Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1896-02-13
THE STARTING POINT
HOW REV. OR TALMAeE WOULD EVAN
G9IzE AMERICA.


WASHINGTON, Feb. e.-The audience Of |
D.. Talmage Is thronged with the chief |
men of the nation and people from all
parts, making this sermon most timely.
An hour and half before the doors open
tho people gather In the street, nd police
men keep tho way open for the pewhold-
ers. The text chosen for today's discourse
was Luke xiv, AZ, Beginning at Jeru-
salem."
"There 1t 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 valloy of Jehoshaphat or gazed
at from adjoining hills, was the capital of
O great nation. Clouds OF incense had
lowered over it. Chariots of kings had
rolled through 1t. Battering rams Of enc
mics had thundered against 1t. There
Isaiah prophesied, and Jeremiah lamented,
and David reigned, and Paul preached, and
Christ was martyred. Most interesting
city ever built since masonry rung its fist
trowel, or plumb line measured its first
wall, or royalty swung its first scepter.
What Jerusalem was to the Jewish king
dom 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 politic clear out to the geograph-
ical extremities.
What the resurrected Christ said in my
text to his disciples when he ordered them
to start on the work of gospelization, "be-
ginning 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, be
ginning at Washington" America Is 60
ing to be taken for God. If you do not be-
lieve it, take your hat now and leave and
give room to some man or woman who
does believe 1t. As surely as God lives,
and ho Is able to do as he says he will,
this country will be evangelical from the
mouth of the Potomac to the mouth OF
the Oregon, from the Highlands Of the
Nayesink to the Golden Horn, from Baf-
fms bay to the gulf of Mexico, and Christ
will walk every lake, whether bestormed
or placid, and be transfgured on every
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,"
For God or For Apollyon.
Again and again does the old book an
nounoe that all the earth shall see the sal
vation of God, and as the greater includes
the lesser that takes America gloriOusly
in. Can you not see that II America is not
taken for God by his consecrated people 1t
will be taken for Apollyon? The forces
engaged 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 Hill
debrands and Diocletians and Neros Of
baleful power, and Alcoholism will reign,
seated upon piled up throne Of beer barrels,
his mouth foaming with domestic and ma
| tional curse and crime will lift its un-
hindered knife of assassination, and rattle
keys of worst burglary, and wave torch OF
widest confagration, 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 benedic-
| tion, and penitentinries will be abandoned
| for lack of occupants, and holiness and
| happiness, twin son and daughter of heav-
| en-, 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, resound-
| ing echo of heaven. 1t will be one or the
other. BY the throne of him who liveth
| forever and ever declare 1t will be the
latter. If the Lord will help me, as he al
ways does-blessed be his glorious name
Il will show you how mighty work OF
grace begun at Washington would have a
tendency to bring the whole continent to
| God and before this century closes.
William the Conquerer ordered the cur
few, 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 re-
tire to their pillows. pray God that the
ourfew of this century may not be sounded,
and the fires be banked, and the lights ex-
tinguished as the clock strikes the mid
night 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
us grave, shall come into the full posses
sion of him who is so glorious that viii
i liam the Conqueror could not be compared
to him, even the One who rideth forth
"conquering and to conquer.
A Battle For Souls.
Why would 1t be especially advantageous
II a mighty work of grace started here
"beginning at Washington" First, be
cause this city Is on the border between
the north and the south. 1t is neither
northern nor southern. 1t oomminglet
the two climates. 1t brings together the
two styles of population. 1t is not only
right, but beautiful, that people should
have especial love for the latitude where
they were born and brought up. Witt
what loving accentuation the Alabamiar
speaks of his orange groves And thu
man from Massachusetts, Is sure to let yor
know that he comes from the land of tht
Adamses- and John and Johr
Quincy. Did you ever know Virginiar
or Ohioan whose face did not brighter
when he announced himself from th'
i southern or northern state of presidents
If a man does not like his native CLINE, i
Is because while he lived there he did no
behave we'll. This capital stands where
by its locality, and its political influence
! 1t stretches forth one hand toward tht
north and the other toward the south, ant
: mighty work of grace starting her
would probably be national awakening
Georgia would clasp the hand of New
Hampshire, and Maine the hand of Louis
lana, and California the hand of New
York, and say, "Come, let us go up ant
worship the God of nations the Christ 0
Golgotha, the Holy Ghost of the pente
costal three thousands" 1t has oftel
been said that the only way the north ant
the south will be brought into complet
accord is to have war with some foreigl
nation, in which both sections, marching
side by side would forget everything bu
| f.. u oil