The Iola register., 1889-08-16
COMMON SENSE NEEDED.
Dr. TalmaQe on the Necessity Of
Church Reforms.
Common Sense ~ Necessary in Religion
~ In Business Ansirs-It Should He
Exercised In Prayer and In All
other Religious Duties.

st. Luke xvi. 6: "The children of this
world are in their generation wiser than
the children Of light" Following is the
sermon:
That Is another way of saying that
Christians are not SO skilful in the
manipulation of spiritual affairs as world
lings are skillfui in the management OF
/ temporalities. I see all around me people
who are alert earnest concentrated and
skillful in monetary matters who in the
affairs of the soul are laggards, inane,
inert.
The great want of this world Is more
i common sense in matters of religion. II
one-half of the skill and forcefulness en-
ployed In matters of business had been
employed in trying to make the world
better, within ten years the last juggar-
naut would fall, the last throne of oppres-
sion upset, the last iniquity tumble and
| the anthem that was chanted over Beth
lehem on Christmas night would be
| echoed and re.echoed 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 a train going to-
ward the Southwest as the porter of the
sleeping car was making up the berths at
the evening tide, l saw a man kueel down
to pray. Worldly people looked on. as
much as to say: What does this mean!"
suppose the most of the people in the car
thought the man was either insane or that
he was fanatic; but he disturbed no one
when he kneit and he disturbed no one
when he arose. In after conversation
found that he was a member of a church
in my own city that he was a seafaring
man and that he was on his way to New
Orleans to take charge Of a vessel l
thought then. as l think now, that ten
such men-men with courage for God as
that man had-would bring the whole
city to Christ; a thousand such men
would bring this whole and to God; ten
thousand suca men, in a short time. would
bring the whole earth into the kingdom of
Jesus. That ne was successful in worldly
affairs found out That he was skillful
in spiritual affairs, you are already well
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. In the first place we want more COM
mon sense in the building and conduct of
churches. The idea of adaptiveness is al
ways paramount in any other kind of
structure. If bankers meet together and
they resolve upon putting up a bank, the
bank is especially adapted TO banking
purposes; If . manufacturing company
put up building, it is adapted to manu-
featuring 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 venti-
lation, more comfort Vast sums OF
money are expended on ecclesiastical
structures, and men sit down in them, and
you ask a man how he likes the church;
he says: Il like it very well, but can't
hear" As though a shawl factory were
good for every thing but making shawls.
The voice of this preacher dashes against
the pillars. Men sit down under the
shadows of the Gothic arches and shiver,
and feel they must he getting religion, or
something else, they feel uncomfortable
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 for our phys
ical comfort when we say: "How ami
able are Thy tabernacles, o Lord of hosts
A day in Thy courts is better than 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 concen-
trate. They think on that one subject un-
til their minds take 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 sell
dom, it is true in the matter of seeking
after God While no man expects to ac-
complish any thing for this world without
concentration and enthus asm, 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 a sparkle of gold until it be-
witched nations. Tens of thousands of |
people left their homes They took their |
blankets and their p;ckaxes and their |
pistols and went to the wilds of Califor. |
mia. Cities sprang up suddenly 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 |
strest-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 carbuncle, and jasper, |
and sardonyx. aud chrysoprasus, and all |
the precious stones out of which the walls |
~ Hao hns dad ,e
a man who digging in that mine for one |
more than all the stars that keep |
vigil over our sick and dying world.
Is it bogus company that is
formed? Is it undeveloped territory? Q |
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 the gold and have it in their
possession. Notwithstanding all this,
what is the circumstances? One would |
suppose that the announcement would |
send people in great excitement up and
down our streets that at midnight 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 dowr in front Of
the mine of eternal riches and say: "Well.
If am to be saved, will be saved. and il.
am to be damned will be damned, and
there is nothing 10 do aboutit" Why, my
brother. you do not do that way in business
matters! Why do you not tomorrow 60
to your store and sit down and fold your
arms and say: "H those goods are to be
sold they will be sold, and il they are not
to be sold they will not be sold; there is
nothing for me to do about it," No you
dispatch your agents, you print your ad-
you adorn your show win.