COMMON SENSE IN RELIGION
T. DeWitt Talmage
Luke 16:8
That is another way of saying that Christians are not
so skillful in the manipulation of spiritual affairs
as worldlings are skillful in the management of
temporalities. I see all around me people who are
alert, earnest, concentrated, 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. If one-half of
the skill and forcefulness employed in financial
affairs were employed in disseminating the truths of
Christ, and trying to make the world better, within
ten years the last 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 people: " Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace, good-will to men."
Some years ago, on a train going toward 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 in the car looked on, as much as
to say, "What does this mean?" I suppose the most of
the people in the car thought that man was either
insane or that he was a fanatic; but he disturbed no
one when he knelt, and he disturbed no one when he
arose. In after conversation with him I found out that
he was a member of a church in this city, that he was
a seafaring man, and that he was on his way to New
Orleans to take command of a vessel. I thought then,
as I 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; a thousand such men
would bring this whole land to God; ten thousand such
men, in a short time, would bring the whole earth into
the kingdom of Jesus. That he was successful in
worldly affairs, I found not. That he was s ...
T. DeWitt Talmage
Luke 16:8
That is another way of saying that Christians are not
so skillful in the manipulation of spiritual affairs
as worldlings are skillful in the management of
temporalities. I see all around me people who are
alert, earnest, concentrated, 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. If one-half of
the skill and forcefulness employed in financial
affairs were employed in disseminating the truths of
Christ, and trying to make the world better, within
ten years the last 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 people: " Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace, good-will to men."
Some years ago, on a train going toward 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 in the car looked on, as much as
to say, "What does this mean?" I suppose the most of
the people in the car thought that man was either
insane or that he was a fanatic; but he disturbed no
one when he knelt, and he disturbed no one when he
arose. In after conversation with him I found out that
he was a member of a church in this city, that he was
a seafaring man, and that he was on his way to New
Orleans to take command of a vessel. I thought then,
as I 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; a thousand such men
would bring this whole land to God; ten thousand such
men, in a short time, would bring the whole earth into
the kingdom of Jesus. That he was successful in
worldly affairs, I found not. That he was s ...
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