Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1896-09-03
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
THE NOTED DEVlNE'S SUNDAY
SERMON.

TEXT: .~ye have an advocate with the
Father, Jesus Christ the righteous ~ John
ill.,,
| Standing in court room. you s7v to your
! seiE, AT this bar crime hes often baan
aIralgned; at this witness stand the oath has
oHen been taken; at this Jurors bench the
verdict has been rendered: at this judges
desk sentence hasbeen pronounced. But
nave to tell you to-day OF trial higher than
! any Oyer and Terniner or Circuit or Su-
preme or Chancery. 1t is the trial ot every
Cnrlstlan man for the life Of his soul. This
trial is different from any other in the fact
that it is both civil and criminal
| The issues at stake are tremendous, and
snall IN my sermon show you first what are
the grounds of complaint; then. who are the
witnesses In the cause, and lastly, who are
| he advocates.
When trial is called on the first thing is
nave the indictment read. Stand up then,
| ~. Christian man. and hear the Indictment
CT the court of high heaven against thy soul
IL f3 An indictment of ten counts, for thou
mast directly or indirectly broken all the ten
commandments. You know how it thun-
dered on Sinai and when God came down
how the mountain rocked and the smoke
assembled as from a smolderinS furnace, and
the darkness gathered thick, and the loud.
deep trumpet uttered the Words "The soul
that sinneth, it shall die!" Are you guilty.
or not guilty? Do not put In a negative plea
TOO quick, for have TO announce that ''all
have sinned and come short OF the glory OF
God. There is nore 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 hasty in
pronouncing yourself not guilty.
The lawsuit before us also charges you
with the breaking of a solemn contract
Many time did we promise to be the Lords
we got down on our knees and said: go.
Lord, l am Thine now and forever" Did
you keep the promise? Have you stood up
to the contract? Have you not sometimes
laltered when you cit to have been true?
Have you not beer pr0Id when yoc ought
to have been humb,e! Have you not played
the coward when you ought to have been
the hero! l charge i. upon you and charge
it upon myseif-we have broken the con-
tract.
Still further; this lawsuit claims damages
at your hands. The greatest SANDER on the
the Christian religion is an inconsistent pro-
lessor. The Bible says religion is one thing;
we, pY our Inconsistency, say religion is
some other thing, and what is more deplora-
Die about it 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
miserable old gossip. with imperfections
from the crown of her head to the sole cf her
foot, perfect blotch Of sin herself, she will
go tdttllng, tattling, tatting, all the years of
her life about the Inconsistencies OF others.
uaVinS no lCea tnae she Is inconsistent her
self. dod save tie worlu fun tre possin
female and male I think the males are the
, worst!
Now you have heard the indictment read.
Are you ready to plead guilty or not guilty?
, Perhaps you arc not ready vet to plead.
; Then the trial will go on. The witnesses will
I be called, and we shall have the matter de-
clded. In the name Cf God now make pro-
: elamation. Oyez! Oyez! Oyez, whoever
5 hath anything to offer in this trial in which
God is the p,aintiff and the Christian soul
the defendant let him now step forth and
give testimony in this sOemntrial.
+ The first witness 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
: frailties of Gods children You NAV know
/ ii you nave lived in the country. that a crow
cares Tor nothing so much "a carbon There
are those who imagine that out of the faults
l. OF Christians they can make II bridge OF
e boats across the stream of DEATH and they
are going to try it; but. alas for the mistake
When they get mid-strea n away will 60 tn,
: bridge and down will so their souls to perdi.
+ ton. 0 world Of the greedy eye and the
q hard heart, come on the stand now and tes
t.fy IN behalf OF the prosecution against this
I Christian soul on trial. What do you know
about this Christian man? ''Oh," says the
n world, II know a great deal about him H.
but he is the sharpest man in trade l ever
: knew. He seems to want US to believe that
It he is child of God, hut he is Just full o.
imperfections. / DO not knew but l am
great deal better than he is now Often
times he is very earthly and be talks 50 lit
n tie about Christ ani SO much about himself
Z am very glad to testify that this is a baC
:, man."
Stop. World. with the greedy eye anC
/ hard heart. fear you are too much inter
Y ested in this trial 10 give impartial evidence
4, Let all those who hear tho testimony OF thi,
witness know that there is an old famil
quarrel between these two parties. Their
always has been variance between tn
n World and the Church, and while the Work
;, on the witness sanl 70 day has told g-ea
:" deal OF truth about this Christian man. yo
Il must take it all with much allowance. r.
II. menbering that they still keep the old grudc
in good. o. World Of the greedy and the har
, heart. that will do: you mus, sit down.
u The second Witness | call in this case
Conscience. Who art thou. 0 Conscience
~ What is your business: Where were 20
born? What are you doing here? "Oh,
!, says Conscience. II was born in heaven.
came down 70 b friend this man. l hay
he lived with him. / have instructed him.
t. have warned him / showed him the ri-i
IN and the wrong, advising hin TO take the or
and escheS the other. l have kindIod
=. great light in his soul. With a vaip
Il scoEFiol nave Scourgei MS WickelNe->, an
is 1 have tried 70 cheer MIN when doing rlgh
70 and yet 1 am compelled 70 testify On Il
'' stand to-day that he has sometimes relecte
50 my mission. On. how many cups Of Ii
IN have / pressed TO his lips that he dasee
., down. and how often has be stood with b
- hard heel on the bleeding heart Of tha s.
OF God. II pains ne yer, much that ha'
10 testify against tits Christian man. ar
t. yet / must. in behalf Of Hin who wtll II 7
- wise clear the guilty. say that this Christis
70 man has done wrong. He has been world
he has been nesiactful. He has done
- thousand things he ought not TO have don
an and left undone a thousani things he o4-
as 10 have dome That will do. ConseleBe
fou can sit down
"a The third gitne-s / call IN the case :
III angel OF Cos. Bright anu shining one. wb
or doest thou here? What has, thou 10 s.
against this man on trial? oh" says Z
angel. i nave been Is II nessenger 70 nI1..
have -Carie3 hin. | s2ge washed him. vi
AS this Wig have defended hin, aal o.te
- times, when he sl-w i. not. Led him II
te crsen ras.Rrrs an deS.t- stitt wafer
s1a.ckef from alE the poisoned ca;
= ices When hai spirits came up1a him
III destroy hin, / fought Them hae@ with s1.iri
nd necceuess, an ye, ! have - s-s;ify tod