Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1902-02-22
WORK NEAREST At HAND
Rev. Dr.. Talmage Says Be Grateful for
Gods Common Blessings.
Put Your Religion Into Practice -Ieycrre
Of Spiritual Strength

the spheres where we are placed and not
wait 10 serve God in resounding position;
text, Corinthians Y, 81. Whether, there
fore, We eat or drink or whatsoever We do,
do all TO the glory of God"
When the apostle in this text sets forth
the idea that so common an action as the
taking of food and drink is TO be conduct.
cd TO the glory OF God, he proclaims the
importance Of religion in the ordinary at
fairs OF orr life. In all ages of the world
there has been = tendency 10 set apart Ger.
tain days, places and occasions Tor wor.
ship. and to think those were the chief
realms in which religion was 10 act. Now,
holy days and holy places have their i'm
portance. They give opportunity for spe-
cial performance OF Christian duty and for
RECALLING OF the religious appetite, but they
cannot take the place OF continuous eNer-
else OF faith and prayer. In other words,
man cannot be so much OF Christian ON
Sunday that he can afford TO be world
ling all the rest of the week. Ii steamer
put ont for southampton and go one day
IN that direction and the other SIX days IN
other directions. how long before the steam
er will get to Southampton? 1t will never
get there. And, though 4 man may seem
10 be yoyaging heavenward during the holy
Sabbath day, ii during the following six
days of the week he is going toward the
world and toward the flesh and toward the
devil how long will it take him TO reach
not eat SO much at the Sabbath banquet
that you can afford religious abstinence
the othes six days. Heroism and prineely
behavior on great occasions are no apology
for lack of right demeanor in circumstances
insignificant and inconspicuous. The gem
uine Christian life is not spasmodic; does
not go by fits and starts. 1t tolls on
through heat and cold, up steep mount.
aims and along dangerous declivities, its
eye on the everlasting hills crowned with
the castles of the blessed. / propose &c
plead for an everyday religion.
In the first place we want to bring the
religion OF Christ into our conversation.
When a dam breaks and two or three vii.
lagos are overwhelmed or an earthquake
IN South America swallows whole city,
then people begin to talk about the uncer-
tainty of life. and they imagine that they
are engaged in positively religious CONVEX.
sation. No. You may talk about these
things and have no grace OF God at all IN
your heart. We ought every day to be
talking religion. II there is anything glad
about it, anything beautiful about it, any.
thing important about 1t, we ought to be
continuously discussing.
have noticed that men Just in proper
tion as their Christian experience is shall
low talk about funerals and erayeyards and
tombssones and deathbeds. The real. gem
uine Christian man talks chiefly about this
life ami the great eternity beyond and not
so much about the insignificant pass be-
tween these two residences.
And yet how few circles there are where
the religion 4, Jesus Christ Is welcome.
Go into a circle even OF Christian people.
where they are full OF Joy ard hilarity. and
talk about Ch-ist or heaven and everything
Is Immediately silenced. As on n summer
dav when the forests are full OF life. chat
ter, chirTup aad Garcia mighty chorus OF
bird harmony. every tree branch an oTches-
tra-if a hawk appear in the sky, every
voice stops and the forests are still.
just so I have seen n lively religious cir
Gle sileneed on the appearance OF anything
like religious conversation. No one had
anything TO say save perhaps some old pa
triarch in the corner Of the room, who
really thinks that something ought 10 be
SAID under the circumstances; 50 ne puts
one foot over the other and heavcs long
sigh and says, 'Oh, yes; that's 50, that
SOL
Ny friends. the religion OF Jesus Christ
Is something TO talk about with a CAD
heart. 1t is brighter tEan the sunshine.
DO not go around grooming aoout your re-
ligioa when yea ought 70 be singing ii or
talking il in cheerful tones OF voice. How
often It il that we find men whose lives
are utt criv inconsistent who attempt TO
talk religion and always make failure OF
it. My friends. we must live religion or
we canEot talk it. ii 4 man i cranky and
cross and uncongenal and hard in his deal
ings and then begins TO talk about Christ
and heaven. everybody Is repealed by 1t.
Yet have heard such men say III whining
tones. We are miserable sinners The
Lord b.css you" The Lord have mercy on
yon," their conversation interiarded with
such expressions which mean nothing but
canting. and cantinc is the worst form oi
hypocrisy. If we have really felt the re.
hgion OF Christ in our hearts, let US talk
1 IL -. II.
nance, remembering that when two Chris
tian people talk God gives special atten.
ton and writes down what they say: Ma
laehi iii. Ii. Then they that feared tho
Lord spoke often ore TO another. and the
Lord hearsenod and heard it: and boob
OF remembrance was written.
Again. | remark. we mast bring the rel.
cion OF Christ into our employments. "Oh.'
you say, that is very well ii 4 man handle
large sums OF money or ii he have an cy
tensive traffic, but in the humble work II
life that ! am called to the sphere Is toe
small Tor the action OF such grand, heaven
Is principles Who told Won 50: Do you
not know that God watches the faded Leaf
on the brooks surface certainly as ile
does the path OF 4 blazing sun: And the
moss that creeps up the side OF the rock
makes as much impression upon Gods
mind as the waving tops OF Oregon PINE
and Lebanon cedar. and the alder, crack.
Ing utiuer tue COW nooI, SOUNDS as lOuC
in Gods ear as the snap OF n worlds con.
hagration. When you have anything 10 dc
in life, however humble il may seem TO be
God is always there to help you TO do it,
Ii your work is that of fisherman. then
God will help you. as He helped Simon
when He dragged Gennssaret. Ii your
work Is drawing water then He will help
you. as when He talked at the well curl
to the Samaritan woman. If you are en-
gagged IN the custom house, He will lead
you as He led Matthew sitting at the re-
ceipt OF customs.
A religion that is not good in one place
is not worth anything in another place
The man who has only days wages in his
pocket as certainly needs the guidance o!
religion as he who rattles the keys of a
bank and could aDscond with hundred
thousand dollars.
There are those prominent in the
churches who seem to be on public occa.
sions very devout who do not put the
lei9les of Christ's religion into practice.
:. are the most memorable of creditors.
~ are the most grasping of dealers.
~ are known as sharpers on the street.
y fleece every sheep they can catch. A
ntry merchant comes in to buy spring
all goods, and he gets into the store OF
OF these professed Christian men who
really no grace in their hearts, and he
ompletely swindled. He is so overcome
he cannot get out of town during the
*. He stays in town over Sunday, goes
a Qbur 70 mt Chr,a