The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-03-04
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
SUNDAYS lsISCOURSE BY THE
NOTED DIVINE.
Subject: "The Place to Begin" -

3 "There 1t is," said the driver, and we al
instantly and excitedly rose in the carriag'
20 catch the first glimpse OF Jerusalem, 81
long the Joy OF the whole earth. That city
coroneted With temples and palaces ant
radiant. whether looked up at from the val
Icy OF Jehoshaphat or gazed at from adjoin
Ing hills, was the capital Of great Nation
Clouds ofincense had hovered over it. Char
lots Of kings had rolled through it. Batter
Ing rams Of enemies had thundered agains
IT. There Isaiah prophesied, and jeremiah
lamented, and David reigned, and Pau
= preached, and Christ was martyred. Mos
interesting city ever built since masonry
rung its first trowel or plumb line measured
Its frst wall or royalty swung its first
--scepter- What Jerusalem was to the Jewish
$ nngdom washington Is to our own country
the capital, the place to which all the
tribes come up. the great National heart
whose throb sends life or death through the
body polite, clear out to the geographical
extremities.
What the resurrected Christ said in my
textto His disciples when He ordered them to
start on the work OF gosplization, "begin.
ming at Jerusalem" it seems to me God says
now In His providence to tens Of thousands
Of Christians in this city. Start for the
evangelization OF America. "bcginning at
Washington" America is going to be taken
for God. If you do not believe it, take your
hat now and leave and give room to some
man or woman who does believe it. As
surely as God lives and He is able to do as he
says He will this country Will be evangel1zed
from the mouth Of the Potomac to the
mouth of the Oregon, from the Highlands OF
Navesink to the Golden Horn, from Baffin,s
Bay to the Gulf OF Mexico, and Christ will
walk every lake, whether beStormed or
placid, and be transagured on every noun
tain, and the night skies, whether they hover
over groves OF magnolia or over Alaskan
glacier. shall be filled with the angelic over
ture Of "glory to God and good will 10
men,"
Again and again does the old book an
nounce that all the earth shall see the saliva
hon Of God, and as the greater includes the
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 Apollyou? The forces engaged on
both sides are 80 tremendous that it cannot
be drawn battle. It is coming, the Arma-
geddon. Either the American Sabbath will
perish and this Nation be handed over to
Herods and Hildabrands and DiocletianS
and Neros of baleful power, and Alcoholism
will reign, seated upon piled up throne OF
beer barrels, his mouth foaminS with do
mestic and National curse, and crime will
lift its unhindered knife Of assassination
and rattle keys OF worst burglary and wave
torch OF widest confagratton, and our
cities be turned into Sodoms, waiting for
mighty tempest of fire and birthstone
will surge across the continent, or our
Sabbaths will take on more sancti-
ty, and the newspapers will become apocal-
yptic wings Of fbenediction. and penitentiarieS
will be abandoned for lack Of occupants. and
holiness and happiness, twin son and daush-
ter Of heaven, shall walk through the land
ana Christ reign oyer this Nation either in
person or by agency 80 glorious that the
: whole country will be one clear. resounding
echo Of heaven. It will be one or the other.
By the throne OF Him who liveth forever and
ever declare it will be the latter. If the
Lord will help me, as He always does
blessed be His glorious name-l will show
you how a mighty work OF grace begun at
Washington would have a tendency to bring
the whole continent to God. and before this
century closes.
Why should it be especially advantageous
II mighty work Of grace started here. ''be-
ginning at Washington" First. because this
city Is on the border between the North and
! the South. It Is neither Northern nor South
ern. It commingles the two climates. It
brings together the two styles Of population.
It is not only right, but beautiful that pep,
pie should have especial love for the latitude
where they were born and brought up. With
what loving accentuation the Alapamian
speaks OF his orange. groves! And the man
from Massachusetts is sure to let you know
that he comes from the land OF the Adamses
Samuel and John and John Quincy. Did
lyon ever know Virginian or Ohioan whose
face did not brighten when he announced
himself from the Southern or Northern
State of Presidents? II a man does not like
his native cline, it is because while he lived
there no did not behave we'll. This capital
Stands where, by its locality and its political
Influence, ii stretches forth one hand toward
the North and the other toward the South,
and q mighty, work OF grace starting here
would probably be National awakening.
Georgia would clasp the hand of New Hamp-
shire, and Maine the hand of Louisiana, and
I California the hand of New York, and say,
"Come, let us 20 up and worship the God
OF Nations. the Christ Of Golgotha, the holy
Ghost OF the pentecostal thousands" 1t has
often been said that the only way the
North and the South will be brought into
complete accord Is to have a war with
some foreign Nation in which both sections.
marching sideby side, would forget every
thing but the foe to be overcome. Well, If
you wait for such a foreign conflict, you
will wait until all this generation Is dead
and perhaps wait forever. The war that
will make the sections forget past contro-
versies is war against unrighteousnesS,
such as universal religious awakening
would declare. What we want is battle
for souls in which about 40, 600, 900 Northern
ers and Southerners shall be on the same
side and shoulder to shoulder. In no other
city on the continent can such a war be de-
4 clared 80 appropriately, for all the other
great cities are either Northern or Southern.
Thisis neither, or rather it is both.
Again. it would be especially advantageous
II a mighty work OF grace started here. be-
cause more representative men are in Wash
ington than ia any other city between the
oceans. OF course there are accidents in
politics, and occasionally there are men who
! get into the Senate and House Of Represen-
Natives and other important places who are
| fitted for the positions IN neither head nor
heart, but this is exceptional and more ex-
ceptional now than in other days. There Is
not drunkard in the National Legislature,
although there were times when Kentucky,
Virginia, Delaware, Illinois. New York and
| Massachusetts had men In the Senate or
House Of Representatives who we're maudlin
! and staggering drunk across those nigh
! places. Never nobler group OF neE sat in
Senate or House OF Representatives than sat
there yesterday and will sit there eto-norrow,
/ while the highest judiciary. without ex-
ception, has now upon Its bench men be-
yond criticism for good morals and mental
endowment. So in all departments OF off,
oial position, with here and there an excep-
/ ton, are to-day the brainiest men and most
Il honorable men OF America Now, suppose
the Holy Ghost power should fall upon this
city, and these men from all parts Of Amer
lea should suddenly become pronounced for
Christ. Do you say the effect would be cleo
trical? More than that. It would be ON
nipotent. Do you say that such learned and
potent men are not wrought upon by relig-
lous influence? That shows you have not
observed what has been going on.
Gommodore Foote representinp the navy.