The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1896-01-24
BEAR TESTIMONY.
LET THE Redeemed s.SAY So"
DR.. TalmaGe Makes An Eloquent Al .
peal for An Outspokcn Religion.


an outspoken religion and requests all who
have been rescued and blessed no longer to
hide the splendid facts, but TO recite them,
publish them and as far as possible let all the
world know about 1t. Let the redeemed OF
the Lord ayso." There Is sinful reticence
which has been almost scanonized. The
people are quite as outspoken as they ought
to be on all subjects OF politics and are fluent
and voluble on the Venezuelan question
and bimetallism and tariffs high and low
and remodeled and female suffrage. and you
have to skilfully watch your chance IL you
want to put into the active conversation
a modest suggestion Of your own, but
on the subject Of divine goodness, rcli-
gious experience and eternal bessedness
they are not only silent. but boastful OF their
reticencc Now. il you have been redeemed
OF tlo Lord why do you not say So2 Ifyou
have in your heart the pearl of great price,
worth more than tho kohinoor among Vic
toriau jewclS. why not let others see it, II
you got of tho wreck in the breakers why
not toll OF the crew and the stout ifcbOat
that safely landed you? II from the fourth
story you arr rescued in time OF conflagra-
ton, why not tell of the fireman and the lad
der down which he carried youI III you
have mansion in heaven awaiting you,
why not show the decd to those who may by
the same process get an emerald castle on
the same boulevard? BY the last two words
OF my text David calls upon all of us who
have received any mercy ut tho hands of
God to stop impcrsonatnS the asylums for
the dumb and in the pcrScnCe Of men. women,
angels, devils and all worlds 'say So"
In these January days. thousands OF min
listers and private Christians are wondering
about the best ways OF starting . rovival of
religion. I can tell yon n way OF starting a
revival. continental, hemisphere and world
wide. You say u revival starts IN heaven
Well, 1t starts in heaven jus as 4 prosperous
harvest starts In heaven. The sun must shine
and tho rains must descend, but unless you
plow and SOW and cultivate the earth you
will not raise n bushel Of wheat or peck of
corn between now und the end ofthe world.
How. then, shall universal revival start?
BY all Christian people telling the story of
their own conversion. lot ton men and wO-
men get up next week in your prayer meet
ing ami. not in n conventional or ctntinS or
do!efui way, but in the same tone they EN-
ploy i'll the family or place of business,
tell how they crossed the line, and
tho revival will begin then auh ,he-e. II
tho prayer meeting hAs not been 80 duh
as to drive out all except those concern
ing whom il was iOreordainCi from. nj
eternity that they should - there. There
ar" so many diTerrat ways of being con-
vcrtci that We want TO hear all kinds. - that
our own casc may bG helped. ItaiYavs puts
me back to hear only one kind ot experience
such rs a man gives when "a" tells Of his
Pauline conversiob-hOw he was knocked
senSelcSS, and then hal Il vision and heard
voic =, and after certain number OF days
OF horror got up and shouted for 10Y All
| senseless, and I never had such q s;,ddeu
| burst OF religious rapture that | lost my
| equilibrium. But after awhile a Christian
! man got up In some meeting and told us how
he was brought up by deyout parentage,
| and had always been thoughtful about re-
lgious things. and gradually tho peace of
the gospel came into his soul like the dawn
| OF tho morning-no perccptible difference
| between moment and mOment-but after
| awhile all perturbation settled down into n
hu nd .tr Moth a
| him during all the vicisstudes OF lifetime
/ said, THAT is exhilarating: that was my
experience" And SO I was strengthened.
In another prayer meeting u man got up
and told US how he once hated God and
went through all the round OF iniquity until
We were ali on nettles lest he should 20 too
much into the particulars. but one day no
was by some religious power hurled fiat and
| then got up n Christian and had ever since
been going around with n Baker Bible with
large flaps under his arm. IA floating evange-
| list. Well. under this story many arc not
helped at all, for they know they never hated
| God, and they were never diSsolutc. But af-
| ter awhile some Christian woman arises and
! says. II have nothing extraordinary to
! tell yet think the cares of life, the anXetics
! about my children and two graves
! opened in our family plot made me feel the
need ot God. and weak and helpless and
| heartbrokcn flung myself upon His mercy
and feel what the Bible calls tho peace OF
! God which paSscth all understanding and
| / ask your prayers that | may live nearer TO
| tho Christ who has done So much for me-"
/ declare that before that woman got through
| wa were all CRYING. not bitter tears bur
! tears OF joyful emotion. and in three days in
! that ucighborhOOh ali tho ice had gone out
| Of the river in Springtme frrshct OF saliva
| tion. Let the redeemed Of the Lord say 80. ="
! haze but little interest in what people
| SAY about religion a. an abstraction hut [
have ilimitable interest in what people say
! about what they have personally felt Oi rc-
/ ligion. It was an expression Of his own
| gratitude for personal salvation wh.ch led
| Charles Wesley, after ascason of great de-
! sponh"ncy about his soul ana Christ had
| spoken pardon, TO write that immortal
hymn:
:. Oh, for n thousand tongues TO sing
Ny great Redeemer'5 praise.
II WAS after Abraham Lincoln had been
comforted in the loss OF Tai, the bright boy
| of the White House, that he said, Il now see
! as never before the preciouSncSs OF God =
love in Jesus Christ and how we are brought
near to God rs our Father by Him"
What a thrill went through the meeting in
Portland, Or when an ex-Attorney General
! OF the United States rose and said; Last
| night got up and asked the prayers OF Gods
! people. feel now perfectly satisfied. The
| burden is rolled OF and all gone. and | feel
! that | could run or fly into the arms Of Jesus
Christ
What record for all time AMI eternity
was made by Gelacius, the play actor. in
the theatre ut HcliopOlis. buriosque OF
| Christianity was put upon the stage. In de.
! rision o: tn" ordinance Of baptism 4 hath-
! tub filled with water was put upon the stage,
, and another actor. in awful hlaSphemy
: dipped G"lariUs, FroIouncing over him III"
words, II haptIHc th"" IN the nam" Of IA"
Father. Of tn" Son AMI -. tho Holy Ghost. "
EuL coming forth from III" hU:lcsqUc bap-
;Ism hs looked changed and wa, changed.
aul h cried out, Il am u Christian. | will
die n Christian Though hr was dragged
out and stoned To- death. thy could not
drown the testimony made ur'lrr such awtul
circumstances: Il am u Christian. | viii
Iii" a. 4 Chir~tian.' Let IL" redeemed -!
the Lori say ~o."
What confirmation would cone if all wa
hal answers To- pray-.- wont speak out. il
all me- 'liNt- in tight places .r"HU,r ,! hard
. tins ,y.'.,I tr.I h,rr Ia .,.-'rH,. t. ~Gl2'..