Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1906-05-26
Caln,ase
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaee, d. D.

Los Angeles. Cal. May 20 That the
divine power fer life and service con
fcrrcd OH the disciples AT PcntccoSt IL
still accessible to present day Chris
tians and will be conferred on those
who fnlill It's conditions is the contcn-
ton of the preacher In this sermon on
the text Luke xiv. 10 Until yc he
cnduc1 with power from OH high"
While was bordering on this text
like a flash this sentence rose to my
lips: How many men and women
there are who have all the mighty ele-
mcnts for gospel power except The one
fact that thcy are not developed! What
service they might render as gospel
cvangclists il they would only follow
the headings of Jesus Christ ana plead
with him ihat they might be baptized
with the power Of the Holy Ghost"
These men and women are like the dis
ciplrs of Jesus Christ before the day
OF Pcntcco3t They believe In Jesus
In one SENSE they have been followers
Of Christ but in another sense they
have not had their souls fired with the
living Goals from off his affairs. These
men and women are In exactly the
same position as was Dwight l.. Moo
dy during I'll" first years of his minis
try in the city of Chicago.
Let me show you what that condi
ton was by reading H. l.. Moody's rx-
Icrencc in his own words: When |
was preaching IN Farwcll hall in chi
caro-. | never worked harder to pre-
pare my sermons than did then.
preached and preached. hut 1t was
beating against the air \ good wom-
an said TO me. MIR. Moody. you don't
seem TO have power In your preaching
My desire was that | might have
fresh amounting requested this wO-
man ami u few others 10 come and
pray with me every Friday afternoon
ut 4 O'Clock Oh, how pi,cously
prayed that God might MI the empty
vessel, After the fire In Chicago | was
In New York city. and. going into a
bank on Wall street. ii seemed as II I
felt 4 strange and mighty power com
ing over me ! went up 10 the hotel.
and there In my room | wcpt before
Cod and cried. % my God. stay thy
hand" He gave me such fullness that
II seemed more than could contain.
May God forgive me IL | speak In
bOaStful way but do not know that
| have preached sermon since but
God has given me some soul. Oh. |
would not hc back where was four
years ago for all the wealth Of this
world Ii you would roll 1t ~ my feet
would kick Il away like football.
| seem Il wonder To- some Of you. but
am n greater wonder "a myself than
TO any one elise. These are the very
same sermons preached in Chicago
word for word II Is not new sermons.
hut the power of God. 1t is not new
gospel. hut the old gospel with the
Holy Ghost Of power" This Is the ties
timony of the greatest winner of souls
In the evangelistic field OF the last cen
tury.
Brethren. we desire this higher pow
er. As ministers We want II. Some OF
us, like Mr. Moody have spent the
last ounce Of energy in the preparation
Of sermons. but, like him. 1--WE have
Sunday school teachers as members
of the churches. we all want this high
ar power How can we get IT, higher
power Of the gospel: know of no
better way to learn how 20 get II than
to study the events of the days proceed
ing the first Christian PcntecoSt. when
the disciples. according 10 the com
mand of Jesus Christ. tarricd In Jeru.
salem until they were "cnducd with
power from on high" O God. give To
us the higher power of gospel life rs
thou ddst give that power to thy dis
ciplcs of old and art willing To give II
To thy disciples Of the present day.
Believed In Christ's Power.
These disciples. In the first place. he
lievcd In supernatural Saviour. They
believed that he had power over hui
man souls lust rs n matchmaker Is
greater than his own watch ana can
make watch ana then take It apart
ana put II together again. 50 they he
lieved that Christ. who created the
world and created life. could take that
life away from human body and
then put that life back again into the
same human body. They saw him
raise Lazarus from the tomb. They
believed that Just rs shiphullder
could knock ont rotten plank from
the hull Of the boat he had once built
and put II new plank in us place. so