Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1904-11-28
Calnage

BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaee, DID,.

Los Angeles. Cal. Nov. 27.-In the
great battle that is being waged be
tween intdelity 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. /.
Path is the evidence Of things not
seen
What is evidence? Testimony. proof.
demonstration 1t is a statement OF
facts made in court 10y a witness. bv
which a juror is led to believe some
thing that his eyes have not seen nor
hls ears heard. 1t is the alibi by which
a man proves that he could not have
been on the scene Of a 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 10 proye
the operation Of causes remote in time
IL is the means by which truth defends
ITSELF against the onslaught Of error
ana 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 u knowledge. If we were to be-
Heve In nothing that we have not orr
selves seen we should have to give nm
our belief in facts and events innumer-
able. 1t Is not necessary for me to
go n see London before believe that
there exists such a city as London"
once wrote a great Bible commentator
IN reference to my text. | know that
such a place as st. Petersburg exists.
although l have not seen it. Why?
l an convinced by the testimony of
those who have seen it. The "evidence
Of things not seem has proved to me
that it exists. l have read books writ
ten about the city of st. Petersburg. 1
have seen pictures Of the great build
1ngs OF that Russian capital, it's cathe-
drals, its royal palaces, its memorial
halls on its magnificent boulevards. |
have heard my friends, who have trav-
eled among the Muscovites. describe
its bridges and its citadels. Why should
/ then doubt st. Petersburg exists. al
though my eyes have never seen it?
l 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 seem are
absolutely conclusive. One Wednesday
evening in my Chicago church an old
man arose. He startled me with these
words: Il knew your pastors great
Uroudfothar ThoD,oz To1,,,u
knew well your pastors grandfather.
David Talmage. l was a playmate Of
your pastors late father. And when
l &C to his home tonight after this
service and kiss your pastors son my
eyes will nave seen five generations
of the Talmage family" have in nv
family album a picture of David Tai
mage. My aunt said it was his pic
ture, and that was his name. Ny ia
Their some years ago took me to David
Talmage's grave. marked with his
name upon the tombstone. and told me
all about my grandfather's characteris-
tics. l have never seen David Tai
mage in the flesh, but on account Of
the conclusive evidence of things not
seen" I know he existed.
Why Columbus Knew 1t.
Days before Christopher Columbus
Sianded at San Salvador he knew he
was approaching land. The Genoese
admiral and his feet had been sailing
on, week in and week out. The NUT
terings Of a sailors mutiny grew loud
er and lolNcr in the forecastle. At
last a delegation waited upon their
commando ana practically said: Co
lumbus. O are sailing away to GER
tain death. We will never find land
In this direction. Either YOU turn
ship and head toward home or we will
pitch you overheard and go home any
way" Give me just three days Ion
ger of a western course, and then if
unsuccessful 1. will turn back an
swered the great captain. Within the
three days branches of trees were seen
floating past the boats. There is
landY' cried Columbus. Men. see.
shere is land. BY yonder tree branch
es we have the evidence of it,
For days and weeks the old North
American Indians could follow their
foes by the tracks left upon the ground
by the enemy. They could tell by
those tracks how many men, how many
women, how many children. how many
horses and how many wagons and cat
tie composed the party ahead. They
could unerringly read all these facts
by the evidence of things not seem
In the same way in which the Indian
warriors Of old followed their enemies
by visible signs we may find the
footprints Of the Man of Galilee''
not only in Palestine. but also in all
sacred history. We may prove by the
same process that Jesus is not a mere
vision and that our gospel faith is not
merely a poetic dream. They are far
more than these. Our faith is rational.
1t is founded upon the conclusive ''evi-
dence OF things not seen"
First. our faith is rational. Its geo
graphical foundation stones are strong
And rr,o end well anchored nor