The Russellville Democrat., 1889-08-15
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
Tho Brooklyn Divine Breaches ir
 the Mountains of Montana.
A Discourse Delivered at Livingston, Mont, Common Sense in Re- Igion-Rebukes to Believers
 and UnbeiIovers.

l the World" and the text
 | The children of the world are in their genera ton wiser than the children of light.-Lukt | xvi, g.
 That is another way of saying tha | Christians are not so skillful in the ma nipulation of spiritual affairs as wordlings are skillful in the management of tenn. | poralities. l see all around me people who are alert, earnest, concentrated and | skillful in monetary matters, who in the affairs of the soul are laggards, insane, | inert.
 | The great want of this world is more common sense in matters of religion. Ii one-haf of the skill and forcefulness em- | ployed in financial affairs were employed In disseminating the truths of Christ and l trying to make the world better, within | ten years the last juggernaut would fall, the last throne of oppression upset, the last iniquity tumble, and the anthem that was chanted over Bethlehem on Christ mas night would be echoed and re-echoed l from all nations and kindred and people "Glory to God in the highest, and on | earth, peace, good will to men.' | Some years ago, on train going | toward the Southwest, as the porter of the sleeping car was making up the | berths at the evening tide, saw Q man | kneel down to pray. Worldly people in | the car looked on, as much as to say: What does this mean?" I suppose the most of the people in the car thought | that man was either insane or that he was fanatic; but he disturbed no one when he knelt and he dis turbed no one when he arose. In after conversation with him found out that he was mem- Der Of church in my own city; that he was seafaring man, and that he was on his way to New Orleans to take command of vessel I thought then, as I think now ten such men-meu with such cour . age for God as that man had-would bring the whole city to Christ; thou sand such men would bring this whole land to God; ten thousand such men, in ihort time, would bring the whole earth into the kingdom of Jesus. That he was successful in worldly affairs found out. That he was skilled in spirit ual affairs you are we'll persuaded. If men had the courage the pluck, the alertness, the acumen, the industry, the common sense in matters of the soul that they have in earthly matters, this would be very different kind of world to live in.
 
 mon sense in the building and conduct of our churches. The idea of adaptiyeness is always paramount in any other kind of structure. Ii bankers meet together and resolve upon putting up bank tho bank is especially adapted to banking pur- poses; if 0 manufacturing company put up building, 1t is to be adapted to man. ufacturing purposes; but adaptiveness is not always the question in the rearing of churches. In many of our churches we want more light more room, more ven- tilatIon, more comfort. Vast sums of money are expended on ecclesiastical structures, and men sit down in them, and you ask man how he likes the church. He says:
 q like it very we'll, but canpt 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 down under the shadows of the Gothic arches and shiver, and feel they must be getting religion, or some- thing else, they feel so uncomfortable.
 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 for lack Of fresh air when the world swims in it, It ought to be an expression not only of onr spiritual happiness, but of our phys lcal comfort when we say: "How amia- Die are Thy tahernacles, o Lord God of hosts A day in Thy courts is better than a thousand"
 Again l remark: We want more com- mon sense in the obtaining of religious nope. 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, all 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 any thing for this world without concentration and enthusiasm, how many there are expect ing after awhile to get into the kingdom of God without the use of any such means. A miller in California, many years ago, held up sparkle of gold un- til 1t bewitched nations.
 Tens of thousands of people left 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 Pacific coast. Mer- chants put aside their elegant 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 wake of ships, gold in the streets-gold, gold, gold. Word comes to us that the mount. ain of Gods love is full of bright treas ures; that men have been digging there, and have brought up gold, and amethyst, and carbunele and jasper, and sardonyx, and chrysoprasus, and all the precious stones out of which the walls of Heaven were builded. Word comes of man who. digging ill that mine for one hour, has brought up treasures worth more than all Inc stars that keep vigil over our sick and dying world. Is it bogus company that is formed? Is it undeveloped territory! Oh, no; the story is true.
 There are thousands of people in this audience who would be willing to rise and testify that they have discovered that gold, and havs it in their possession. Notwithstanding all this, what is the cir- cumstance? One would suppose that the announcement would send people in great excitement up and down our streets; that at midnight men would knock tyour door, asking how they may get those treasures. Instead of that many of us put Jour hands behind our backs, 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 if l am to be damned, will be damned, and there is nothing to do about it."
 Why my brothers, do you not do that way in business mattersf Why do you not tomorrow go to your store and sit down and fold your arms and say:
 "If these goods are 10 be sold. they will be sold; and if they are not to be sold, they will not be sold; there is nothing for me to do about it.n
 No, you dispatch your agents. you print your advertisements, you adorn your sSow windows, you push those goods, you use the instrumentaiity. Oh, that men were as wise in the matter of the soul as