St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1898-01-08
DIR. TALMAGE'S SERMON.
A Practical Discourse on q Prac-
tica Subject.

A Practical Discourse on q Prao-
tical Subject.
Some Absurdlties In Chu, ch BuildinS ana
Nsnsgcment-MoreP Practical wisdom
Needed In Christian El deavor
and In Church Work.
Discoursing upon the text luke Xvi.
81: 1.-The children of this world are
in their generation wiser than the
children of light" DIR. Talmage, in q
recent sermon, assai!ed some OF the
in church architecture and
and advocated more
methods in efforts to do good.
lie said:
That is another way OF saying that
are not SO skillful in the
of spiritual affairs as
worldlings are skillful in the manage
ment of temporalities. Isee all around
me people who are alert. earnest, con-
centrated and skillful in monetary
matters, 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. 1t one
half of the skill and force
fulness employed in financial affairs
was employed in disseminating the
truths of Christ, and trying to make
the world better, within ten years the
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 and re-echoed
from all nations and kindred and peo-
pie: GLORY to God in the highest, aud
on earth peace, good will to men,.
Some years ago. on train gong 70.
ward the southwest, rs the porter OF
the sleeping car was making up the
berths at the evening-tide, l saw .
man kneeI down and pray. Worldly
people looked on as much IS to say:
..What does this mean?" 1suppose the
most of people in the car thought tnat
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 conversa-
tion with him l found out that ne
was a member of q church in nortn-
ern city; that he was q seafaring man.
and that he was on his way 10
New Orleans to take command
Of . vessel l thought then, 9
| think now that ten such men-men
with such courage for God as that man
had-ten such men would bring the
whole city to Christ; thousand sucn
men would bring the whole earth into
the kingdom of Jesus. That ne was
successful in worldly affairs, ! found
ont. That he was skillful in spiritual
affairs, you are well persuaded. u
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 Tue
world, this would be q very dlheren'
kind OF earth in which to live.
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,
ia any other kind OF structure. u
bankers meet together. and they re-
solve upon putting up . bank, the bank
Is especially adapted to banking pur'
poses; If . manufacturing company
puts up q building. it is to be adapted
to manufacturing purposes; but adsp
t:yeness is not always the question -
the rearing OF churches. In many
Of our churches we want more
light, more room, more vennia
ton. more comfort. Vast sums o.
money are expended on ecclesiastical
structures, and men sit down IN them
and Won ask man how he likes the
church; lie says: Il like it very well
but can't hear" As though shaw
factory were good for everything bu'
making shawls. The voice OF tht
preacher dashes againststhe pillars
Men sit down under the shadows O
the Gothic arches and shiver, aud fee
they must be getting religion, or some
thing else, they feel SO uncomfortaoie'
o, my friends! we want more com
mon sense in the rearing OF churches
There is no excuse for lack OF igh
when the heavens are full OF it, no ex
cuse for lack of fresh air when thu
world swims in it. 1t ought to be al
expression, not only of our spir;tua
happiness. but of our physical comfort
when we say: 'How amiable are tn.
tabernacles. O, Lord God OF Hosts
A day in thy courts is better than
thousand"
Again I remark: We want NOR
common sense in the obtaining o
religious hope. All men understan.
that in order to succeed in worldly di
rections they must concentrate. Thel
think on that one object, on that on,
subject, until their minds take fire will
the velocity of their own thoughts Al
their acumen, all their strategy, III
their wisdom, all their common sens
they put in that one direction, ant
they succeed. But how seldom it i
true in the matter of seeking afte
God! While no man expects to accom-
plish any thing for this world withou
concentration and enthusiasm. how
many there are expecting after awhil
to get into the Kingdom OF God with
out use of any such means.
A miller in California. many year
ago, picked up sparkle of gold frou
the bed of a stream which turned hi
mill. He held up that sparkle of gol,
until 1t bewitched nations. Tens @
thousands of people left their homes
They took their blankets, and thei
| pickaxes. and their pistols, and wen
to the wilds of California. Cite
sprang up suddenly on the Pacifi
coast. Merchants put aside their ele
CANT apparel, and put on the miner
Rarb. All the land was full Of the tai
about gold. Gold in the eyes. gold i
the ears, gold in the wake of ships
gold in the streets-gold. gold. gold!
Word comes to US that the mountai
of Gods love is full of gold; that me
have been digging there. and hay
brought up gold. and amethyst. an
| I-A,,rcla and iaSuer and Sarf}Onvy