Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1896-12-25
THE REAL RELIGION.
REV. DR.. TALMAGE LAYS STRESS UPON
GOOD WORKS.

peNuhl
WASHINGTON, Dec. 2O.-This subject
Of DR.. Talmage cuts through the con-
ventionalities and spares nothing Of that
make believe religion which is all talk
and no practice The text chosen was
James ii, 20, Faith without works is
dead. "
The Roman Catholic church has been
charged with putting too much stress
upon good works and not enough upon
faith. / charge Professionalism with pat
ting not enough stress upon good works
as connected with salvation. Good works
will never save man, but if man
have not good works he has no real faith
and no genuine religion. There are
those who depend upon the fact that
they are all right inside while their
conduct is wrong outside. Their reli-
gion for the most part is made up Of
talk-vigorous talk, fluent talk, boast
full talk, perpetual talk. They will en-
tertain you by the hour in telling you
how good they are They come up to
such higher life that they have 10 pa
thence with ordinary Christians in the
plain discharge Of their duty. As near
as can tell, this ocean craft is mostly
sail and very little tonnage. Foretdp-
mast staysail, fOretopmast studding sail,
main topsail, mizzen topsail - every
thing from flying jib to mizzen spanker,
but making no useful voyage. Now,
the world has got tired Of this, and it
wants religion that will work into all
the circumstances Of life. We do not
want a new religion, but the old reli-
| eion applied in all possible directions.
Two Rivers.
Yonder is river with steep and
rocky banks, and it roars like "a young
Niagara as It rolls on over its rough
bed. 1t does nothing but talk about it,
self all the way from its source IN the
mountain to the place where IL emptle'
into the sea. Tho banks are so steep
that the cattle cannot come down 70
drink. It does not run one fertilizing
rill into the adjoining field. 1t has not
one gristmill or factory on either side
| IL sulks in wet weather with chilling
fops. No one cares when that river Is
born among the rocks, and no one cares
when it dies into the sea. But youder
is another river, and il moses its banks
with the warm tides, and 1t rocks with
floral lullaby the water lilies asleep on
its bosom. It invites herds Of cattle and
flocks Of sheep and coyoys of birns "a
come there and drink. Ithas throe grist-
mills on one side and six cotton factories
on the other. Ii is the wealth Of 300
miles of luxuriant farms The birds Of
heaven chanted when it was born in tine
mountains, and the ocean shipping Will
press in from tho sea to hail it rs Il
comes down from the Atlantic coast.
The one river is a man who lives tor
himself. The other river is man who
lives for others.
Do you know how the site Of the an
cient city Of jerusalem was chosen.
There were two brothers who had adj
Joining farms. The one brother had a
large family, the other had no family.
The brother with a large family said;
"There is my brother with no family.
He must be lonely, and will try tc
cheer him up, and / will take some OF
the sheaves from my field in the night
time and set them over on his farm and
say nothing about it.. " The other broth
er said. "My brother has a large family
and it is very difficult for him to sup
port them, and l will help him along,
and will take some Of the sheayes from
nv farm in the nighttime and set them
over on his farm and say nothing about
it" So the work Of transference went
on night after night and night after
night but every morning things seemed
to be lust az they were, for, though
sheaves bad been substracted from eacl
farm, sheaves had also been added, and
the brothers were perpleIed and could
not understand: But one night the broth
ers happened to meet while making this
generous transference, and the spo
where they met was so sacred that i
was chosen as the site Of the city Of Je
rusalem. II that tradition should prove
unfounded, it will nevertheless stand al
a beautiful allegory, setting forth TIT
idea that wherever a kindly and gener
ous and loving act is performed that Il
the spot fit for some temple OF commem
! Grafton.
| have often spoken to you abou
faith. but this morning l speak to yo'
about works, for "faith without work
Is dead" / think you will agree witt
me in the statement that the great wan
) of this world is more practical religion
I We want practical religion to 90 int
all merchandise. It will supervise tn
labelling Of goods. 1t will not allow
man to say that thing was made Il
one factory when 1t was made IN anoth
or. It will not allow the merchant {
say that watch was manufactured Il
Geneva when it was manufactured Il
Massachusetts. 1t will not allow tn
merchant to say that wine came iron
Madeira when it came from California
Practical religion will walk along b.
the store shelves and tear of all tn
e tags that make misrepresentation.
will not allow the merchant to say tina
Is pure coffee, when dandelion root an
chicory and other ingredientsgo into II
u 1t will not allow him to say that
i pure sugar when there are in 1t san
and ground glass.
Practical Religion.
e When practical religion gets its ful
swing IN the world it will go down IN
street. and it will come to that she
store and rip off the fictitious soles
many fine looking pair OF shoes an
/. show that it is pasteboard sandwlche
between the sound leather Aud thi
practical religion will go right into
grocery store, and it will pull out tn
plue Of ali the adulterated sirups, an
twill dump into the ash barrel in froI
} Of the store the cassia bark that is sol
II for cinnamon. and the brickdust th'
Is sold for cayenne pepper, and 1t WI
shake cut the prussian blue from u
- tea leaves, and 1t will sift from u
r. -four plaster Of paris and bone dust al
soapstone, and 1t will by chemical ana
Z, ysis separate the one quart OF wat