The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1901-07-19
TALMAaE's SERMON.
DR.. Talmage's Discourse on the Growth
and Perfection of Christianity.

ID >.
DR.. Talmage's Discourse on the Growth
and Perfection of Christianity.
8& Although DR.. Talmago WAS hinderot
from attending tho great annual meet
ing Of the Christian EndssvoT society
at Cincinnati, his sermon shows him tt
bo in sympathy with tho great movo
mont; text. Amos TX; 13, "Beholt
tho days come, saith tho Lord, that
tho plowman shall ovcrtako the reaper.
Unable boceuso Of othor importan
dutios to acoopt tho iuvilstion t
take part in tho great convention ol
Christian Endcavorors at Cincinnati
begun last week, / proach sermon ol
congratulation for all tho mombeys oi
that magnificent association, whcthol
now gathered in vast assomblsgo OF
busy in their places of usefulness
transatlantic and oisatlantio, and as j,
is now harvest timo in tho folds and
sioklor arc flashing in tho gathering Of
a great crop, l fl nd mighty suggestive
ness in my text.
Itis a picture Of tropical climo,
with season SO prosperous that the
harvest reaches clear ovor to the plant.
ing time, and the swarthy husbandman
busy outing the grain, almost foos tho
breath Of the horses on his shoulders,
tho horse hitohod to tho plow, prepar-
ing for new crop. "Bohold the days
como, saith tho Lord, tho plowman
shall ovortako tho roapor." Whom is
that? That is now. That is this day
whom hardly have you dono roaping ono
harvest Of religious result than tho
plowman is getting roady for another.
In phrasoology charged with all
venom and abuse ond oarioature [ know
that infields and agnostios have deolar-
cd that, Christianity has collapsed: that
the Bible is on obsolete book; that tho
Christian church is on tho retreat. /
shall answer that wholesale charge to-.
day.
Botweon 3, 600, 900 and 4, 1000 900 En-
deavors sworn before high hoaven that
they will do all thoy can to take
Amoroa for God. Europe for God.
Asia aud Africa for God-aro not tho
sign most cheering? Or, to return to
tho agricultural figure of my toxt, moro
than million roapers arc overtakon BY
moro than q million plowmen. Besides
this, there are moro people who bolicvc
in the Bible than at any tilno in the
worlds existence. An Arab guide was
leading a French infidol across the de-
sert. and ever and anon tho Arab guido
would get down in the sand and pray to
tho Lord. 1t disgusted tho Ffenoh in.
tidol, and aftor awhile, as the Arab got
up from one Of his prayers, the infdol
said, How do you know thoro is any
GodY" And tho Arab guide said:
''How do know that man and a
camel passed. by our tent last night2 ]
know it by the footprint in the sand,
~ And you aant to know how know
whether theyo is any God2 Look at
/ the sunset. Is that the footBtep Of q
man?" And by the same process you
andI have come to understand thai
this book is tho footstep of God.
But now lot US SOC whether tho book
is last years almanac. Let us soc
whether tho church of God is Bull
Run retreat, muskets, oanteens and
haveraaoks strowing all tho way. The
great English historian Sharon Turner,
q man Of vast learning and great 40
curaoy, not a clergyman but an attorney
as we'll aB a historian, gives this ovor.
whelming statistic in regard to Chris.
tianity and in regard to tho number of
Christians in the different centuries
In the first contury 500. 900 Christians,
in tho second century 1000, 900 Chris.
tians, in the third oontury 5000, 900
Christians, in the fourth century TO- 4
O00, 900 Christians, in the fifth century
$4,000 600 Christians, in tho sixth con
tury 20,000,000 Christians, in the
sevonth oontury "a 900, 900 Christians,
In tho oight century 80, 000, 700 Chris
tians, in the ninth contury 10000, 600
Christians, in the tenth oontury So
OOO, 0Ot' Christians, in tho eleventh CON
tury 7O,000,000 Christians, in tho
twolth century $4,000, 5000 Christians,
in tho thirteenth century $4,000 900
Christians, in tho fourteenth century
80,OOO,000 Christians, in tho iftoonth
contury 100, 900, 600 Christians, in tho
sixteenth century 1876, 10000 900 Chris
taine, in the seventeenth contury 1861
OOO, 600 Christians, in tho eighteenth
century 200, 100000 Jhristains--a do.
oadencc, as you observe, in only ono
century, and moro than made up in the
following centuries, while it is the
usual computation that there were at
tho close of tho ninetoonth century
40, 900, 900 Christians, making us to
believe that before this century is clos.
ed the millennium will havo startod
it's boom and lifted it's hoBanna.
FL Poor Christianity What pity it has
no friends How lonesome it must be |
Who aill take it out Of tho poorhouse? :?
Poor Ohristianityl -Four hundred mil.
lions in ono contury. In few weeks
Of this year 2, 500, 900 copios Of tho Now
Testament distributed. Why, the oarth
is like an old castle with 20 gatos and a
park of artillery ready to thunder down
evory gate. See how hoathondom ID bo.
Ing surrounded and honoycombed and
attacked by this all conquering gospel.
At the beginning Of tho nineteenth
century $50 missionarios; at tho close
Of that oontury 81 900 miasionarios and
native holpers and ovangelists. At
the beginning of tho nineteenth con-
tury thore woro only $4,000 converts.
Now thore arc ovor 1000, 600 converts
from hoathendom.
You all know that an important work
Of on army is to plant tho batteries. 1t
may take many days to plant tho bat.
tories, and thoy may do all tho work in
ten minutes. Those gospel batteries
arc being planted all along the seacoasta
and in all nations. 1t may take good
whilo to plant thom, and thoy may do
all their work in ono day. Thoy will.