell
you today of a 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 crimi-
nal
The issues ut stake are tremendous,
and I shall in my sermon show you
first what are the grounds of complaint,
then who are tho witnesses in the cause
and lastly who are the advocates.
When trial is called on, the first
thing is to have the indictment read.
Stand up then, O Christian man, and
hear tho Indictment of the court Of high
heaven against thy soul. 1t is an indict-
ment Of ten counts, for thou hast di-
rectly or indirectly broken all the Ten
Commandments. You know how it
Numbered on Sinai, and when God came
down how the mountain rocked, and the
smoke assembled as from smoldering
furnace, and the darkness gathered thick,
and tho loud, deep trumpet uttered tho
words, 1.-THE soul that sinneth, it shall
diel" Are you guilty or not guilty? Do
not put in negative plea too quick, for
! have to announce that "all have sinned
and come short of the glory of God.
There is mono that doeth good; no, not
one. whatsoever shall keep the whole
law, yet offend i'll one point, he is guilty
of ALL Do not, therefore, be too hasty
in pronouncipg yourself not guilty.
A Broken Contract.
This lawsuit before Us also charges
you with ~ breaking Of solemn con-
tract Many a time did we promise to
BIO the Lords We got down on our
knees and said, 20 Lord, I am thine
now and forever" Did you keep the
promise? Have you stood up to the con-
tract? go back to your first commu-
Mon. You remember it as well as if it
were yesterday. You know how the
vision Of the 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 trembled In your
hand when you first took It, and as IN
seashell you may hear, or think you
hear, the roaring of the surf even after
the shell has been taken frcW the beach,
SO you lifted the cup Of communion, and
you heard in it tho surging of the great
ocean of Saviour's agony, and You
came forth from that communion serv-
ice with face shining as though you had
been on the mount of TRANSPORTATION,
and the very air seems tremulous with
the love of Jesus. and the woods, and
the leaves, and the grass, and the birds
were brighter and sweeter voiced than
ever before, and you said down in tho
very depths of your soul, Lord, thou
knowest all things; thou knowest that
I love thee. Have you kept the bar
gain, o Christian man? Have lou not
sometimes faltered when you ought to
have been truef Have you not been
proud when Jou ought to have been
humble? Have you not played the cow
ard when you ought to have been the
hero? I charge it upon you, and charge
it upon myself-we have broken the
contract.
Still further, this lawsuit claims
damages at your hands. The greatest
Islander on the Christian religion is an
inconsistent professor. The Bible says
religion is one thing; we, by our incon-
sistency, say religion is some other
thing, and what is more deplorable
about it is that peoplo can see faults in
others while they cannot see sly in
themselves. If you shall at an. time
find some miserable old gossip, with
imperfections from the crown of her
head to the sole of her foot, perfect
blotch of sin herself, she will go tat
thing, tattling. tattling all the years of
her life about the Inconsistencies of
others, having no idea that she is incon-
sistent herself God save the world from
the gossip, female and male! think
the males are tho worstl Now the char
lot of Christ's salvation goes on through
the world; but it is our inconsistencies,
my brethren, that block 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, "Hosanna to the Son, of
Davidp'
Now you have heard the indictment
read. Are you ready to plead guilty or
not guilty? Perhaps you are not ready
yet 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 now make proclamation:
Oyezl Oyer! Oyezl whosoever hath any
thing 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.
Call the Witnesses.
The first witness I call upon the 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 OH the frailties OF
Gods children. You may know, If you
have lived in the country, that a crow
cares for nothing so much as carrion.
There are those who imagine that out
of the faults Of Christians they can
.~,ol-a - l>-;Jco % hook p on-occ tho atroorn