The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-08-14
THE TABERNACLE PULPIT.
Or. TALMAeE breaches IN MONTANA.
Indorsing st. Luke-The Divine Urges the
Same Degree of Common-sense in
Religious Matters That Is shown
in Business.

World" He took for his text st. Luke
xvi, s: THE children of this world are
In their generation wiser than the chill
dren of light" and delivered the following
discourse:
That is another way OF saying that
Christians are not so skillful In the ma
nipulatiOn OF spiritual affairs as worldlngs
are skillful In the management OF temper
alities. ] see all around me people who
are alert earnest, concentrated, and skill
ful in monetary matters who In the affairs
of the soul are laggards, inane, inert.
The great want of this world is more
common-sense in matters of religion. Ii
one-half of the skill and forcefulness en-
ployed in financial affairs were employed
In disseminating 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 Christma
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 toward
the southwest, as the porter OF the sleep
ing-car was making up the berths at the
evening tide, / saw a man kneel down to
pray. Worldly people in the car looked
on, as much as to say: What does this
mean ?" / suppose the most OF the people
in the car thought that man was either in
sane or that he was fanatic; but he dis
turbed no one when he knelt and he dis
turbed no one when he arose. In after
conversation with.him l found out that he
was a member of a church in my own
~ L So i
that he was on bis way to New Orleans to
take command of a vessel. | thought
then, as I think now, that ten such men
men with such courage for God as that
man had-would bring the whole city to
Christ; 1000 such men would bring this
whole land TO God; 10000 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 slzillful in spiritual affairs you
are well persuaded. If men had the cour-
sge, the pluck, the alertness, the acumen,
The industry, the common-sense In mat
tiers 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
nonsense in the building and conduct of
churches. The idea OF Sdaptiveness is al
ways paramount in any other kind of
structure. If bankers meet together and
they resolve upon putting up bank, the
bank is especially adapted to banking pur-
poses; if a manufacture ~ company puts
up building, it is to be 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 ventila-
-,
are expended on ecclesiastical structures,
and men sit down in them, and If you ask
a man how he likes the church he saws:
Il like it very well, but l 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 they
must be getting religion, or something
else, thev 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.
1t ought TO be an expression not only of
our spiritual happiness. but OF our phys
ical comfort, when we say: How anna
bic are thy tabernacles, o Lord God of
hosts! A day in thy courts is better than
thousand"
Again remark, we want more COM
nonsense 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 sub
iect until their mind takes fire with the
velocity of their own thoughts. All their
scumen, all their strategy. all their wis
dom, 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 enthusiasm,
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 wears ago held
up sparkle OF gold until it bewitched ma
tons. Tens of thousands of people left
their homes They took their blankets
and their pick-axes and their pistols and
went 10 the wilds of California 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 streets-gold, gold,
gold. Word comes to US that the noun
tain 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, and
chrysoprasus, and all the precious stones
out OF which the walls of heaven were
builded. Word comes of a man who, dig
ging 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 undeveloped territory ?
oh, no, the story is true. There are thou
sands of people in this audience who
would be willing to rise and testify that
they had discovered that gold and have il
IN their possession. Notwithstanding all
this, what is the circumstance? One
would send the people in great excitement
up and down our streets, that at midnight
men would knock at your door, asking
how they might get those treasures. In
stead Of that many of us put our 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 | will be
saved; and if am to be damned l will be
damned, and there is nothing to do about
It." Why, my brother, do you not do that
way In business matters2 Why do you
not tomorrow go to your store and sit
down and fold your arms and say: Ell
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." No, you dispatch your
agents, you print your advertisements,