The Brookhaven leader., 1889-08-15
SENSE In RELIGION.
DISCOURSE by Rev. T. Dewitt Tai
mage at Livingston, Mont.
a.. about worldly Matters and Indifrer-
snce in Regard to Those of Spirit
nal nature Compared-Believers
and UnbeIIevers Rebuked.

pev T. Dewitt TaImage in the course
.tbis Northwestern trip paid visit to
T;vincston, Mont, and while there de-
Erered the following sermon, the subject
ns wbich was "Outwitted by the World"
His text was:
Tho children Of the world are in their genera
zion wiser than the children OF light.-Lu Ike
xVi.S
That Is another way of saying that
Christians are not so skillful in tho ma
ninnlation of spiritual affairs as workings
are skillful in the management Of tenn
poralities. | see all around me people
who are alert, earnest concentrated and
skillful in monetary matters, who in the
affairs Of the soul are laggards, insane,
inert.
The great want Of this world is more
common sense in matters of religion. If
one.half of the skill az forcefulness en-
poyed in financial affairs were employed
in disseminating the truths of Christ and
irving to make the world better, within
ten years the last juggernaut would fall,
the last throne of oppression upset, the
last iniquty tumble and the anthem that
was chanted over Bethlehem on Christ
mas 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 traip going
toward the Southwest, as the porter of
the sleeping car was making up the
berths at the evening tide, saw man
kneel down to pray. Worldly people in
the car looked on, as much as to say:
"What does this mean" l suppose the
most Of the people in the car thought
that man was either insane or that he
was fanatic; but he disturbed no one
when lie knelt, and he disturbed no one
when he arose. In after conversation
with him found out that he was q men,
ber Of a church in my own city; that he
was a seafaring man, and that he was on
bis way to New Orleans to take command
Of vessel l thought then, as think
now, ten such men-men with such cour-
age for God as that man had-would
bring the whole city to Christ; q thou
sand such men would bring this whole
land to God; ten thousand such men, in
short time, would bring the whole
earth into the kingdom of Jesus. That
he was successful in worldly affairs l
found out. That he was skilled in spirit
val affairs you are well persuaded. If
men had the courage, the pluck, the
aertness, 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
our churches. The idea of adaptiveness is
always paramount in any other kind of
structure. Ii bankers meet together and
resolve upon putting up bank. the bank
is especially adapted to banking pur-
poses; if manufacturing company put
up building, it is to be adapted to man.
ufacturlnS 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 ven-
ulatlOn, more comfort. Vast sums of
money are expended on ecclesiastical
structures, and men sit down in them,
andyou ask man how he likes the church.
He says:
Il like it very we'll, but cant't hear"
AS though shawl factory were good
Tor every thing but making shawls. The
voice of the preacher dashes against the
pillars. Men sit down under the shadows
o. the Gothic arches and shiver, and feel
they must be getting religion, or some-
hing else they feel so uncomfortable,
Oh, my friends, we want more common
sense in the rearing of churches. There
sno 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.
II ought to be an expression not only of
our spiritual happiness, but of our phys
ical comfort when we say: "How amia-
Die are Thy tabernacles, o Lord God of
noStS! A day in Thy courts is better
than thousand"
Again l remark: We want more COM
mon sense in the obtaining of .ligious
nope. All men understand that in order
" succeed in worldly directions they
must concentrate. They think on that
oae subject until their mind takes fire
"iIn .n the velocity of their own thoughts.
All their acumen, all their strategy, all
rcH wisdom, all their common sense,
Aey put in that one direction and they
succeed. But how seldom it is true in
sue matter OF seeking after God. While
s ~ ulan expects to accomplish any thing
% tOl lhls world without concentration and
s;u'uuslasm, how many there are expect
,sS oiter awhile to get into the kingdom
" uod without the use of any such
% rneans' A miller in California, many
,T teatS ago, held up a sparkle of gold un-
VI III 1t Dewltched nations.
lens or thousands of people left their
nOneS' ,H They took their blankets and
10 L plckaxes and their pistols and went
W, ~ We Wllds OF California. Cities sprang
- suddenly on the Pacific coast. Mer-
sna Su'S put aside their elegant apparel
wa nu put on the miners garb. All the land
s a' iuIl or the talk about gold. Gold in
Os s0 eyeS' gold in the ears, gold in the wake
co,s ~ ,snips, gold in the streets-gold, gold,
s; s1iu' word comes to us that the mount.
n-u VI God's love is full of bright treas
aa meS, That men have been digging there,
snd nave brought up gold, and amethyst,
anS anu SSoarouncle, and jasper. and sardouyx,
So onrysoprasus, and all the precious
.Oios ~o out of which the walls OF Heaven
Sna, eae oullded. Word comes of a man who,
hss'Ig IN that mine for one hour, has
~ nousnt up treasures worth more than all
Sr,I o'ars that keep vigil over our sick a nd
i itns world. Is it bogus company that
0h otmed! Is it undeveloped territory?
~ no; the story is true.
sra; are thousands of people in this
snS euee who would be willing to rise
tbs, 'estlfy that they have discovered
NotnS;.io, SCio, and have it in their possession.
cnhStapding cnm"t all this, what is the cir
aance! annnu! One would suppose that the
pruncement prsa. would send people in
strsO. excitement up and down our
knool that at midnight men would
Pat "a al your door, asking how they may
mar. muse treasures. Instead of that,
baots OF us put ,our hands behind our
the :. ana walk up and down in front of
SVaW WINE OF eternal riches, and say: