The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1896-01-20
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''SAY So"
Rev. Dr.. TalmaS0 Preached Suggestive
Sermon Yesterday.
HOW TO START A REVIVAL
The Doctor Believes in Practical Re-
hgion-Advises Christians To Tell
Their Experiences.


Dr. Talmage never produced a more prac-
teal and suggestive sermon than thlS Oh
today We believe it will stir Chfl5teh-
dom. His subject was. sly So" and tho
text selected was Psalms 707. 2: Let the
redeemed Of the Lord say So"
An overture, an antphon. a doxoloSy IS
this chapter. aud in my text David calls
for an outspoken religion. and requests
all who have been rescued and blessed' 10
longer to hide the splendid facts, put u
recite them. publish them. and as lar Is
possible let all the world know about IT,
Let the redeemed of the Lord say SO.
There Is a sinful reticence which has been
almost canonized The people are quite
as outspoken as they ought to be on all
subjects of politics, and are fluent ana vol
Uble on the Venezuelan question, ana d.
metallism, and tariffs. high and low anu
remodolcd, and female suffrage, ana you
have to slifully watch your chance IL
you want to put into the active CONVERSE
ton a most modest suggestion OF your
own; but on the subject Of divine good
ness, religious experience and eternal blesS-
cdness they arc not only silent. Dut boast
full of their reticcnce. Now, II you nave
been redeemed Of the Lord, why DO you
not say so? II you have in your heart the
pearl of great price, worth more Ilith
the Kooh-i-nor among Victorian jewels,
why not let others see it? If you got oil
the wreck in the breakers. why not teal
of the crew and the stout h1eDoat that
safely landed you2 IL from the fourth
story you are rescued in time OF connasriI-
ton, why not teli Of the fireman and the
ladder down which ne carried you? Ii you
have a mansion in heaven awaiting you,
why not show the deed 10 those who may
by the same process set an emerald caste
on the same boulevard? By the ISL Two
words of my text David calls upon all OF
us who nave received any mercy at the
hon ..f .aI n 81 =
asylums for the dumb. and IN the pres
ence of men. women, angels devils ana al
worlds. SAY So"
la these January days thousands of min
listers and private Christians are WONDER
ing about the best ways OF stalL Il
revival Of religion. l can tell you a way
OF starting revival continental. ncIuis-
pherlc and worldwide. You say a revival
starts ia heaven. Well, II starts ~ heaven
just as a prosperous harvest starts III
heaven. The sun must SHINE ana the rams
must descend, tut unless you pIoW ana
SOW and cultivate the earth you VII not
raise a bushcl of wheat or peck Oh cora
between now and the end or the word.
How, then. shall a universal revival start?
By all Christian people telling the story
OF their own conversion. Let ten men
ana women get up next week III your
prayer meeting and, not in conventional
or canung or doletul way, but in the same
tone they employ IN the family OF pace OF
business, ton how they crossed tho
line, and the revival Will begin then and
there IL the prayer meeting has not been
soacerninr whom ii was foreordailied from
nh eternity tbat tEev should be there
There are 50 many different WAYS Of being
concerted al We want to hear all kinds,
81, maj apr E1vyn case may be- h,lued. Ii
4 .v,slys usierens 49,. to hear only one kind
of Sypeitd euch as n man lives whcu
Ne tells $irteis pau ne conyersion- he
,,,s ii senselass and t6en had a
,tei,, ne aSeard vn.ces an! gfter n cor
ain ring If DAYS oi horror roi ilu and
s5ai,t, Gvs nov yI t5at discoIIra.,rs me,
for / @he Nver Knocked senseless, and j
never I q ct9hch a sudden burst Of religious
TaptIire 3iGt lost nv equilibrium But
amor avHfs a Christian man got up ia
some meeting and told US now he WAS
brought up bv GcVout parentage, and
baI sIp-ayt beSn tbGna'l,tf1l about reIisious
tItnrs and .,r.dllaIIV inc ue.lca of God
cane INTO his SOM ike ihc dawn Of the
t9ornirs--uo pcrceptinle difference between
moment and mamcnt-but after awhile all
perturbation settled down into u hope
mat bea eansoled and strengthened him
durir- ain tho vicissitudcs of "A lifetime /
said: "r6at Is eNbilarauug: that was my
eXp-ar.euco and 70 / was strengthened.
--5 told MS now h. once mated cod. and
vent through alI the round OF lniquity, un-
~ loo mucb into t6e pariiculars. but