Milford chronicle., 1904-12-02
Calnaqe
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaee, D. D.

Los Angeles. Cal, Nov 27.-In the
great battle that is being waged be-
tween inhdelity and Christianity this
sermon introduces a mass Of evidence,
direct and collateral, which the un-
biased searcher after truth will gladly
welcome The text is Hebrews XII, 1,
Faith is the evidence of things not
seem"
What is evidence? Testimony, proof,
demonstration. 1t is a statement OF
facts made in court by a witness, by
which a juror is led to believe some
thing that his eyes have not seen nor
his ears heard. 1t is the alibi by which
man proves that he could not have
been on the scene of crime. 1t is the
proof which a wrongly evicted owner
produces OF his right and title to an
inheritance. 1t is an argument from
admitted and existing facts to prove
the operation of causes remote in time
1t is the means by which truth defends
itself against the onslaught of error
and the weapon with which it over
throws the fOrtresses Of superstition
and false doctrine.
Evidence of the unseen has a mo-
mentous mission. For the greater num-
Der of US it is the only basis we have
for our knowledge. If we were to be-
lieve in nothing that we have not our
selves seen we should have to give up
our belief in facts and events innumer-
able. 1T is not necessary for me to
go and see London before believe that
there exists such a city as London"
once wrote a great Bible commentator
in reference to my text. l know that
such place as st. Petersburg exists,
although l have not seen it, Why?
/ am convinced by the testimony of
those who have seen it. The "evidence
of things not seen" has proved to me
that it exists. / have read books writ
ten about the city of st. Petersburg.
have seen pictures of the great build
ings of that Russian capital, its cathe- I
drals, its royal palaces, its memorial
halls on its magnificent bOulevards. /
have heard my friends, who have tray
eled among the MuscOvites, describe .
its bridges and its citadels. Why should
1 then doubt st. Petersburg exists, al
though my eyes have never seen it?
l never personally saw my grandpa
ther, David Talmage. He died before
was born. But l know such a man
by that name once existed in the flesh.
The evidences of things not seen" are
conclusive. One Wednesday
evening in my Chicago church an old
man arose. He startled me with these
words: Il knew your pastors great
Thomas Talmage.
knew well your pastors grandfather,
David Talmage. l was a playmate of
your pastors late father. And when
go to his home tonight after this
service and kiss your pastors son my
eyes will have seen five generations
Of the Talmage family" l have in my
family album a picture of David Tai
mage. My aunt said it was his pic
ture, and that was his name. My ia
Their some years ago took me to David
ralmage's grave, marked with his
name upon the tombstone, and told me
al about my grandfather's Characters
les. have never seen David Tai
mage in the flesh, but on account of
he conclusive 'evidence Of things not
ieen" know he existed. s
Why Columbus Knew 1t.
Days before Christopher Columbus
anded at San Salvador he knew he ..
vas approaching land. The Genoese
idmiral and his fleet had been sailing
N, week in and week out The NUT !,
erincs of a sailors mutiny grew loud
r ana louder in the fOrecastle. At
asst a delegation waited upon their
and practically said: Go ,
umbus you are sailing away to GER
ain death. We will never find land ,
n this direction. Either you turn {,
hip and head toward home or we will
itch you overheard and go home any :
say." GIVE me just three days lon /
'er Of a western course, and then if !
1 will turn back" an
wered the great captain. Within the
hree days branches of trees were seen
oating past the boats. "There is
lndg' cried Columbus. "Men, see, a
here is land! BY yonder tree branch
8 we have the evidence of it!'
For days and weeks the old North
.merican Indians could follow their
pes by the tracks left upon the ground
y the enemy. They could tell by
nose tracks how many men, how many o
'omen, how many children, how many I
orses and how many wagons and cat c
e composed the party ahead. They /
1uld unerringly read all these facts k
Y tie "evidence Of things not SEEN" c
q the same way in which the Indian h
'arriors Of old followed their enemies C
y visible signs we may find the b
footprints of the Man of Galilee" Il
ot only in Palestine, but also in all c
tered history. We may prove by the 4
lme process that Jesus is not mere F
sion and that our gospel faith is not g
erely a poetic dream. They are far k
ore than these. Our faith is rational. a
is founded upon the conclusive "evi- "
snce Of things not SEEN" d
First, our faith is rational. Its geo c'
aphieal foundation stones are strong h,