The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-08-20
DIR. TALMACE'S SERMON.
BY THE REV. FRANK DE WIT TALMAoE. D. a


 overthrow the Babylonian walls. or like that with which Xerxes bridged the Hellespont, or like that with which Alexander the Great conquered the Persian empire?' Oh, no, but 1t does say Who Is she that cometh forth as the morning. fair as the moon, clear as the sun?" Thus the great essential of the conquerng church of Christ to which would call your attention Is that she must be clear as the sun" That means as all the light and all the heat of the earth comes from the great orb which rises in the east. so all the teachings or tenets of beliefs or creeds of the con quering church must radiate from the Sun of Righteousness, the risen Christ Christ must be the center the circum- ference, the nadir, the zenith, the be- ginning and the ending and the all of that conquering church or there shall be no triumph ahead of her. What the rising sun Is to the natural world the Sun of Righteousness Is to the spiritual world.
 Higher Rose the Sun.
 The true conception of Jesus Christ is as necessary to the church as Is the suns radiance to the earth. Cannot you grasp 1t? Cannots you discern 1t in the beautiful panorama you witnessed many years ago, when you arose one morning very early on Mount Washington to see the sun rise in old New England? You went forth in the darkness and took your position on Sunrise point. The whole world seemed dead as you lest the hotel piazza. The servants were asleep. The night clerk or the watchman was the only person around to speak to you. The trees. tall and grim in outline seemed like gigantic highwaymen, with their black hats drawn down over their fore heads and their black cloaks thrown about their shoulders, under which they were concealing the fatal drks. of in the distance by the dim light of the stars you could see the mountains sinking low CT and still lower as stepping stones leading to gigantic throne. Slowly, al- most imperceptibly, the light of the stars dwindled and the blackness of the night was changed into dull gray. Then the tops of the eastern hills become trimmed with golden covering. The suns head lifted itself as though one of the huge rocks touched by Gods finger. had been changed into a huge living coal. Higher and higher rose the sun, as the glowing headlight of the oncoming locomotive off in the distance is seen coming out of Hoosic tunnel. Lakes become furnished mirrors of light and the mighty sea off in the distance becomes a reservoir of light, and the rivers, as part of a great network spread at your feet, become silver threads. The heavens drip with light and the earth Is flooded with it. The birds begin to sing and the cocks begin to crow. Off in the distance the farmers are seen starting for the fields and the cattle for the pasture. The sun has at last risen, and morning has light ed her many conhagrations. 'Who is she that cometh forth as the morning fair as the moon and clear as the sun?" Cannot you grasp 1t? The church. the conquering church-the church. clear in her divine beliefs clear in her conception of Jesus Christ! In order to have a con quering church we must hold fast to Christ as the the alpha and omega, the beginning and tho ending, which is and was and which is to come, the almighty and omnipotent Christ. The conquering church must be clear in reference to her belief in the atonement. What the sun rising in the east and setting in the west is to the natural world the Sun of Righteousness Is to the conquering church.
 Look and Live.
 Do not Chrlst's own words prove that the more we exalt him the more we shall conquer in his dear name? Read his promise recorded In the twelfth chap ter of John. And I. If be lifted up, will draw all men unto me" What does that mean? You find the connection between that statement and another in the third chapter of the same book, "As Moses lift ed up the serpent in the wilderness. even so must the Son of man be lifted up" Methnks I am wandering about in the Israeltish camp in the Hand of Edom." On account of the sinful dissatisfaction of the people God has sent them the plague of serpents. We can hear their hiss everywhere. The people with swords and clubs and spears are killing the ser pesits by the hundreds and the thousands, but the more they kill the more the ser pents seem to spring up. Suddenly one of the serpents buries its fangs in the naked leg of a man on the outskirts of the camp. Come" cry his companions, come and look at the brazen serpent which Moses has lifted and you shall live" But the deadly poison is doing its work. Like man benumbed by the bliz- zard's cold and determined to lie down in the snowdrfts and sleep the sleep of death Let me alone" he mutters, "let me sleep" His friends rouse him. They beat him to lSeep up circulation. But it does no good Sleep he will. Then by main force, as a drowning man is pulled out of the surf they drag him over the sand to the foot of the brazen serpent. 70 God" they cry lis 1t too late? Will he not open his eyes and look? Man, you are dyingl Look. look and livel' At last, as In a drowning stupor, he half way opens his eyes and looks. A tremor life giving tremor, shoots through his body. He has looked. and he will live. So. my friend. the church of the Lord Jesus Christ is to be conquering church when she lifts high the Cross.
 To that Cross we must lead and if necessary. even drag those who are drug ged and poisoned and stupefied by their sins. That does not mean that we should make shrine out of a sectarian creed. that does not mean that we should struggle to make Episcopalians out of Methodists or Presbyterians out of Bap- lists. but 1t does mean that we shall bring men and women. benumbed by sin. not matter how far they have wandered away from God, back to Saviour's love and a Saviours redemption Hear ye not the divine assurance, And l. if be lifted up, will draw all men unto me7" O God, give us a conquer ing church. clear as the sun. Make the light of our church shine from the low ing pardoning eyes of Christ. who has died that sinful man might live. Clear as the sun'-aye. clear as the Sun of Righteousness. which will scatter every