Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-08-05
COMMON SENSE FAITH.


Continued from fuSt Rage.
into the Bible as botanists to pick flowers,
or We 90 SIS pugilists to get something to
fight other Christians With, OF ne 90 SIS To-
gieiaEs trying TO sharpen or mental fac
nlnss for better argument, and We do not
like this about the Bible, and we do not
like that, and We DO not like the other
thing What would you think of man
lest on the mountains?
NIGHT HAS COME DOWN;
be cannot lind his way home agd he secs q
light in mountain cabin; he goes 10 it, he
knocks at the door; the mcuntaineer comes
Ou5 and finds tho traveller and says:
well, mere I have o lantern; you can
take it and it will guide you On the way
home;' and suppose that man should
say; II don't like tbat lantern, l don't
like the handle OF it, there are ten or fir
teen things about it l don't like; if you
can't give me better lantern than that l
won't have any"
Nov, God says this Bible ID &c be lamp
to our fee. and lantern to our path, TO
guide US through the midnight OF this
world 20 The gates of the csie3tial city. We
take hold Of 1t in sharp criticism, sHd dep
rscete this, and deprscate that. Oh, how
much wiser we would be If by it's holy
light We found our way 80 onr everlasting
h0mel
Then we do net read the Bible as We
read other books We read it perhaps four
or Eve minlte5 Just before We retire a;
night. We are weary and SLEEPY, so SOM
nolent We hardly know which end Of the
book is up. We drop our eye perhaps on
the story of Samson and the foxes, OF upon
some genealogical table, important in its
place, but stirring no more religious enc
tiOn than the announcement that sOme-
body bsgat somebody else and he begat
somebody elte, instead Of opening the
hook and saying: Now l must read for
my immortal life. Ny eternal destiny is
involved in this book,
How little we use common sense In
prayer. We say: "Oh, Lord, give me
this" and ''Oh, Lord, give me that, and
'Oh, Lord, give me something else, and
We do not expect to get it, OF getting it,
we DO not know we have It. We have no
anxiety about 1t. We do Bot watch and
wait tor its coming
As q merchant, you telegraph or you
write 70 some other city for bill OF
goods. You say: Send me by such ex-
press, or by such a steamer, Or BIZ such
rail train. n The day arrive You send
your wagon TO the depot or 10 the wharf
The goods do not come. You immediate
ly telegraph: 'What is the matter with
these goods? We haven't received them.
Send them right away. We want them
now, Or we don't want them at all.
Aud you keep writing and you keep tele-
graphing, and you keep SEEDING your
wagon TO the depot, or 20 the express Of
fee, or to the wharf, until you yet the
goods.
IN MATTERS CT RELIGION
we are not 20 wise as that. We ssk Ger
tain thiags to he sent from heaven. We
DO not know whether they come or net.
We have not any special anxiety aa 70
whether they come OF not. We msy get
them ard may no. get them. Instead OF
ut Z O'Clock 30 ;he morning sayirg: Have
I got that hlessing?' az y O'Clock noon
day, sskiny: Have 1 got that blessing"
a., O'Clock IN the evening saying: Have
I received that blessing" and not getting
it, pleading, pleading 6oggiag. begging
asking, asking until You get. NOS. my
brethren, Ia not that c0nmO1 sense? II
ge ask q thing from God, who has sworn
by His eieTGai throne thet He @ll do
bat which ws ask, Is u Eot common sense
that we should watch and wal. until We
get Il?
But i remark eeain: We van. more CON-
mon sense IN dong good Hos macy
people there are who waut &c 90 good and
sci si. d.ad failures Why Is IL? They
| 10 not exercise tlg same tact, the same M
e1uity. the sene stIa.agem, the same
common sense ia tbe work of Christ that
they 90 in worldly things. Othsrzise
they would succeed in this direction as
vel 4s thsy succeed in the other Tlere
are many men wtO have au arrogant way
with ihem, although they may rot feel or
roaant Or they nave o p3tr0niziog way.
They talk TO q mar Of the world in a maE-
usr which seems To say: 'Doa't you wish
Won were az good % I am? Why, / have
10 look clear dorn before 4 can eee yen,
YOU arc So iar oeueslG me-" Tnat man-
uer always disgusi5. always drives men
awag hOm The kisgdom of Jesus Chri5t IL
stead of bringing them in. When I vac
lad I was one day in a village store, and
there was p large group of young men
there full Of rollickiug and iun, and
Christian man came in, and without any
Introduction Of the subject, and while they
we're in great hilaTity, said 10 one of them:
George. what is the frs step of wisdomf'
George looked NO and said Every man
to mind his own business" Well il was
a rough answer, ont it was Provoked
Religion bad been hurled in there az
though IL we're bombshel. We must he
sdroit in the presentation CT religion TO the
world.
NATURAL Is PRAYER.
Do you suppose that Mary in her coz
verFati0a with Christ lost her simplicity {?
or that Paul laundering from Mars Hill,
took the pulpit tone? Why is it people
cannot talk as naturally in prayer meeting
and on Religious subjects ss they DO in
worldly circles For no one ever succeeds
ia any kind OF Christian work unless he
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