The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-09-04
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
rHE NOTED DrvINRs SUNDAY
DISCOURSE.
sublsett ''Tho Great TRIAL"


arrugnedi at this witness stand The oath has
oiten been takcni at this jurors bench the
verdict has been rendered; az this judges
desk sentence has been pronounced" But
nave 20 tell you to-day 81 n trial higher than
any Oyer and Terminer or Circuit or SUI
ptemo OF Chancery. It Is the trial OF every
Christian man for the ice Of hi5 soul. This
trial % different from any other IN tho iact
that it Is both civil and criminal.
Tbs issues at stake are tremendous. aud
sball IN nay sermon show you. first, what are
the grounds Of complaint; then, who are the
witnesses In tho cause, ana lastly, who are
the advocates.
when a trial q called on the nrst thing Is
20 have the indictment read stand up then,
D. Christian man. and hear the indictment
OF the court Of high heaven against thy SOUL
Il Is an Indictment Of ten counts, for thou
hast directly or Indirectly broken an the ten
commandments. You know how Il thun-
dered on Sinai and when God came down
how tho mountain rocked aud the smoke
assembled as from q smoidering furnace. and
tbs darkness gathered tdick aud the loud,
deep trumpet uttered the words. "The soul
that slnneth, Il shall die.' Are you guilty.
or not guilty. Do not put In a negative plea
/ too quick, for ] have 90 announce that "all
have sinned and come short Of tho glory OF
God. There is none that doeth good; no,
not one. Whosoeyer shall keep the whole
law. YET offend IN one point. he Is guilty Of
| all. 10 NOT, therefore, be too hasty 10
| pr0nouncing yourself not guilty.
The lawsuit before US also charges you
with the breaking Of q solemn contract.
/ Many time did we promise 10 be the Lords.
We got down on our knees and said. 80.
/ Lori, am Thine now aud forever" Did
/ you keep the promise? Have YOU stood up
/ to the contract Have YOU not sometimes
| tailored when YOU ought 10 have been true2
Have You not been proud when VOC ought
/ 70 have been humble2 Have you not played
| the coward when you ought TO have been
! the heroY / charge it upon you and charge
| II upon mys''t-We have broken the con-
| tract
Still further; this lawsuit claims damages
| az your hands. The greatest SANDER on the
| the Christian religion IS an inconsistent pro-
| lessor The Bible says religion Is one thing;
| we, by our Inconsistency, say religion Is
some other thing, and what is more dsplora-
Die about i Is that people can see faults in
Others while they can not see any In them
selves. II you shall at any time find some
misernbls old gossip, with imperfectOns
from the crown Of her head to the sole Of her
foot, q perfect blotch OF sin herself she will
90 tattling, tattling, tattling, all the years Of
her life about the Inconsistencies OF others,
! having no idea that she is inconsistent her
self. God save the world from the gossip,
female aud male! / think the males are the
worst
Now you have heard the indictment read.
Are you ready to plead guilty or not guilty?
Perhaps you are not ready yet to plead.
Then the trial will 90 on. The witnesses Will
be called, and we shall have the matter de-
eided. In the name If GOD now make pro-
elamaton: Oyer Oyer! oyezl whoever
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 1 call upon the stand in
Behalf OF the prosecution IS the world-all
critical and observant OF Christian char
acter. You know that there are people
around you who perpetually banquet on the
trailttes Of Gods children. You may know,
II you have lived ia the country, that q crow
cares for nothing so much as carrion. There
are those who imagine that out Of the faults
Of Christians they can make a bridge of
boats across the stream of death, and they
are going to try it; but, alas forthe mistake!
When they get mid-stroa m away will 90 tho
bridge and down will go their souls to perdi-
ton. world OF the greedy eye and the
hard heart, come on the stand now and tes-
t!fy in behalf of the prosecution against this
Christian soul on trial. What do you know
about this Christian mann "0h," says the
world, II know great deal about him. BE
talks about putting his treasures IN heaven,
but he is the sharpest man in trade | ever
knew. He seems to want US to believe that
he is a child of God, but he is Just full OF
imperfectlons, do not know but l am a
great deal better than he is now. Often
times he is very earthly, and he talks so lit
tie about Christ and so much about himself.
am very glad to testify that this is a bad
man."
Stop, o World with the greedy eye and
hard heart fear you are too much inter.
ested in this trial TO give impartial evidence
Let all those who hear tho testimony OF this
witness know that there Is an old family
quarrel between these two parties. There
always has been a variance between the
World and the Church, 'and while the WorlC
on the witness stand to-day has told a great
deal Of truth about this Christian man, yoy
must take it all with much allowance. re-
membering that they still keep the old grudgt
good. 0, World Of the greedy and the hare
heart, that will do; you must sit down.
The second Witness / call in THIS case i
Conscience. Who art thou, 0 Conscience
What is your business? Where were yol
born? What are you doing here? ooh,
says Conscience. 81 was born in heaven. ]
/ came down to bafriend this man. hay,
lived with him, / have instructed him.
| nave warned MIN. showed hlm the RICH
and the wrong, advising him to take the on
and escheT the other. 1 have kindled
great light in his soul. With whip O
scorpion have scourged his wickedness. anC
have tried to cheer him when doing right
and yet l am compelled to testify on tn
stand to-day that he Das sometimes reieetel
) my mission. Oh, how many cups of lif
have / pressed to his lips that he dashe,
down, and how often has be stood with hi
hard heel on the bleeding heart OF the Sol
of God It pains me very much that / hav
to testify against this Christian man, an
, yet must, In behalf of Him who will in n
wise clear the guilty, say that this Christian
} man has done wrong. He has been worldly
He lTas been neglectiul. He has done
thousand things he ought not to have done
= and left undone a thousand things he ough
to have DONE That will do, Conscience
5 You can sit down.
!. The third witness I call in the case is a
angel OF God Bright and shining one, VIVA
D doest thou here? What hast thou to sa
n against this mau on trial? '0h.' says th
: angel, II have been a messenger to him.
q have guarded him. have washed him. Wit
this wing have defended him, and otter
times, when be knew It not, led him int
"A IL, rAtn