West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1889-08-15


want thcm. Oh that In this matter OF accu-
sn'5 we arc as wise In the matters Of tho
Sonl as we arc ip Tho matters of tho world
How little com. Ion sense I'm the reading, Of
tho Scr1pturesl We get any othor hook AMI
wo open u and we say: snow, what docs this
BOOK mean 70 teach mei II is a book on as-
tronomy; &c win teach mo astronomy. it e
book ON. political economy; &c will
t 6S apo me .,,n, political ec9nomy1 Taking
one thing; get the world converted and ret
us all to heaven. That is what Il proposes To
do. But instead OF that we 20 into tho
Bible as botanists to pick flowers, or wo go az
Christians with, or we go as logicians trying
TO sharpen our mental faculties for a better
p,rgnl n Mt and we do net like this about the
DloiS ana we do not Ike that and we do
not like tho other thing. What would you
think of a man lost on the mountainsS Night
hos como down; he cannot find his
way homo and he sees light in q mountain
cabin; he goes 10 IT, he knocks at tho door;
the inountaineer comes out and finds tho
traveller and says: "Well hero have a lam
tern; you can tako II and it will guide you
on the way home;" and suppose that man
should say: 81 don't like that lantern, ] don't
Ike the handle OF It, there arc ten or fifteen
things about it don't Ike; IL you can't give
mo a better lantern than that won't have
any,
Now, God says this Bible Is 10 be a lamp TO
our feet and n lantern 10 our path to guido
us through the midnight of this world 10 tho
gates Of the celestial city We take hold OF
1t in sharp criticism. and deprecato this and
deprecate that. Oh, how much wiser wa
would be il by its holy light we found our
way 10 our everlasting hornol
Then wo do not read tho Bible as we read
other books. Wcread it perhaps four or five
minutes just before we retire at night We
are weary and sleepy, so somnolent we hardly
know which end of the book is up We drop
our eye, perhaps ON the story OF Sampson
and the foxes, or upon some genealogical table
religious emotion than tho announcement
that somebody begat somebody else
and he begat somebody else, instead
OF opening tho book and saying: Snow l
must read for my immortal life. My eternal
destiny is involved in this book"
How httlo we uso common sense In
prayorl Wo say: ''Oh, Lord, give mo
this" and "Oh Lord give me that" and
"Oh, Lord, give mo something else" and wo
do not expect to get 10, or getting it,
we do not know we have It, We have
no anxiety about IL. We do not watch
aud wait for its coming.
AS a merchant you telegraph or Won write
TO some other city for n bill of goods. You
say: "Sond me by such express or by such a
steamer, or by such rail train" The day ar
slves. gu send your wagon to tho depot or
20 the wharf. The goods do not come. You
Immediately telegraph: ''What is the matter
with those goodsY We haven't received them.
Send them right away. We want them now,
or We don't want them ut ALP And you keep
writing and you keep telegraphing and YOU
keep sending your wagon to tho depot, or to
the express office, on TO the wharf, until you
get the goods.
In matters of religion we are not so wise
as that; we ask certain things 10 be sent
from heaven We do not know whether
they come or not. We have not any special
anxiety rs to whether they come or not
We may got them and may not got them.
instead of at o'clock in the morning
ut IL o'clock MONDAY, asking: "Hsvo
/ got that blessing p at z O'Clock i'm
tho evening sayings 9"Have 1 received that
biessingr' and not getting it pleading,
p plead begging-asking, asking
that common sensel II we ask q thing from
God, who has sworn by His eternal throne
that he will do that which we ask, is it not
common sense that we should watch and
wait until we get it,
But remark again: We want more COM
mon sense in doing good. How many people
there are who want to do good and yet arc
dead failuresl Why is itY They do not ex-
ercise the Same tact, the same ingenuity, tho
Same stratagem, the same common sense In
the work of Christ that they do in worldly
things. Otherwise they would succeed in
TINS direction as well as they succeed
who Lhave an arrogant way with
them, although they may not feel arrogant.
Or they have a patronizing way They talk
TO man OF tho world in a manner which
seems 10 say: Don't you wish you were as
good as ami Why, have TO look clear
down before can see you, you are so far
beneath me-" That manner always dis
gusts, always drives mon away from tho
bringing them I'm When was q.
lad was ono day in n village store, and
there was large group OF young men there
full OF rolliching and fun, and Christian
man carne in, and without any introduction
OF the subject, and while there were in great
hilarity, said to one OF them: "George. what
is the first step Of wisdomf' George looked
up and said: Every man TO mind his own
business" We'll, it was a very rough answer
but it was provoked. Religion had been
hurled in there as though It were a bomb
she'll. We must be adToit in the pycsenta-
ton OF religion to the world.
do you suppose that Mary in her CONVEX
sation with Christ lost her Simplicity or
mat P9ul laundering from Mars Hill, took
the pulpit tone? Why is it people cannot
talk es naturally in prayer meeting and on
fenglous subjects as they do in worldly
clrciesr For no one over succeeds in any
kind OF Christian work unless no works
naturally. We want 10 initiate tho lord
Jesus Christ, who plucllod poem from Trio
grass Of the field. We oil want to
initiate Him who talked with
farmers about the man who Went
forth 20 SOW, and talked with tho fisher
men about the drawn net that BROUGHT in
tsh OF oil sorts, and talked with tho vino
dresser about the idler in tho vineyard. apd
talked with those newly afilanced about tho
marriage supper, and talked with tho man
craIpped in money matters about tho two
debtors, and talked with tho woman abo,,t
the yeast that leavened tho whole lump. md
talked with tho shepherd about the lost sheen
Oh, VIC might gather even the stars OF tic
SKY and twist them like forget-mc-nots IN tho
garland Of Jesus. We must bring everything
70 Him the wealth Of language, tho tender
ness Of sentiment, tho decacy Of morninr,
dew, the saffron ~ floating cloud the TANGLED
Hurt OF the tossing sea. Che bursting thunder
guns OF tho storms bombardment Yes
every star must point down 90 Him. every
heiouope must breathe His praise over
crop IN the summer shower must fash Hfs
glory, oil tho tToe branches of tho forest
must thrum their music i'm the grand march
winch shall celebrate wordredeemed.
Now, al this being 50 what IL tho common
Bcnse thing for you and for mo to do? What
we do think viii depend upon three great
facts. Tho first fact that sin hns ruined as.
~ hos blasted body, mind and soul.
Wo want no Bible % prove that wo nro
siuuors ANY man who is not willing
to acknowledge himss2 an imperfect
aud a sinful being rs nmply n fool and not 90