Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1898-01-01

ness u not always the question IN the rear
inx Of chorehcs. In many OF oar churches
We want more light. more room. mere VEN
tiia.icp. moro comfort Vast sums OF
money are expended ON ecclesiastical struc-
sures, and men sit down In them, and you
ask a man how ne likes the church; he SAYS,
II like u very well. hut cant hear
Again remark. We want more common
sense in the obtaining OF religious hope.
al men understand that in order 20 sue
reed in worldly directions they must con-
sentrate. They think on that one object.
on that one subject. until their mnd takes
IRE with the velocity of their own
Thoughts Al their acumen. all theit
strategy, all their Weldon. all their com
mon sense they put in that one. direction,
and they succeed. But how seldom II Is
true in the matter OF seeking after Cod \
While no man expects to accomplish any
thing for this world without concentre-
fion and enthusiasm. how many are there \
expecting after a while 10 get Into the /
Kingdom OF God without the use OF any ,
such mSans-
Again. remark: We want more common |
sense ia the building up and enlarging Of
our Christian character. There are men
who have Tor forty years been running the
Christian race. and they haven't run
quarter Of a milri No business nan would /
be.wiilinC 20 have his investments unRc-
cumulative. II YOU invest a dollar YOU ex-
pect that dollar TO come home bringing an
other dollar on its back. What would you
think OF man who should invest Slo,OOo
IN n monetary INSTITUTION. tEeu 20 on lVk
five years. make no inquiry IN regard 70
the Investment. then come back, step up 20
the cashier OF the institution and say:
Have YOU kept those $40 900 safely that L
lodged With yous" bat asking no question
about Interest OF dividend? Why. you say,
That il not common sense" Neither is u.
but that i the way we act in matters OF the
soul. We make n f3r more important IN
vestment than Si0.O 900. We invest our
soul. II Ia accu uulative3 Arc we growing
fr,U 40 hot
getting worses God declares many dtvi-
dends bat we 60 not collect them; we do
10: want them. on. that in this matter OF
/ accumulation ". y ere as wise In the mat
tiers Of the soul as we are in the matters OF
l the world
How little com-non sense in the reading
. % the Scriptures. We set any other book,
aud we open if. aud we say. Now what
4 does this book mean 70 teach me? II Is u
+ hook on astronomy: IL will teach me as
/ troncnv. To j. a book on political econ
+ omv. IL Will teach me political economy.
+ Taking up this Biole. do We ask ourselves
what II means 70 teachf Il means 20 do
Just one thing. Get the world converted and
/ -et u all 20 heaven. That Is what IL pro-
( noses - do. But instead % that we 60
4 into the Bible ~ hotanists 20 pick flowers
or we 90 az puriiists 20 Eet something 20
.chr other Christians with. or we 20 as
/ ,oririans irving 70 sharpen our mental
4 faculties for better arcu ment and we do
not like this about the Bible and We DO not
like that, and We 10 not like the other
thing.
How little We use common sense in
/ prayer We say. oh. Lord. give me this. -
and "Oh. Lord. give me that.' and "Oh.
Lord. give ne something else. and we do
not expect 70 get Il. or getting Il. We 90
not know we have a.. We have no anxiety
about q. We DO not watch and walk for IL
coming. A. merchant. You telegraph OF
YOU write 20 some other city for n bin OF
goods You say. send me by such ex'
press. or by such steamer. or by such d
rAil-traiu " Tho dav arrives. You send
your wagon 70 the depot OF 20 the wharf
The goods DO not come. You Immediately
. 4 telegraph. What Is the matter with thos'
coodss We haven't received them. sen,
them right away. We want them now. o.
, We don't want them AZ all" Aad You kccl
. writing. and you keep telegraphing, an'
T keep sending your wagon 20 tho depot
. / or 10 the express Office. or 20 the wharf
. until YOU get the goods. In matters @
religion we are not 20 wise as that. W
} I ask certain things TO be sent from heaven
: We do not know whether they come or 10
We have not any special anxiety as (
whether they come or not. We may 90
them and we may not get them. Instead (
= az 7 O'Clock in the morning saying. "Hay
!, got that blcssinCf' az u o'clock. noon
% day. asking, Have I got that birs>ingi
- att O'Clock IN the evening saying. Have
9 received that blessing" and nOt getting
/. pleading. pleadirC-begging, begging
I
. brethren IL not that common sszsee2 II y
= ask a thing from God, who has sworn
. His eternal throne that he Wall DO III
= which we ask. Il II not common sense IN
> We should watch and wait until we get ~
. But ! remark again. We want more cor
q mon sense In doing good. Oh, how maj
: people there are who want 70 do good, AZ
> they are dead tailuresi Why Il itY The
% Z DO not exercise the same tact, the same 4
= cenuity the same strategem, the san
a / common sense IN the work 81 Christ N
l they DO in worldly things. Otherwise m
ie would succeed In this direction a. we'll
they succeed In the other. There are nal
D. men who have an arrogant way with thel
70 although they may not feel arrogant
- their soul. Or they have pHtro1izlI
Ia way. They talk 20 a man of the world IN
- 4 manner which seems 20 say; ID ont y
III wish YOU were as good a. i amy Why,
a. have 10 look clear down before can :
% you. YOU are 20 FAR beneath me-" IN
manner always disgasts. always driy
a men from the kingdom % Jesus Christ,
~ stead ot bringlng them In.
Suppose some business man IN who
= skin you had perfect confidence shou
"a. tell you that tomorrow. Monday morniI
20 between IL aud ~ O'Clock. you could by
ct certain financial transaction make $50
., but that on Tuesday perhaps you mis-
/. l. make H. but there would not Dc any pc
tfveness about IL. and on Wednesday IN
would not be 50 much and Thursday lie
A. a H. uUA L. -rUH