The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-06
COMMON SENSE IN RELIGION.
TALMAGE AsSAILS ABSURDITIES IN
CHURCH MANAGEMENT.


agement of TempOraIities-NOre
Common Sense Wanted in the
Building and Management of
Churches.
Washington. Dec. 5.-Dr. Talmage in this
discourse advocates more practical wisdom
IN efforts al doing good, ana assails some
OF the absurdities in church architecture
and management The text is Luke 1873:
1.-THE children OF this world are in their
generation wiser than the children OF
light."
That is another way Of saying that
Christians are not so skillful in the ma
ripulation of spiritual affairs as world
l.ngs are sdllfm i'm the management OF
temperatures. I see all around me PEG
ole who are alert, earnest, concentrated,
end skillful in monetary matters who in
the affairs of the soul are laggards, inanc
inert. The great want Of the world is
more common sense in matters of religion
If one-half of the skill and forcefulness
employed in financial affairs was en-
pioyed in disseminating the truths of
Christ and trying to make the world bet
Ter. within ten years the last Juggernaut
would fall, the last throne of oppression
upset the last iniquity tumble, and the
anthem that was chanted over Bethlehem
on Christmas night would be echoed ana
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 train going toward
the southwest, as the porter of the Sleep
ing car was making up the berths at the
evening-tide, I saw a man kneel down to
pray. Worldly people looked on as much
as to say, what does this mean?" 1
suppose the most of the people in the car
thought that the man was either insane
or that ne was a fanatic; but he disturbed
no one when he knelt and he disturbed
no one when he arose. In after converse
ton with him l found out that he was a
member OF a church in a northern city,
that he was seaafaring 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 courage for God as that man had
ten such men would bring the whole city
10 Christ: a thousand such men would
bring this whole land to God; ten thou
sand such men, in a short time, would
bring the whole earth into the kingdom of
Jesus. That he was successful in worldly
affairs, / found out. That he was skillful
in spiritual affairs, you are well persuaded
If men had the courage, the pluck, the
alertness, the acumen, the industry, the
common sense in matters of the soul, that
they have in matters of the world, this
would be a very different kind of earth in
which to live.
In the first place, my friends, we want
more common sense in the building and
conduct of churches. The idea of adap-
tiveness is always paramount in any other
kind of structure. II bankers meet to-
gether, and they resolve upon putting up
a bank, the bank is especially adapted TO
banking purposes; if a manufacturing
company puts up a building, it is to be
adapted to manufacturing 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 ventilation more comfort. Vast sums
of money are expended on ecclesiastical
structures and men sit down in them and
you ask a man how he likes the church !;
he says: Il like it very well. but l can't
hear" As though shawl-factory wers
good for everything but making shawls.
The voice of the preach1E dashes against
the pillars. Men sit down under the
shadows of the Gothic arches, and shiver.
and feel they must be getting religion. or
something else, they feel so uncomfortable.
O my friends; we want more common
sense in the rearing of churches. There
is no excuse for lack of light when the
heavens are full of 1t, no excuse for lack
of fresh air when the world swims in it. IL
ought to be an expression, not only of our
spiritual happiness but of our physical
comfort, when we say: How amiable are
thy tabernacles, o Lord God of hosts! a
day in thy courts is better than thou
sand"
Again l remark: We want more COM
mon sense in the obtaining of religious
hope. All men understand that in order
to succeed in worldly directions they must
concentrate. They think on that one OBJ
Ject, on that one subject. until their mind
takes fire with the velocity of their own
thoughts. All their acumen, all their
strategy, all their wisdom, all their COM
mon sense they put in that one direction,
and they succeed. But how seldom il IS
true in the matter of seeking after God!
While no man expects to accomplish any
thing for this world without cencentra-
ton and enthusiasm. how many there are
expecting after a while to get into the
kingdom of God without the use of any
such means.
A miller in California many years ago,
picked up a sparkle of gold from the bed
of stream which turned his mill. He
held up thdC sparkle Of gold until it be-
witched nations, Tens of thousands of
people left their homes. They took their
blankets, and their pickaxes, and their
pistols, and went to the wilds of Califor-
MIA. Cities sprang up suddenly on the Pa
citic coast Merchants put aside their ell
egant apparel, and put on the miners
garb. All the land was full of the talk
about gold. Gold in the eyes, gold in the
ears. gold in the wake of ships, gold in the
treets-gold, gold, gold
Word comes TO us that the mountain Of
Gods love is full of gold; that men have
been digging there, and have brought up
gold, and amethyst, and carbuncle, and
Jasper, and sardonyx, and chrysoprasus.
and all the precious stones out of which
the walls of heaven We're builded Word
comes of man, who, digging in that
mine for one hour, has brought up treas
ures worth more than all the stars that
Keep vigil over our sick and dying world
Is it bogus company that is formed?
Is it undeveloped territory? oh. no; the
story is true. There are hundreds and
thousands of people who would be willing
10 rise and testify that they have discov-
cred that gold, and have it in their possess
son. Notwithstanding all this. what is
the circumstance? One would supnose
that the announcement would send peonla
IN great excitement up and down orr