Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-09-04

BROOKLYN, Sept. a--Rev. i. De Wit
Talma,se IN selecting topic for today ohosi
one Of practical value to all classes--viL
'.week day Religion" The text is frou
Proverbs 81. 8. I'm all thy ways aeknowl
edge him.
There has been tendency in all lands
and ages TO set apart certain days, places
and occasions for especial religious service.
and to think that they formed the realm In
which religion was chiefly TO act. Now,
while holy days and holy places have their
use, they can never b. n substitute for con-
tinuous exercise Of faith aud prayer.
In other words, u man cannot be 10 good a
Christian on Sabbath that be can afford to
be a wording all the week. II a steamer
start for Southampton and sail one day In
that direction and the other six days sail
IN other directions. how long before the
steamer will get 10 Southampton Just as
soon as a man will get to heaven who sails
on the Sabbath day toward that which Is
good, and tie other SIX days Of the week
sails toward the world. the flesh and the
devil. You cannot cat so much NJ the Sab.
bath banquet that you can afford religious
abstinence all the rest Of the week.
Genuine religion Is not spdsmodlc, does
not 20 by fits and starts, Is not an attack
OF 'chills and fever-now cold until your
teeth chatter. now hot until your bones
ache. Genuine religion marches on stead.
fly, up steep hills and along dangerous de-
ohyities, It's eye ever on the everlasting
hillsorowned with the castles oft blessed
prorcsc. so Tar as God may help me, N
sbow you how we may bring our religion
into ordinary life and practice IL in COM
mon things-ycsterday, today, tomorrow.
RELIGION IN coaMoa TnraGs
And, in the first place, remark, We
ought to bring religion into our ordinary
conversation. A dam breaks and two or
three Villages are submerged; South
American earthquake swallows a city, and
people begin TO talk about the uncertainty
Of human life, and IN that conVersntion
think they are engaging in religious serv-
fee, whel there niny be no religion At all. /
have noticed that in proportion as Christian
experiences Is shallow men talk about funer-
ais and deathbeda and hearses and tomb
stones and epitaphs
IfamAn have the religion Of the gospel
In its full power in his soul, he will talk
chiefly about this world aud the eternil
world and very little comparatively about
the insignificant psss between this and
that Yet how seldom 1t Is that the reli-
AA1h " NAhtAN - n NNAAhAAN AAAAAAAHN ~ a
man full Of the gospel OF Christ goes into o
religious circle and begins 70 talk about
sacred things, all the conversation Is hushcd
and things become exceeding awkward.
As on summer day, the forests full OF
song and chirp and carol, mighty chorus Of
bird harmonies, every branch AN orchestrn,
81 hawk appears in the sky. all the voices
nre hushed. So / have sometimes seen
social circle that protested TO be Christian
silenosd by the appearance OF the great
theme OF God and religion,
Now, my friends II we have the religion
Of Christ IN our soul. We will talk about It
In All exhilernnt mood. 1t Is more refresh
ing than the waters, Il 10 brighter than the
sunshine II gives man Joy herr and pre-.
parcs him for everlasting happiness before
the throne OF God. And yet, II the theme
Of religion 10 introduced into circle, ey.
err thing Is sllcnecd-silenced unless per-
haps ~ Bged Christian man in the corner
OF the room. feeling that something ought
to be said, puts one foot over the other and
sighs heavily ard Gays "Oh, yes .thRtis solr
Ny friends, the religion Of Jesus Christ
is not something TO be Rroaned about, but
something to talk about and sing about,
your face irrudiAted The trouble Ia that
men protesting tho saith OF the gospel Are
often 30 Inconsistent that thoy ore afraid
their conversation will not harnoniHe with
their life. We cannot talk tho gospel uu-
less We live the gospel. You will often
ind man whose cntire lie Is full OF in
ronsisteneieH filling his conversation with
such expressions AZ I'VE are miserable sin
nsrs, "the Lord help tn,' Sthe Lord bless
Son,' interlArding their conversation with
such phrases, which are mere cantlnr, and
ranting is the worst kind Of hypocrisy.
II u man have the grace OF God In his
heart dominant, he can talk religion, aud il
will seem natural, and men Instead OF bc-
ing ropulsed by Ii will attracted by IL 10
yon no, know that when two Christian peo.
ple tall a. they ought about the thinas az
Christ and heaven God gives special atten.
tlon, and he writes it all down. Malachi
Ill, 10, Then they that feared the Lord
talked one TO the other, and the lord
hearkenod and heard, and book OF rcmcm
branee was written"
But, remark again. we ought 10 bring
the religion OF Jesus Christ into our ordi.
nary employments. "oh, you say. that's
very good theory for man who manages
a large business, who las great traffic. who
holds great estate. IL Is grand thing for
bankers and for shippers, bat in my thrVad
aud needle store, ia my trimming establish.
ment, In my insignificant work OF life. Won
cannot apply those grand gospel princi
plea Who told you THAR Do YOU not
know that faded leaf on a brooks sur
face attracts Gods attention AS certainly
M the path OF blazing sun. and that
tho moss that creeps up the side Of the ruck
attracts Gods attention as certainly as tho
waving tops Of Oregon Pine aud Lebanon
cedar, and that the cracking Of an alder
under cows hoof sounds as loudly IN
Gods ear as the snap Of world s connaary,.
ton, and that the most insignificant ching
In your life Is OF enough import Ance 70 al.
tract the attention OF the Lord God All.
mighty
Ny brother, you chunot be called TO do
snythlng 40 insignificant but God will hclp
you In A. II you are fisherman, Christ
VIII stand by you as ho did by Simon when
ne dragged GennesSIet, Are you drawer
OF wAters He Will DO with you at the well
curb when talking with the Samaritan
woman. Are you u custom house oiiicerf
Christ VIII call you AZ he did Matthew at
thc receipt OF custom. The man who has
only days wages IN his pocket az certain
~ needs religion as he who rattleA the KEYS
OF bank aud could ahseond with hun,
drrd thousand hard dollars. And vet there
err men who profess the religion Of jesus
Christ who do not bring the religion OF the
gospel into thoir ordinary occupations and
smployments.
There erc IN the churches Of this tlay men
Eho seem very dsyout on the sabbath who
Afc far from, that during the week, A
country merchant arrives IN this city. and
he HOea into store to buy goods Of n mar