The morning times., 1896-03-30
PREACHED GODS V|cTO RY
Or. Talmage's Sermon Was Ap.
prOpriate to Palm Sunday.
THE CHURCH TRIUMPHANT
That the Theory That Cristi-
anity Has Collapsed Is Untrue
Religion a Refuge in Times OF Dis
tress-Indidellty, He Said, Has Not
Destroyed One Church.


terian Church yesterday on Victory for
God He announced among his notices
that next Sabbath would be the great
festival of Christendom. Easter, and that
10y floral expression and rendition of es-
peciai music and appropriate sermons the
day would be celebrated.
Text: | Kings XX:27-"And the children
or Israel pitched before them like two
little flocks of kids
My subject is Victory for God" and as
II is palm Sunday throughout Christendom,
/ want my sermon TO be waving of palm
branches.
With thirty-three kings intoxicated In
one tent this chapter opens. They were
allies plotting for the overthrow of the
Lords Israel You know that if q lion
roar, = flock OF kids win shiver and buddle
together One lion could conquer a thous-
and kids. The battle opens. There are
great multitude of SyrianS under Gen.
Ben -hadad, strong as lions. The Israelites
are few and weak, like two little flocks of
kids.
Who beat? The lions. of course. Oh,
no; the kids. For il all depends whether
God is Oh the side OF the lions or the kids.
After the battle one hundred thousand
Syrians lay dead on the field, and twenty
seven thousand, attempting 10 fly, came
along Toy a great wall. which toppled and
crushed them 10 death.
Which was the stronger weapon--great
Goliaths sword or little David's sling?
David had five smooth stones from the
brook. He used only one in striking down
Goliath He had a surplus Of ammunition: !:
ne had enough to take down four more
giants if they had appeared in the way.
II all depends upon whether God is on
the side OF the shepherd boy or on the
side of the giant.
CHRISTIANITY COLLAPSED.
/ know that many declare that Chris
tianity has collapsed: that the Bible is an
obsolete book; that the Christian church
is on the retreat i will here and now
show that the opposite OF that is true
An Arab guide was leading French in
fidel across a desert, and ever and anon
the Arab guide would get down in the
sun and pray 10 the Lord. 1t disgusted
the French infidel, and after awhile, as
the A rab got up from one OF his pra yers
the infidel said: How do YOU know there
is any God?' and the Arab guide said:
' How do / know that a man and camel
passed along our tent last night? ! know
il by the footprints in the sand. And you
want 10 know how l know whether there
is any God? Look at that sunset Is that
the footstep of a man?'' And by the same
process YOU and | have come 10 under
stand that this book is the footstep OF a
God.
But now let us see whether the Bible
is last years almanac. Let US see
whether the Church Of God is Bull Run
retreat muSkets. cauteens, and haverSacks
strewing all the way.
They say the Bible is becoming an obso-
lete book. go into a court, and
wherever find a .Cdge's bench or a
clerk desk, ] find a Fible. Upon what
book could there be uttered the Solemnity
of an oath? What book is apt to be put
in the trunk of the young man as he leav es
for city life?
1T Is THEIR REFUGE.
The Bible. What shall ] find in niue
out Of every ten homes in Washington?
The Bible. In nine out OF every ten
homes in Chrstendom? The Bible.
You may talk about the church being
a collection Of hypocriteS. but when the
diphtheria sweeps your children off. whom
do you send for? The postmaster? the
attorney general? the hotel-keeper? al.
. derman? No. you send for minister
Of this Bible-relieion. And If you have
not room in your house for the ubsequies,
what building do You solicit?
Do you say: Give me the finest room in
the hotcl?" DO you say: Give me that
theatcr?'' Do you say: Give me place
IN that public building, whereI can lay my
dead for little while until we say prayer
over it?" No; you say; Give us the house
Of Cod
An, my friends. the Church OF Jesus Christ,
instead OF falling back, is on the advance
] am certain it is on the advance.
Lord. God, take thy sword from thy thigh
and ride forth 10 the victory.
/ am nightly encouraged because 1
find, among other things, that this Christi.
anity has been bombarded for centuries, in
fidelity has not destroyed one church, OF
crippled one minister, or uprooted one
verse OF one chapter of all the Bible. The
Church all the time getting the victory, and
the shot and shell OF its enemies nearly ex.
hausted.
have been examining their ammunition
lately; l have looked all through their
cartridge boxes. They have not in the
last twenty years advanced one new idea
They have utterly exhausted their am
munition in the battle against the church
and against the Scriptures, while the sword
OF the Lord Almighty is as keen as it ever
was.