Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1896-08-25

have to tell you today of trial higher
than any Oyer and Terminer or Cir
cult or Supreme or Chancery. 1t is the
trial of every Christian man for the
life of his soul. This trial is differ
mt from any other in the fact that it
both civil and criminal.
The issues at stake are tremendous
md l shall in my sermon show you,
first, what are the grounds of COM
plant; then, who are the witnesses in
the cause, and lastly, who are the ad-
Vocates.
When a trial is called on the first
thing is to have the indictment read
Stand up then. o, Christian man, and
hear the indictment of the court of
high heaven against thy soul. 1t is
an indictment OF ten counts, for thou
hast directly 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 a
smoldering furnace, and the darkness
gathered thick, and the loud, deep
trumpet uttered the words: THE soul
that sinneth, it shall die" Are you
guilty, or not guilty? Do not put in a
negative plea too quick, for / have to
announce that "all have snned and
come short of the glory of God. There
is none that doeth good; no, not one
Whosoever shall keep the whole law,
yet offend in one point, he is guilty of
all" Do not, therefore be too hasty in
pronouncing yourself not guilty.
This lawsuit before us also charges
you with the breaking of solemn con-
tract Many time did we promise to
be the Lords. We got down on our
knees and said 20, Lord, am thine
now and forever" Did you keep the
promise? Have you stood up to the
contract? | go back to your first COM
munion. 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 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 she'll has been taken from
the beach, so you lifted the cup of COM
munion and You heard in it the surg
ing OF the great ocean of a Savior's
agony; and you came forth from that
communion service with face shining
as though you had been on the Mount
OF TRANSPORTATION; and the very air
seemed 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 the very
depths of your soul: Lord, thou
1Inowest all things; thou knowest that
love thee" Have you kept the bar
gain, o, Christian man? Have you not
sometimes faltered when you ought to
have been true? Have you not been
proud when you ought TO have been
humble? Have you not played the
coward when you ought to have been
the hero? i charge it upon you and
l charge it upon myself-we have
broken the contract
Still further: this lawsuit claims
damages at your hands. The greatest
Islander of the Christian religion is an
inconsistent professor. The Bible says
religion is one thing; we. by our in
consistency, say religion is some other
thing and what is more depiorabie
about 1T is that, people can see faults
in others while they cannot see any in
themselves. II you shall at any time
find some miserable old gossip, with
imperfections from the crown OF her
head to the sole OF her feet, perfect
blotch Of sin herself, she will go tat
Ting, tattling. tattling all the years OF
her life about the inconsistencies of
others, having no idea that she is in
consistent herself. God save the world
from the gossip, female and male
think the males are the worst! Now the
chariot of Christ's salvation goes on
through the world: but it is our incon-
sistencies, my brethren, that block
up the wheels. while ali 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 Davidr
Now. YOU nave heard the indictment
read. Are ready to plead guilty
or not guilty9 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 I now make proc
lamation: Oyer. Oyez! Oyez who
soever hath anything 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
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 on the frailties OF
Gods children. You may know, If you
have lived in the country, that crow
cares for nothing so much as carton. !