Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1903-02-09
TALMAGE
SERMON
BY Rev.
FRANK De WITT ThLMhGE. DID,.
Pastor Of JsGsrson Park Presby-
terrain Church, Chicago


preacher shows that the pew is no less
responsible for spiritual stagnation
than the pulpit and that dumb pew
~uiHkcs dead church. while live. cor
dial. cooperating and Christ confcssing
pew makes an effective pulpit and n
triumphant church. The text is John
tx. iG There was division among
them"
One day Lcpaux. the great French
inhdeL Came TO Napoleon. He said:
Your majesty, have evolved n new
religion which I call TheophilanthrO-
by. I know TINT II Is a better gospel
than Christianity. but the French peo-
pie will not believe or accept IT. What
II the matterg What shall dog The
great French emperor turned and
smiled. Then he raised his arm and
placed his hand kindly upon his
friends shoulder as he answered: lie
PauN. there Is one trouble about your
new PclgiOu-you have no witnesses.
60 ard open few blinded eyes I'm
stop some deaf ears. Struighten some
crooked hnihs. Raise the dead. BE
cruciiicd aud buried. Rise again from
the grave. On the third day appear
unto them who put you to death Then
the people viii accept your religion
aud believe In you as they believe in
Jesus Christ. Lepaux. ii is by your
witnesses that your new religion must
win IT'S way into the hearts OF the
people. n0, by your theories" NapO-
leon w1S right. The gospel of Jesus
Christ Is to bc carried to the farther
most parts OF the world by the power
OF gospel Testimony. not by theories,
not by arguments. not by n brilliant
COLLECTION Of metaphysical or polemical
dissertations.
NJ ffrtrStru ton of this statement is
furnished by the scene of my text.
Tier. wsS great excitement i'm the &C.
ebestsSticat world OF Jerusalem. The
Phurisc"s. the members OF the sanhe-
drin aud the priests had conclusively
ertiRd II With themselves that Jesus
Christ was n frand. charlatan, an alb
surd prctcRder, But one day there was
Drought into their presence, seeing, a
man who had been born blind. In all
probability they knew him, for he had
been one OF tie beggars who took their
staad near the temple gate. Every
sns WOO wet 10 the temple knew him.
-Wha or~ued your eyesf" one of the
leer>G SsDcturs asked In surprise. mo
nau ever lived before who. having
been b,rn bind. received sight on this
side ct the grave" When the young
man answered Jesus" the priests and
their hirelings were beside themselves
with raSr> they threatened him.
They brow-beat him. They eXcommu
nicatcd htm. At last they entirely lost
rher reasoning faculties and common
seusc. They practically cried aloud
''We do not believe that Jesus opened
those eyes, Away with this fellow
called Jesus. Away with him! Away
with ltmr But some of these learned
Phsrfsces could not be put off by any
such superficial condemnation. Me
thinks I can hear learned doctor say
To- sQme of his friends: Il do not know
about thfs. Perhaps we may have beer
wrong, Perhaps this new teacher aft
er all Is tine promised Messiah. Ger
tainly no other human being coult
ever WORT Ss.ch miracles" And Their
was a division among them" tn
Sarue kind Of division which will oC
cur aErong worldly men today if til
bop,bshell OF con secrated Christian ties
timony eaR ouly be hurled among them
Are We Rc-dy 60 Give Testimony.
A practical application of this priI
ciple Is now facing us, one and al
are we Christian men and wome
ready to give our gospel testimon
wherever we gol Are we ready to tie
what Jesus Christ has done for us
Ready. even though II may bring upo
us sneers and ridicule? Ready, thong
II should Involve prosecutions and o.
trscislne Ready as the young man {
old was ready who stood up and wi
messed before the priests and the Pha
isecs. when he made a division anon
shenle -. .-.
Would that she dumb spirit woul
come out OF Se lay members in IL
Christian churches, Every where W
hear the question being asked: "Wh;
Is the matter with our churches? Is
that the pulpit Is losing its power
Oh. ne: the pulpit Is not losing its poN
Sr. There are morr consecrated mini
tiers today than ever before. Mo
brilliant aud well developed heads al
hearts arR yearly being trained In Of
Theological Summaries than ever b
fore. More eloquent sermons are bell
preached from the sacred desk on ii
Sabbath than On any Sunday of al
other generation that ever lived VIII;
then. Is the matterg The pulpit b
not lost its old power. but the pc
has abandoned It's duty. The great {
feet OF the church today Is that {
pew has relegatcl to the pulpit neal
ell lts Fssblic dutirs. OF preaching
well as public praying. AS IL has I
Tended on the choir for its singh
The rpS0lt - that when the pew cea;
20 sneak fhs. rla..Ss.l,- -, Of the nulnit