The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-02-19
THE STARTING POINT.
HOW REV. DR.. TAlMAGE WOULD
EvANGsLIZE AMERICA.

Wants an outpouring of the Holy spirit at
the National Capital--Would Be of Incal-
c,,able Value to Christianity--A New
Awakening.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 9.-The audience
of DIR. Talmage is thronged with the
chief men of the nation and people
from all parts, making this sermon
most timely. An hour and half be-
fore the doors open the people gather
in the street and policemen keep the
way open for the pewholders. The
text chosen for today's discourse was
Luke xiv, AZ, beginning at Jerusa-
lem"
'There it is" said the driver, and
we all instantly and excitedly rose in
the carriage to catch the first glimpse
of Jerusalem, so long the joy of the
whole earth. That city, coroneted
with temple and palace and radiant,
whether looked up at from the valley
of Jehoshaphat or gazed at from ad-
joining hills, was the capital of a
great nation. Clouds of incense had
lowered over it. Chariots of kings
had rolled through it. Battering rams
of enemies had Numbered against it.
There Isaiah prophesied, and Jeremiah
lamented, and David reigned, and
Paul preached, and Christ was mar
tyred. Most interesting city ever
built since masonry rung its first troW-
ell, or plumb line measured its trst
wall, or royalty swung its first scepter.
What Jerusalem was to the Jewish
kingdom Washington is to our own
couptry-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
NV text to his disciples when he Or
dered them to start on the work of
gospeGzation, beginning at Jerusa-
1em," 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, begin
ming at Washington" America is 60
ing 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 sure
" as God lives, and he is able to do as
he says he will, this country will be
eyangelized from the mouth of the Po-
tomac to the mouth of the Oregon,
from the Highlands of the 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 transfgured on ev-
cry mountain, and the 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,"
Again and ae ain does the old book
announce that all the earth shall see
the salvation of God, and as the great
or includes the lesser that takes Amer
lea gloriously in. Can you not see
that if America is not taken for God
by his consecrated people it will be
taken for Apollyon? The forces en-
gagged on both sides are so tremendous
that it cannot be drawn battle. 1t
is coming, the Armageddon! Either
the American Sabbath will perish and
this nation be handed over to Herods
and Hildebrands and Diocletians and
Neros baleful power, and Alcoholism
will reign, seated upon piled up throne
of beer barrels, his mouth foaming
with domestic and national curse, and
crime will lift it's unhindered knife of
assassination, and rattle keys of worst
burglary, and wave torch of widest
conhagration, and our cities be turned
into Sodoms. waiting for Almighty
tempests of fire and birthstone, and one
tidal wave of abomination will surge
across the continent, or our Sabbaths
will take on more sanctity, and the
newspapers will become apocalyptic
wings of benediction, and penitentia-
ries will be abandoned for lack of oc-
cupants, and holiness and happiness,
twin son and daughter of heaven,
shall walk through the land, and
Christ reign over this nation either in
person or by agency so glorious that
the whole country will be one clear,
resounding echo of heaven. 1t will be
one or other. By the throne of him
who liveth forever and ever I declare
it will be the latter. If the Lord will
help me, as he always does--blessed
be his glorious name-1 will show you
how mighty work of grace begun at
Washington would have tendency
to bring the whole continent to God
and before this century closes.
William the Conquerer ordered the
eurfew, the custom of ringing the bell
at midnight, at which all the fires on
the hearths were to be banked, and all
the lights extinguished, and all the
people retire to their pillows. Ipray
God that the curfew of this century
may not be sounded, and the fires be
banked, and the lights extinguished
as the clock strikes the midnight 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
Ills a grave, shall come into the full
possession of him who is so glorious
sshat William the Conquer or could not
be compared to him, even the One who
rideth forth "conquering and to con-
quer."
Why would it be especially advan-
tageous if mighty work of grace
started here, beginning at Washing
tons" First, because this city is on
the border between the north and
south. It is neither northern nor
southern. 1t commingles the two eli
mates. 1t brings together the two
styles of population. It is not only