Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-02-13
The STARTING. POINT.
HOW REV. DR.. TALMAGE WOULD EVAN.
GEllZE AMERICA.


Incsiculable Value to Christianity-A
New Awakening.
WASHINGTON, Feb. o.-The audience O,
DR.. Talmnge is throngod with the chief
men OF the nation and people from all
parts, making this sermon most timely.
the people gather In the street, and police.
mon keep the way open for tho pewhold-
ers Tho text chosen for today's discourse
was Luke xiv, AZ, Beginning at Jeru.
SALEM"
"There It is" said tho driver, and
we all instantly and exoitedly rose In
the carriage to catch the first glimpse OF
Jerusalem, so long the Joy of the whole
EARTH That city, ooronoted with temple
and palace and radiant, whether looked up
at from tho valley Of Jehoshaphat or gazod
at from adjoining hills, was the capital OF
great nation. Clouds of incense had
lowered over 1t. Chnriots of kings had
rolled through 1t. Gathering rams of enc.
mics had thundered against It, There
Isaiah prophosied and jeremiah lamentod,
and David reigned, and Paul preached and
Christ was martyred. Most interesting
city ever built since masonry rung its fist
trowel, or plumb line measured its first
wall, or royalty swung its first scepter.
What Jerusalem was to the jewish king
dom Washington is to our own country
tho capital, the place to which I'LL tho
tribes como up, the great national heart
whose throb sends life or death through
the body polite clear out to tho gcograph-
ical extromities.
What the resurrected Christ said In my
text to his disciples when he ordered them
to start on the work Of gospelization, "bo-
ginning at Jerusalem" 1t seems to mo
God says now in his providence to tens Of
Thousands Of Christians in this city. Start
for the evangclization Of America, be
ginning ut Washington" America Is 60
ing to be taken for God. II you do not DO
lieve II, take your hat now and leave and
give room to some man or woman who
does believe 1t. As surely as God lives,
and no Is abIo to do as ho says he will,
this country will be evangelical from the
mouth Of the Potomac to the mouth Of
the Oregon, from tho Highlands OF tho
Navesink to tho Golden Horn, from Baf-
fms bay to the gulf of Mexico, and Christ
will walk every lake, whether bestormed
or placid, and be trans1gured on every
mountain, and tho night skies, whether
they hover over groves of magnolia or
over Alaskan glacier, shall be filled with
angelic overture of glory to God and
good will to men,"
For God or For Apollyon.
Again and again docs the old book an
nounce that all the earth shall 500 tho sal
walton Of God, and as the greater includes
tho lesser that takes America gloriously
in. Can you not see that If America is not
taken for God by his consecrated people it
will be taken for Apollyon? Tho forces
engaged OIL both sides are SO tremendous
that 1t cannot be drawn battle. 1t Is
coming, tho Armageddon! Either the
American Sabbath will perish and this
nation be handed over to Herods and Hill
debrands and Dioclctinns and Noros Of
baleful power, and Alcoholism will reign,
seated upon piled up throne Of beer barrels,
his mouth foaming with domestic and ma
tional curse and crime will lift Its un.
Murdered knife Of assassination, and rattle
keys Of worst burglary, and wave torch Of
widest oonflngration, and our cities DO
turned into SodoiLs, waiting for Almighty
tempests of fra and birthstone and one
tidal wave ct abomination will surge
across the continent, or our Sabbaths will
take on more sanctity, and tho newspapers
will become apocalyptic wings Of benedic-
ton, and penitentiaries will be abandoned
for lack OF occupants, and holiness and
happiness, twin son and daughter Of heav-
en-, shall walk through the land, and
Christ reign over this nation either In
person or by agency SO glorious that tho
whole country will be one clear, resound-
ing echo Of heaven. 1t will be one or the
other. BY the throne of him who liveth
forever and ever declare 1t will DO the
latter. II the Lord will help me, as he al
ways does-blessed be his glorious name
Il will show you how mighty work Of
grace begun at Washington would have a
tendency to bring tho whole continent to
God and before this century closes.
William the Conquerer ordered the cur
few, the custom OF ringing the bell at
midnight, at which all the fires on tho
heArths wero to be banked, and all the
lights extinguished, and all tho people re-
tire to their pillows. pray God that the
curfew Of this century may not be sounded,
and the fires be banked, and tho lights ex-
tinguished as tho clock strikes the mid
night hour that divides the nineteenth
century from the twentieth century, until
this beloved land, which was to most of
us cradle, and which will be to most of
us a grave, shall como into tho full posses
sion Of him who Is so glorious that Will
TO him, even the Ono who rideth forth
"oonquering and to conquer"
A Battle For Souls.
Why would 1t be especially advantageous
II mighty work of grace started here,
beginning at washington9' First, be.
cause this city Is on the border between
> the north and the south. 1t is neither
northern nor southern. 1t commingles
the two climates. 1t brings together the
two styles OF population. 1t Is not only
right, but beautiful, that people should
have especial love for the latitude where
they were born and brought up. With
what loving accentuation the Albanian
speaks Of his orange grovesl And the
man from Massachusetts is sure to let you
know that he comes from tho land Of the
Adamses-Samu and John and John
Quincy. Did you ever know Virginian
or Ohioan whose face did not brighton
when he announced himself from the
southern or northern state Of presidentsf
II man does not like his native cline, II
Is because while he lived there no did not
behave we'll. This capital stands where,
by Its locality, and its political influence,
1t stretches forth one hand toward tho
north and the other toward the south, and
. mighty work Of grace starting here
would probably be a national awakening.
Georgia would clasp the hand of New
Hampshire and Maine the hand of Louis,
lana, and California the hand of New
York, and say, Come, lot us go up and
worship tho God Of nations, the Christ OF
Golgotha, the Holy Ghost of the pente-
eostal three thousands" 1t has often
l~- 4 H. a H..