The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1897-12-10
DOING GOOD WISELY.
REV. DR.. TALMAGE'S SERMON ON
COMMON SENSE IN RELIGION.


Sense Needed In Church Building and
In Building Up the Christian Character
fCopyright, 1897, by American Press Assoc
ciation.1
WASHINGTON, Dec. DIR. Talmage
In this discourse advocates more prac-
teal 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 OF saying that
Christians are not so skillful in the
manipulation of spiritual affairs as
worldlings are skillful in the manage
ment of temperatures. l 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
laggards, 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 finan-
cial affairs was employed in disseminat-
lug Iu6 VI NDllSU anu u IbS w
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 God i'll the highest, and
ON earth peace, good will to men. "
Some years ago, on train going to-
ward the southwest, as the porter of the
sleeping 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" l suppose thesmost of the peo-
pie in the car thought that the man was
either insane or that he was fanatic,
but he disturbed no one when he knelt
and he disturbed no one when he arose.
In after conversation with him | found
out that he was member of a church
in northern city, that he was seafar-
ing man, and that he was on his way to
New Orleans to take command of a YES
sci. l thought, then, as | think now,
that ten such men-men with such cour-
age for God as that man had-ten such
men would bring the whole city to
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 III mat.
tiers Of the soul, that they have in mat
tiers of the world, this would be very
different king of earth in which to live.
More Common Sense In Church Building.
In the first place, my friends, we
want more common sense in the build
ing and conduct of churches. The idea
of adaptiveness is always paramount in
any other kind of structure. If bankers
meet together and they resolve upon
putting up bank, the bank is especial
ly adapted to banking purposes. If a
company puts up a build !
ing, 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
4 man how he likes the church. He says
Il like it very well, but can't hear -
As though a shawl factory were good
Tor everything but making shawlsl The
voice of the preacher dashes against the
pillars. Men sit down under the shadows
If the Gothic arches and shiver and feel
hey must be getting religion or some
hing else they feel SO uncomfortable.
Oh, my friends, we want more com
non sense in the rearing of churches
There is no excuse for lack of light
when the heavens are full of it, no ex-
'use for lack of fresh air when the
world swims in it. 1t ought to be an
Expression not only of our spiritual hap
'iness, but of cur physical comfort,
when we say: "How amiable are thy
. Lord God of hosts A
lay in thy courts is better than thou
and. "
Again, [ remark we want more COM
non sense in The obtaining of religious
lope. All m / understand that in order
o succeed il worldly directions they
must conceL rate They think on that
ne object, ca that one subject, until
heir mind takes fire with the velocity
f their own thoughts. All their acu-
nen, all their strategy, all their wis
ON, all their common sense they put
q that one direction, and they succeed.
'ut how seldom it is true in the matter
{ seeking after God. While no man {
xpects to accomplish anything for this
Torld without concentration and enthu-
lasm how many there are expecting
fter awhile to get into the kingdom Of
iod without the use of any such means. {
The Mountain of Gods Love.
A miller in California many years 4
go picked up a sparkle of gold from
ne bed of stream which turned his S
lill He held up that sparkle of gold {
ntil it bewitched nations. Tens of
of people left their hom,-. !
hey took their blankets and their pick {
xes and their pistols and went to the