The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1898-01-22

AM The great want o
REV. TALMIGE. the world Is mor'
common sense in matters of religion
If one-half of the skill n forceful
ness employed in financial affairs wa!
employed in disseminating the truths
of Christ. and trying to make thu
world better, within ten years the las
juRgernaut would fall, the last throne
| OF oppression upset, the last iniquity
tumble. and the anthem that wa
| chanted over Bethlehem on Christina.
night would be echoed and re-echoet
| from all nations and kindred and PEG
pie: GLORY to God in the highest, and
ON earth peace, good will to men,
Some years ago, on a train going to
ward the southwest, as the porter o
the sleeping a was making VI
the berths at the evening-tide,
saw Q man kneel down to pray.
Worldly people looked on as much
a. to say, "What does this m~an?" ]
ID the most of the people in the
car thought that the man was either
insane or that he vas a fanatic, but ht
disturbed no one when he knelt, and
he disturbed no one when he arose
In an after conversation with him
found out that be was a member of {
church in a northern city, that he wa!
a seafaring man, and that he was OF
his way To New Orleans to take com
mand of a vessel. I thought then, as
think now. that ten such men-meI
with such courage for God as that ma
had-ten such men would bring the
whole city to Christ: a thousand such
men would bring the whole earth int
the kingdom of Jesus. That he wa:
successful in worldly affairs, / found
out That he was skillful in spiritua.
affairs, you are we'll persuaded. i
men had the courage, the pluck, The
alertness, the acumen, the industry,
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 we live.
In the first place, my friends, we
van more sense in the build
ing and conduct of churches. The idea
of adaptiveness is always paramount
in any other kind of structure. II
bankers meet together. and they re-
solve upon putting up a bank, the
bank Is especially adapted to banking
IL a manufacturing company
puts up q building, 1t is to be adapted
to manufacturing purposes; but adapt
ivsness 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 r ex-
pended on ecclesiastical structures,
aud men sit down ia them, and you
ask a man how he likes the church; he
saws: ST like it very we'll, but / can't
hear" As though a 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 SILVER, and feel they must
be getting religion, or something else,
they feel SO uncomfortable.
o, my friendsI we want more COM
mon sense in the rearing of churches.
There is no excuse for lack of light
when the heavens are full of Il, nc ex-
cuse for lack of fresh air when the
world swims in it. 1t ought to be an
expression, not only of our spiritual
happiness, but of our physical COM
fort, when we say: How amiable are
thy tabernacles, o, Lord God of
hosts! A day in thy courts is better
than a thousand"
Again / remark; We want more COM
mon sense in the obtaining of religious
hope. All men understand hat in or.
der to succeed in worldly directions
they must concentrate. They think on
that one object, or 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 common sense
they put in that one direction. and they
succeed. But how seldom II Is true in
the matter of seeking after Godi While
no man expects to accomplish any
thing for this world without concen-
tration and enthusiasm how many
there are expecting after awhile 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 a stream which turned his
mill. He held up that sparkle of gold
until it bewitched 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 California. Cities
sprang up suddenly on the Pacific
coast. Merchants put aside their ele-
CANT apparel and put on the miners
garb. All the land was full of the
talk of gold. Gold in the eyes, gold in
the ears, gold In the wake of ships,
gold in the ~streets-gold, gold, goldi
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. u
carbuncle, and Jasper, and sardonyK.
and chrysoprasus, and all the precious
stones out of which the walls of
Heaven were builded. Word comes of
a man who. digging in that mine for
one hour, has brought up treasures
worth more than all the stars that
keep vigil over our sick and dying
Is it bogus company that is formed?
Is 1t ~undeyeloped territory? Oh. no;
the story is true, There are hundreds
and thousands of people who would be
willing to rise and testify that they
discovered that gold and have ID
In their possession. Notwithstanding
all this, what is the circumstance
One would suppose that the announce
would send people In great ex-
element up and down our streets; that
at midnight men would knock at your
asking how they may get those
treasures. Instead of that, many Of
US put our hands behind our back, and
walk up and down in front of the mine
Of eternal riches, and say: well i'll
ana TO be saved, / will be saved; and II
I am IN ha lost I ovill he lost and fhara
Is nothing to do about it." Why, my
brother, do you not do that way in
business matters2 Why do you not to-
morrow GO to your store n sit down
and fold your arms and say: 'If these
goods are to be sold. they will be soldS
and II they are not to be sold, they
will not be sold; there Is nothing for
to do about it?" No; you dispatch
your agents; You print your advertise
uentsi you adorn you show windows;
nuah those rpaAAas unN Oca the In.