The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1889-08-15
MONTANA.

In MONTANA.
BrookIyn,s Divine Discourse on st.
Luke's Observation Regarding Child
rem Wise beyond Their Years.
LIVINGSTON. Mont, Avg. 1.-THE Rev. 4.
Dewitt Talmaes, p. D; o. Brooklyn, N. II.
preached herr today, taking for his subject:
.Outwitted BY the World" He took for his
tsxt ST. Luke wi. 8: s.'Ths children q this
world are in their generation wiser than the
children Of flight" and delivered the following
discourse:
That 10 another way Of saying that Chris
tians are not 80 skiiifui In the manipulation
Of spiritual affairs 40 worldlings are skillful
in the management Of ts~mporalities. / go
all around me people who are alert, earnest,
concentrated. and skillful in monetary mat
tiers who In the affairs ofthe soul ars lag
CARDS. inane, inert.
The great want Of this world 10 more rom.
nonsense in matters Of religion. II ons-half
Of the skill and forcefulness employed in 1nan-
cial affairs were employed in disseminating the
truths Of Christ and trying to
make the world better within
ten years the last juggernaut would tall, the
last throne of oppression upset, the last
iniquity tumble. and the anthem that was
chanted over Bethlehem on Christmas night
would be echoed and re-echoed from all ma
tions and kindred and people; ''Glory to
God in the highest and on earth peace, good
will to men,"
Some years ago, on q train going toward
the southwest, as the porter Of the sleeping
car was making up the berths at the even
ing tide, ! saw q man kneel down to pray
Worldly people in the car looked on, a. much
as to say: "What does this mean2" I
suppose the most Of the people in the car
thought that mon was either insane or that
he was q fanatic; but he disturbed no one
when he knelt and he disturbed no one whom
he arose. In alter conversation with him l
found out that he was o member Of q church
In my own city; that he was q seafaring
man, and that he was on his way to New
Orleans to take command Of o vessel. I
thought then, as I think now, that ten such
men-men with such courage for God as
that mon had-would bring the whole city
to Christ; 1000 such men would bring this
whole land to God; 5000 such men in a
short time would bring the whole earth into
the kingdom of Jesus. That he was success
full in worldly affairs I found out. That he
was skillful in: spiritual affairs you are well
persuaded. II men had the courage, the
pluck, the alei tness, the acumen, the indus
try, the eommon-sense in matters of the
soul that they nave in earthly matters this
would be q very different kind Of world to
live in.
In the first place we want more common
sense in the building and conduct ofchurches.
The idea Of adaptiveness is always para
bankers meet together and they resolve upon
putting up a bank, the bank is especially
adapted to banking purposes; il amanufact-
uring company puts up o building, it is to
be adapted to manufacturing purposes; but
adaptiveness is not always the question in
the rearing Of churches. In many OF
our churches VI want more light, more
sums of money are expended on ecclesiastical
structures, and men sit down in them, and il
you ask q manhOwhe likes the church hesays:
IL like it very we'll, but l can't hear" As
though a shawl factory were good for every
thing but making shawls. The voice Of the
preacher dashes against the pillars; Men sit
and SILVER, and feel they must be getting re-
ligion, or something else, they feel so un-
comfortable. ~ - 49,
Oh. my friends, we want more common
sense in the rearing of churches. There is no
excuse for lack OF light when the heavens are
full of it; no excuse Tor lack Of fresh air when
preston not only of our spiritual happiness,
but of our physical comfort, when we say:
"How amiahle are thy tabernacles, o Lord
God Of hostsl A day in thy courts is better
tim a~thousand."
Again l remark: We want more common
sense in the obtaining Of religious hope. All
men understand that in order to succeed in
worldly directions they must concentrate.
They think on that one subject until their
mind takes fire with the velocity of their own
thoughts. All their acumen, all their strategy,
all their wisdom, oil their common-sense they
put in that one direction, and they succeed.
But how seldom it is true in the matter OF
seeking after God. While no man expects to
accomplish anything for this world without
concentration and enthusiasm, how many
there are expecting after awhile to get into
the kingdom Of God without the use OF any
such means. A miller in California many
years held up a sparkle Of gold until Il
people let their homes. They took their
blankets and their ~pickaxes and their pistols
and went to the wilds of California.
Cities sprang up suddenly on the Pc
ciic coast. Merchants put aside their ele-
giant apparel and put on the miners garb.
All the land was full Of the talk about gold,
Gold in the eyes, gold in the ears, gold in the
wak 0f ahina gold In tho atroata-Onld cold
gold. Word comes to US that the noun.
tain Of Gods love il full of bright treasure,
that men have been digging there, and have
brought up gold. and amethyst, and car
bnncle, and jasper, and s%ardonyx, md chryso-
prasus, and all the precious stones out OF
which the wall of heaven were builded. Word
comes Of q man who, digging in that mine
for n hour. has brought up treasures
worth more than all the stars that keep vigil
over our sick and dying world. Is It a bogus
company that is formed? Is it undeyeloped
territory? Oh, no, NO, the story IL true.
who would be willing to rise and testify that
they had discovered that gold and have it in
their possession. Notwithstanding all this
what is the circumstance One would suppose
that the announcement would send the
people in great excitement up md down our
streets, that at midnight men would knock
at your door, asking how they might get
those treasures. Instead OF that many OF
US put one hands behind our back and walk
up and down in front of the mine Of eternal
riches and say: "Well, if / am to be saved I
will be saved; and i'll am to be damned I
will be damned. md thsre is nothing to DO
about il" Why, my brother, do you not
do that way in business matters? Why do
you not tomorrow 60 to your stora md sit
down and fold your arms and say: @"If these
goods are to be sold they win be sold and
II they are not to b. sold they will not be