Connecticut western news., 1896-08-20
THE GREAT LAWSUIT.
A SERMON DRAWN FROM SCENES IN
 THE COURTROOM.


 studied Law. hut When the World Lost . Great Advocate I. Gained . Greater Preacher.
 WAsHINGToN, Aug. 16.-The illustra- tions of this sermon are drawn from the scenes in courtroom, with which Dr. Talmage became familiar when he was studying law, before he studied for the ministry. The text is I John ii, 1, "We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous.
 Standing in courtroom, you say to yourself, "At this bar crime has often been Grraigned; at this witness stand the oath has often been taken; at this jurors bench the verdict has been ren- dered; at this judges desk sentence has been pronounced. But I have to tell you today of trial higher than any oyer and terminer or circuit or supreme or chancery. It is the trial of every Christian man for the life of his soul. This trial is different from any other in the fact that it is both civil and crimi- nal
 The issues at stake are tremendous, and I shall in my sermon show you first what are the grounds of complaint, then who are the witnesses in the cause and lastly who are the advocates.
 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 It is an indict- ment of ten counts, for thou hast di- rectly or indirectly broken all the Ten Commandments. You know how 1t thundered on Sinai. and when God came down how the mountain rocked, and the smoke ascended as from a smoldering furnace, and the darkness gathered thick, and the loud, deep trumpet uttered the words. ''The soul that sinneth, it shall diei" Are you guilty or not guilty? Do not put in negative plea too quick, for I have to announce that all have sinned 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 nasty in pronouncing yourself not guilty.
 Broken Contract.
 This lawsuit before us also charges you with the breaking of a solemn con- tract. Many time did we promise to be the Lords We got down on our knees and said, 70 Lord, am thine now and forever" Did you keep the promise? Have you stood up to the con- tract? I go back to your first commu- nion 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 the 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 a seashell you may hear, or think you hear, the roaring of the surf even after the shell has been taken from the beach, SO you lifted the cup of communion, and you heard in it the surging of the great ocean of a Saviour's agony, and you came forth from that communion serv- ice with face shining as though you had been on the mount of Transfguration, and the very air seems 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 mowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee" Have you kept the bar gain, O Christian mani 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 cow ard when you ought to have been the hero? charge it upon you, and charge 1t upon mysef-we have broken the contract
 Still further, this lawsuit claims islander on the Christian religion is an inconsistent professor. The Bible says religion is one thing; we, by our incon- sistency, say religion is some other thing, and what is more deplorable about it is that people can see faults in others while they cannot see any in themselves If you shall at any time find some miserable old gossip, with imperfections from the crown of her head to the sole of her foot, perfect blotch of sin herself, she will go tat tling, tattling. tattling all the years of her life about the inconsistencies of others, having no idea that she is incon- sistent herself God save the world from the gossip. female and malel I think the males are the worsti Now the char tot of Christ's salvation goes on through the world; but it is our inconsistencies, my brethren, that block up the wheels, while all along the line there ought to have been cast nothing but palm branches, and the shout should have been lifted, 'tHosanna to the Son oi DavidP'
 Now you have heard the indictment read Are you ready to plead guilty o1 not guilty? 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 now make proclamation OyezI Oyezi Oyezi whosoever hath any thing to offer in this trial in which Goo is the plaintiff and the Christian sou the defendant. let him now step fortf and give testimony in this solemn trial
 Call the Witnesses.
 The first witness call upon the stand in behalf of the prosecution is ths world-al critical and observant ot Christian character. You know tha there are people around you who per petually banquet on the frailties o, Gods children. You may know, if yor have lived in the country, that crow cares for nothing so much as carrion There are those who imagine that out of the faults of Christians they car make bridge of boats across the stream of death, and they are going to try it But alas for the mistakel When they get midstream away will go the bridge and down will go their souls to perdi tion- O world of the greedy eye ant the hard heart, come on the stand nov and testify in behalf of the prosecution against this Christian soul on trial What do you know about this Christian fha xx-nrll CT Hnnu