Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1889-08-17
A WISE GENERATION
The Rev. DR.. Talmage's Sun
day Sermon.
The Children Of This World Are
in Their Generation Wiser
Than the Children
Oh Light"

y ~ 'ANS oAAhoSN
N. Y, preached here today, taking for
his subject: "Outwitted by the World
He took for his text, st. Luke XVI, s,
''The children of this world are in their
generation wiser than the children of
light" and delivered the following dis.
course:
That is another way of saying that
Christians are not so skillful in the man
ipula.ion Of spiritual affairs as world.
lings are skillful in the management OF
temperatures. ! see all around me peo-
pie 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
common sense in matters Of religion. If
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 thr one of oppression upset, he
last iniquity tumble, and the anthem hal
was chanted over Bethlehem IN Christ.
mas 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 10 men,
Some years age, on the train going to-
ward the southwest, KS the porter of the
sleeping car was making up the berths
at the evening tide, l saw q man kneel
down TO pray. Worl lily people in he
car looked on, as much as to sly, What
does this mean?' suppose the most OF
the people in the car thought that man
was either insane or that he was a
fanatic; but he disturbed no one when
he arose. In after conversation with
him | found out that he was a member
of q church in my w city, that he was
a seafaring 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 cour-
& for God as that man had-would
bring the whole city to Christ; 1000
such men would bring this whole land to
God, 30, GOO such lner, in a short time,
would bring the whole earth into the
kingdom Of Jesus. That ne was sue
cessful in worldly affairs, | found out.
That he was skillful in spiritual affairs,
you are well persuaded. If men had
the courage, the pluck, the aIertness
the acumen, the Industry, the ommon
sense in matters Of he soul that they
have in earthly matters, this would be a
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 adaptivenes5 Is
always paramount in anJ other kind Of
structure. If bankers meet together and
they resolve upon putting mp a bank, the
bank is especially adapted TO banking
purposes; If a manufacturing company
put up a building, il is to be adapted to
manufacturing purposes; but adaptive
ness is not always the question in the
rearing of churches. In many Of our
churches we want mor light, nor room,
more ventilation, more comfort. Vast
sums Of money ere expended on
ccclesiastical structures, and men sit down
M lIltlll, dllN2 1Oh u "a u bON liz AiE1G
tue church; he says: 81 like it very well,
bat | can't hear" AS though a shaw
factory were good for everything but
making shawla. 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, oS something else, they
feel 30 uncomfortable.
-. r....l, x-o ~-. ~orn ,or,-oa :,
sense, in the rearing Of churches. Thore
is no excuse for lack Gf light when the
heavens are full Of il, no excuse for lack
of fresh air when the world swims in it,
1t ought to be an expression not only OF
our spiritual hsppinesa, but OF oul
physical comfort, whom we say; Hon
amieble are our tGbe-naclee, 20 Lord Goo
of hosts A day ia thy courts is better
thar Il thousand
Again | remark: We want more com
mon sense in the ebtaining of religious
hope. All men U2GerstanG that in order
to succeed in worldly directions they
must concentrate. They think on thai
one subject until their mind takes fire
with TIE velocity Of their own thoughts.
All their acumen, I'll their strategy, al
their wisdom, all their common sense,
they mt in that one direction and they
succeed. Bat 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 arc expect
ing 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 q sparkle OF gold I'M
I'll il bewitohed nations Tens OF hou
sands Of people left their homes. They
took their blankets and their pickaEes
and their pistols and went TO the wllts OF
California. Cities sprang up suddenly
op the Pacific coast. Merchants put
aside their elegant apparel and put on
the miners garb. All the land was I'LL
OF the talk about gold. Gold in the eyes,
gold in the ears, gold in the wake OF
ships, gold in the streets-go'd, gold,
gold. Word comes 10 us that the moun-
tain of Gods love 10 full OF bright treas
ure. that men haye been digging there.
and have brought up gold, and amethyst,
and carbuncle, and jasper, and
sardonyx, and chrysoprasus, and
ali the precious stones out
of which the walls OF heaven were
builded. Word comes TO a man who.
digging in that mine for hour, has