Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1897-12-06
DOING GOOD WISELY.
REV. DR.. TALMAGE'S SERMON ON
COMMON SENSE IN RELIGION.

In Affair." CT tho SGui-nOrc common
Sense Needed In Church Building and
In Building Up the Christian Character.
copyright, 1897. BY american Press Asso-
ciation.]
WASHINGTON, Dec. 5.-Dr. Tallnage
in this discourse advocates more prac-
tical wisdom in efforts at doing good
and assails some Of the absurdities in
church architecture and management.
The text is Luke xvi, s, 1.-The children
of this world are in their generation
wiser than the children OF light.
That is another way CT saying that
Christians are not so skillful in the
manipulation of spiritual affairs as
worldlings are slziIlfUl il the manage
ment Of temporalities I see all around
me people who are alert, earnest, con-
centrated and skillful in monetary mat
tiers, who in the affairs Of the soul are
1aggards, inane, 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 fnan-
cial affairs was employed in disseminate
ing the truths Of Christ and trying to
make the world better, within ten years
the last Juggernaut would fall, the last
throne Of oppression upset, the last in
iquity tumble and the anthem that was
chanted over Bethlehem On Christmas
night would be echoed and re-echoed
from all nations and kindred and peo-
pie, "Glory to Gcd in the highest, and
on earth peace, good will to men. -
Some years ago, on q train going to-
ward the southwest, as the porter Of the
at the evening tide, I saw a man kneel
down to pray. Worldly people looked
on as much as to say, ''What does this
meant l suppose the NEST Of the peo-
pie in tho car thought that the man was
either insane or that he was a fanatic,
but he disturbed no enc when be knelt
and he disturbed 10 one when he arose.
In after conversation with him [ found
out that he was member Of d church
in a northern city, that be was o seafar-
ing man, and that he was OF his way 10
New Orleans to take command OF o YES
sci. [ thought, then, as I think now,
that ten such men-mcn with such cOur-
age for God as that man had-ten such
men would bring the whole city to
Christ. 4 thousand such men would
bring this whole land to God. Ten thou
sand such men, in Il short time, would
bring the whole earth into the kingdom
of Jesus. That he was successful in
worldly affairs, I 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 III mat
tiers of the soul, that they have in mat
tiers of the world, this would be q very
different kind of earth in which to live.
More Common Sense In Church Building.
In the first place, my friends, We
want moro common sense in the build
ing and conduct of churches. The IDEA
of adaptiveness is always paramount i'll
any other kind of structure. If bankers
meet togethcr and they resolve upon
putting up bank, the bank is especial
~ adapted to banking purposes. II a
manufacturing company puts up build
ing, it is to be adapted to manufacturing
purposes. But adaptiveness is not always
the question in the rearing of churches.
I'm many of our churches we want more
light, moro room, more ventilation
more comfort. Vast sums OF money arc
expended on ecclesiastical structures
and men sit down in them, and you ask
a man how he likes the church He says
81 like it very well, but can't hear"
AS though shawl factory were good
for everything but making shawls The
voice of the preacher dashes against the
pillars. Men sit down under the shadows
of the Gothic arches and shiver and feel
they must be getting religion or some
thing else they feel SO uncomfortable.
Oh, my friends, we want more COM
mon sense in the rearing Of churches!
There is no excuse for lack of light
when the heavens arc full of it, no ex
cuse for lack of fresh air when the
world swins in it. 1t ought TO he an
expression ECt only of our spiritual hap
piness, but of our physical comfort,
when we say: Chow amiable are thy
tabernacles. . Lord God OF hosts! A
day in thy courts is better than thou
sand. -
Again, 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 object, Oh that one subject, until
their mind takes fire with the velocity
of their own thoughts All their acu-
men, all their strategy, all their wis
dom, all their common sense they put
In that one direction, and they succeed
But how seldom it is true in the matter
of seeking after Gcd. While 10 man
expects to accomplish anything for this
world without concentration and enthu-
siasm how many there are expecting
after awhile to get into the kingdom Of
God without tho use of any such means.
The Mountain of Gods Love.
A miller in California many years
ago picked up 9 sparkle CT gold from