The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-09-20
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINE'S SUM-
DAY SERMON.
Subject: "Weck Day Religion.

Proverbs i'll, 6.
I There has been tendency in all lands and
lages to set apart certain days. places and oc-
icasions for especial religious service. and to
think that they formedtho realm in which re-
hg1on was chiefly to act. Now. while molly
days and holy places have their use. they can
never be a substitute for continuous exercise
of faith and prayer.
In other words, man cannot be so good
Christian on Sabbath that he can afford to be
q wording all the week. II steamer start
for Southampton and sail one day in that dl-
rection and the other six days sall IN othet
directions. how long before the steamer Will
eet to Southampton? Just as soon as the
man will get to heaven who sails on the sap
bath day towardthat which is good, and the
other six days of the week sails toward the
world the flesh and the dcvil. You cannot
eat 40 much at the Sabbath banquet that you
can afford religious abstinence all the rest OF
the week.
{ Genuine religion Is not spasnodic, does
NOT 90 by fits and starts, is not an attack OF
cbiIls and fever--now cold until your teeth
chatter. now hot until your bones acne.
Genuine religion marches on steadily up
steep hills and along dangerous decliYities,
fits eve ever on the everlasting NILS cro"neu
with the castles OF the blessed.
Ipropose, 50 far as God may help me. 10
show YOU how we may bring our religion In
TO ordinary life and practice it in common
things-ytsterday to-day, tomorrow.
And. in the first place. remark, we ought
TO bring religion into our ordinary converse
tion. A dam breaks. and two or three vii
lages are submerged, South American
earthquake swallows city, and people De-
gin to talk about the uncertainty OF human
life, and in that conversation think they are
engaging in religious service when there
may he no religion at all. I have noticed
that In proportion as Christian experience Is
shallow men talk about funerals and death
beds and hearses and tombstones and cpl
taphs.
J. Ifa man have the religion Of the gospel in
dts full power in his soul, he will talk chiefly
about this world and the eternal world and
VERY little comparatively about the inslgnn-
cant pass between this and that. Yet now
seldom it is that the religion OF Christ IS a
welcome theme! If a man full OF the gospel
of Christ goes into religious circle and De-
gins to talk about sacred things, all the con-
Versation is hushed, and things become eS-
eeedingly awkward. AS on summer oay'
the forest full of song and chirp and carol,
mighty chorus of bird harmonies, every
branch an orchestra, if q hawk appears in
the sky, all the voices are hushed, so have
sometimes seen social circle that professed
to be Christian silenced by the appearance OF
the great theme of God and religion
Now, my friends, If we have the religion or
Christ in our soul, we will talk about 1t IL
an exhilarant mood. 1t Is more refreshing
than the waters, it is brighter than the sun
shine, it gives man JOY here and prepares
him for everlasting happiness before the
throne of God. And yet, if the theme OF
religion be introduced into circle, every
thing is issilenced-silenced unless perhaps an
aged Christian man in the corner OF the
room, feeling that something ought to De
said. puts one foot over the other and signs
heavily and says, ION, yes that's So.
/ NV friends. the religion OF Jesus Christ is
not something to be groaned about. but
something to talk about and sing about, your
face irradiated. The trouble IS that men pro-
Tossing the faith of the gospel are often SC
inconsistent that they are afraid their con-
yersation will not harmonize with their life.
We cannot talk the gospel unless We live the
gospel. You will often find q man whose en-
tire life is full OF Inconsistencies filling his
conversation with such expressions as, I'VE
are miserable sinners" 1.-THE Lord help US, "
I1Tbe Lord bless YOU" interlarding their
conyersation with such phrases, which are
mere canting, and canting is the worst kind
of hypocrisy.
TIA man have the grace Of God in his heart
dominant, he can talk religion, and 1t will
pulsed by it, will be attracted by it. Do you
not know that when two Christian people
talk as they ought about the things OF Christ
and heaven God gives special attention, and
he writes it all down. Malachi ill, It,,
,ssThen they that feared the Lord talked ons
ito the other, and the Lord hearkened and
heard, and book OF remembrance was writ
ten"
: But remark again, We ought to bring the
religion of Jesus Christ into our ordinary
Iemployments. "Oh," you say, THAT'S very
good theory for a man who manages large
business, who has great traffic, who holds
great estate-it is q grand thing for bankers
and for shippers-but in my thread and nee
die store, in my trimming establishment, IN
my insignificant work OF life. you cannot
apply those grand gosple principles Who
told you that2 Do you not know that O
faded leaf on brooks surface attracts God
attention as certainly es the path OF blaz-
ing sun, and that the moss that creeps upthe
side of the rock attracts Gods attention rs
certainly as the waving tops or Oregon pine
and Lebanon cedar, and that the cracking
of an alder under q cows hoof sounds a5
loudly in Gods ear as the snap OF worlds
confederation, and that the most Insignia
cant thing in your life is Of enough impor-
tance to attract the attention OF the Lord
God Almighty?
, NV brother, YOU cannot be called to do any.
thing so insignificant but God will help you
lin it. If you are o fisherman, Christ viii
stand by you as He did by Simon when he
dragged Gennesaret. Are you drawer o.
water? He will be with you as at the vel
curb when talking with the Samaritan
woman. Are you custom house officer
Christ will call you as He did Matthew at the
receipt of custom. The man who has only q
lday's wages in his pocket as certainly needs
religion as he who rattles the keys OF bank
and could abscond with hundred thousand
hard dollars. And yet there are men who
profess the religion OF Jesus Christ who dc
not bring the religion Of the gospel into
their ordinary occupations and employ
jments.
There are in the churches of this day mer
who seem very devout on the Sabbath who
ARE for from that during the week. Acoua
TRY merchant arrives in this city, and he Soe:
into the store to buy goods OF man who
tprofesses religion, but has no grace in nj:
fheart. The country merchant is swindled
HE is too exhausted to 60 home that week
Ihe tarries in town. On Sabbath he goes tt
some church for consolation, and what is bis
lamazement to find that the man who carrie:
around the poor box is the very one who
,swindled him. But never mind. The deacoI
has his black coat on now and looks solemn
land goes home talking about that blessed
sermon! Christians on Sunday. WorldingE
Iduring the week.
l. That man does not realize that God know
levsry dishonest dollar he has in his pocket
that God is looking right through the irol
wall of his money safe, and that the day o
Judgment is coming, and that las the par
fridge sitteth on eggs and hatcheth them not
80 he that getteth riches and not by righ
shall leave them in the midst OF his days, AM
at his end shall be fool" But how man
there are who do not bring the religion 0
Christ into their everyday occupation. The.
think religion is for Sundays.