The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1901-03-29
RELIGIOUS REVEALS
DR.. Talmage, in a Timely Discourse,
Declares His Belief in Them.
Sermon Adapted from the story of
simon and the Fishers-Grcatest
Obstacle to Reyivais Is an
Unconverted Ministry.
tcopyrisht, 1901. by louis KloDsch. n. "

This discourse of DIR. Talmage is
most pertinent at this time when a
widespread effort for religious awak-
ching is being made; text, Luke. verse
8: They inclosed a great multitude
of fishes and their net brake"
Simon and his comrades had expert
cnced the night before what fishermen
call poor luck" Christ steps on board
the fishing smack and tells the sailors
TO pull away from the beach and di-
reefs them again TO sink the net Sure
enough, very soon the net is full of
fishes. and the sailors begin 10 haul in.
SO large a school ~ fishes was taken
that the hardy men began 10 look red
In the face as they pull. and hardly
have they begun 10 rejoice at their she
cess when snap goes a threat of the
net. and snap goes another thread. 50
there is danger not only of losing the
hSh. but of losing the net.
Without much care as to how much
the boat tits or how much water il
splashed on deck the fishermen rush
about, gathering up the broken mcShes
OF the net. Out yonder there is q ship
dancing on the wave. and they hail II:
ship ahoy. Bear down this way.
The ship comes. and both boats. both
fishing smacks. are filled with the
laundering treasures.
"Ah," says some one. show much
better it would have been if they had
staid on shore and fished with hook
aud line and taken one at time in
stead of having this great excitement
and the boat almost upset and the net
broken and having to call for help and
getting sopping wet with the sea-"
The church is the boat, the Gospel
Is the net, society is the sea, and
great revival is a whole school brought
in al one sweep of the net. have adj
miration for that man who goes ont
with hook and line TO fish. | admire
the way he unwinds the reel and adj
Justs the bait and drops the hook in a
quiet place on a still afternoon and
here catches one and there one. but |
like also a big boat and a large crew
Ind net a mile long and swift oan
and stout sails and a stiff breeze and
great multitude of souls brOuoht--SO
great a multitude that you have got
10 get help TO draw il ashore. straining
the net to the utmost until il breaks
here and there, letting a few escape,
but bringing the great multitude into
eternal safety.
In other words, ! believe in REVEALS.
The great work of saving men began
with 5000 people joining the church in
one day, and il will close with 40 or a
hundred million people saved in -
hours when nations shall be born in
day. But there are objections TO re-
viyals. People are opposed To them
because the net might get broken. and
If by the pressure of souls it does not
get broken. then they take their own
penknives and slit the net. They in
closed great multitude OF fishes. and
the net brake"
IL Is sometimes opposed To rcVivals
pf religion that those who come into
the church ~ such times 90 not hold
out. As long there is a gale of bless
ing they have their sails up. But a
soon as strong winds e-op blowing
then they drop into dead calm. Bat
what are the facts in he case? In all
our churches the vast ma ioriiy of The
useful people are those who are
brought in under great awakenings.
anc they hold out. Who are the prom
inent, men in the United States In
churches. in prayer meetings. in Sab
bath schools? For the most part thev
are the product Of great awakenings.
l have noticed that those who are
hrn.Fnl,- sn+ T. 4
through revjvals have more per-
sistence and more determination in the
Christian life than those who come
in under n low state of religion Pco-
pie born in an icchouse may live, but
they will never get over The cold they
caugh; in the icehouse. a cannon ball
depends upon the impulse with which
IL starts for how far il shall go and
how swiftly. and the greater the re-
,iyal force with which soul is started
the more far-rcaching and far-resound-
ing will be the execution.
But it is sometimes objected To re-
viyals that there is so much excitement
that people mistake hystcria for rcli--
ion. We admit that in every revival OF
religion there is either suppressed or
a demonstrated excitement. Indeed,
II a man can go ont OF a state o. con
dcmnation into a state of acceptance
with God or see others go without ar,
agitation of soul nc is in an unhealthy.
morbid state and is as repuisiyc and
absurd as man who should boast he
saw child snatchcd out from under n
horses hoofs and felt no agitation. or
saw man rescued from the fourth
story of a house on fire and felt no ac-
celeration OF the pulses.
Salvation from sin and death and |
hell into life and peace nd Heaven for T,
ever is srcb a tremendous thing that |
III a man tells me he can look on il |
without any agita ton | doubt his |
Christianity. The fact i. that some !
times excitement 49, the most impor-
tant possible thing. In case of rcsus-
citation from drowning or freezing
thc one idea is To excite animation
Before conversion we are dead. IL is
the business of the church to revive.
arouse. awaken. resuscitate. startlc
into life. Excitement is bad or good
according 10 what it makes us do. If
il make us do tkct which is bad, it is