Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-05
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DrsrArcH.l

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DrsPArcH.i
LIVINGSTON, NJ. T., August 4.-The
Rev. T. De Witt Talmage, ID. D., of Brook
lyn, n. Y, preached here to-day, taking for
his subject: ''Outwitted by the World. "
He took for his text, ST. Luke xvi, 8, THE
children of this world are in their genera
ton wiser than the children of light, and
delivered the following discourse:
That is cnother way of saying that Chris
tians are not so skiIlful in the manipulation
of spiritual affairs as wcrldlings are skillful
in the management of temporalities. I see
all around me people who are alert, earnest,
concentrated and skillful in monetary mat
ters, who in the affairs of the soul are lag
CARDS, inane, inert.
The great want of this world is more COM
mon sense in matters of religion. If one
half of the skill and forcetulness employed
in financial affairs were employed in dis
seminating the truths of Christ, and 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 Christmas night would
and kindred and people: GLORY TO God in
the highest, and on earth peace, good will to
men,"
A COURAGEOUS CHRISTIAN.
Some years ago, on a train going toward
the Southwest, as the porter of the sleeping
car was making up the berths at the even
ing tide, 1 saw a man kneel down to pray.
Worldly people in the car looked on, as
10 hof
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 disturbed no one
when he arose. In after conversation with
him found out that he was a member of q
church in my own city, that he was a sea-
faring man, and that he was on his way to
New Orleans to take command of a vessel.
] thought then, as / think now, that ten
such men-men with such courage for God
as that man had-would bring the whole
city to Christ; thousand such men would
bring this whole land TO Christ; 10, 900 such
men, in a short time, would bring the whole
earth into the kingdom of Jesus. That he
was successful in worldly affairs, / found
out That he was skillful in spiritual affairs,
you are well persuaded. If men had the
courage, the pluck, the alertness, the acu-
men, 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.
In the first place we want more common
sense in the building and conduct of
churches. The idea of adaptiveness is
always paramount in any other kind of
structure. If bankers meet together ana
they resolve upon putting up a bank, the
bank is especially adapted to banking pur-
poses; if manufacturing company put up
building, it is to be adapted to manufac-
turing 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 ventilation, more comfort.
Vast sums of money are expended on eccle-
siastical structures and men sit down in
them, and you ask a man how he likes the
church; he says, 81 like it very well, but
can't hear" As though a shawl factory
were good for everything 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 that they must be getting
religion, or something else, they feel SO un-
comfortable.
o 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. 1t
ought to be an expression not only of our
spiritual happiness, but of our physical
comfort, when we say: "How amiable are
thy tabernacles, o Lord God of hosts! A
day in thy courts is better than a thou
sand"
Again / 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, 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 anything for
this world without concentration and en-
thusiasm, 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 ago, held
up sparkle of gold until
IT 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 sud-
denly on the Pacific coast. Merchants 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 mountain of
Gods love is full of bright treasure; that
men have been digging there, and have
brought up gold, and amethyst, and cartun-
Gle, and jasper, and sardonyx, and chryso-
prasus, and all the precious stones out of
which the walls of heaven were builded.
Word comes of a man who, digging in that
mine for one hour. has brought up treasures
worth more than all the stars that keep
vigil over our sick and dying world. Is it
bogus company that is formed? Is it un-
is true. There are thousands o. people
in this audience who would be willing
to rise and testify that they have discovered
that gold, and have it in their possession.
Notwithstanding all this, what is the cir
cumstance? One would suppose that the
announcement would send people in great ex-
citement up and down our streets, that at mid
night men would knock at your door, asking
how they may get those treasures. Instead
of that many of us put our 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, will be saved; and ii
am to be damned will be damned, and
there is nothing to do about it,, Why, my
brother, do You not do that way in business
matters? Why do you not tomorrow 20 to
your store and sit down and fold your arms
and say: "If these goods are to be sold,
they will be sold; and If they are not to be
sold, they will not be sold; there is nothing
5or me to do about it. No, you dispatch
your agents, You print your advertisements,
you adorD your show windows, you push
A. h.