Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1903-02-14
TA.LNlAGE
SERMON
BY Rev.
FRANK DE WITT TALMAGE. DID,.
Pastor Of Jefferson Park Presby-
terian Church, Chicago

Pastor Of Jefferson Park Presby- |
terian Church, Chicago |
Chicago, Feb. SIN this sermon the
preacher shows that the pew Is no less
responsible for spiritual stagnauon
than the pulpit and that dumb pew
makes a dead church, while live, cor
dial, cooperating and Christ confesslng
pew makes an effective pulpit ana
triumphant church. The text Is John
tx. 16. There was division among
them"
One day Lepaux, the great French
infidel. came to Napoleon. He SAID:
"Your majesty, l have evolved a new
religion which I call Theophilanthro-
py. | know that it is n better gospei
than Christianity. but the French peo-
ple will not believe or accept it. What
is the matter? What shall dor The
great French emperor turned ana
smiled. Then he raised his arm ana
placed his hand kindly upon his
friends shoulder as he answered: lie
paux, there is one trouble about your
new religion-you have no witnesses.
Go and open few blinded eyes. Oh-
stop some deaf ears. Straighten some
crooked limbs. Raise the dead. BE
,rucifjed and buried. Rise again from
the grave. On the third day appear
unto them who put you to death. Then
The people will accept your religion
and believe in you as they believe III
Iesus Christ. Lepaux, it is by your
witnesses that your new religion must
win its way into the hearts of the
people. not by your theories" Napo-
leon was right The gospel of Jesus
Christ is to be carried to the farther
most parts of the world by the power
of gospel testimony, not by theories
not by arguments, not by brilliant
collection of metaphysical or polemical
dissertations.
An Illustration Of this statement Is
furnished by the scene Of my text.
There was great excitement In the &C.
clesiastical world of Jerusalem. The
Pharisces, the members Of the sanhe-
drin and the priests had conclusively
settled It with themselves that Jesus
Christ was frand. charlatan, an aD-
surd pretender. But one day there was
brought into their presence, seeing, a
man who had been born blind. In all
probability they knew him, for he had
been one of the beggars who took their
stand near the temple gate. Every
one who went to the temple knew him.
"Who opened your eyes" one OF the
learned doctors asked in surprise. mo
man ever lived before who, having
been born blind. received sight on this
side of the grave" When the young
man answered Jesus" the priests and
their hireIings were beside themselves
with rage. They threatened him.
They browbeat him. They excommu
nicatcd him. At last they entirely los'
their reasoning faculties and common
sense. They practically cried aloud
"Ve do not believe that Jesus opened
those eyes. Away with this fellow
called Jesus Away with him. Away
with him. But some of these learned
Pharisees could not he put off by any
such superficial condemnation. Me
thinks can hear a learned doctor sa!
70 some of his friends: Il do not know
about this. Perhaps we may have beel
wrong. Perhaps this new teacher art
er all is tie promised Messiah. Ger
tainly no other human being coul'
ever work such miracles" "And ther'
was division among them, TN
same kind of division which Will oc
cur among worldly men today II III
bonbshcll Of copsecrated Christian tes
timony can only be hurled among them
Arc We Ready to Give Testimony
A practical application of this prin
cinle IS now facing us, one and al
Are we Christian men ana Wome
reody to give our gospel testimon
wherever we go? Are we ready 10 te
what Jesus Christ has done for us
Ready. even though it may bring upo
us snecrs and ridiculc? Ready thoug
it should involve prosecutions ana o.
tracisIn? Ready as the young man 9
old was ready WHO STOOD up ana WI
messed before the priests and the fha
isees. when he made division anon
them?
Would that the dumb spirit woul
come out Of the lay members IN III
Christian churches! Everywhere W
hear the question being asked: wv III
is the matter with our churchesE is
, that the pulpit is losing its power
oh. no; the pulpit is not losing Its poV
or. There are more consecrated mini
tors today than ever before. Mol
brilliant and well developed heads al
hearts are yearly being trained In OF
Theological seminaries than ever d
fore. More eloquent sermons are Deil
preached from the sacred desk on I'd
Sabbath than on any Sunday OF al
other generation that ever lived. VIVA
then. is the matter? The pulpit hi
not lost its old power, but the pc
has abandoned its duty. The great q
feet of the church today is that Il
pew has relegated to the pulpit near
all its public duties, Of preaching
we'll as public praying, as 1t has q
pended on the choir for Its singln
- The result Is that when the pew ceas
, TO speak the message Of the pulpit
y neglected. The pulpit of the Lord
sus Christ is today groaning under [
weight of the infinite load which I
pew has piled upon it. No church
today a consecrated evangel'stc chur
unless it has in its pews men who
life and testimony are preaching eva
- gelists as well as gospel ministers w
stand behind the sacred desk. Jes
Christ is today speaking to the sile
pews in the same way as he spake III
the dumb devil of old that was cursi
So the life of young child. He said
TO him. ~ lou dumb and deaf spll
come out Of him ard enter no more
to him. 1t is not the pulpit thal
dead; it is the pew which refuses