Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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f THU LEDGER: GAFFNEY, 8. C., DECEMBER 9, 1867. DPIXG GOOD WISELY. i REV. DR. TALMAGE’S SERMON ON S COMMON SENSE IN RELIGION. Alrrt ISr.KinrRfi Men Who Aro lu AffalrK of fUo Soul--More Comuton Scnno Ni.-cUeil In Church HuiUlinc nn«] In I5nU«l i .BS Up the Christian Character, [Copyright, li97. bv Aiuorican Press Asao- Hatioii.] WAfcKKJCTf n, Dec. 5.—Dr. Tahnagc in this discoarso advocates uioro prac tical wisdoxu iu ( Lorts at doing good and assails sonio of tho absurdities in church architecturo and management. The teat is Lake xvi, 8, “The children of this world are iu their generation wiser than the children of light.” That is another way of saying tb&t Christians s'.rc not so skillttil iu the manipulation of spiritual afl'airs as ■worldlings arc skillful in tho manage ment cf tempcralitios. I see all around mo people who aro alert, earnest, con centrated and skillful in monetary mat ters, who in tho affairs of tho 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 forevfulness employed iu finan cial affairs was employed iu disseminat ing the truths of Christ and trying to make the world better, within ten years the last Juggernaut would fall, tho last throne of oppression upset, tho lust in iquity tumble and tho anthem that was chanted over Bethlehem on Christmas night would be echoed and ro-echoed from all nations and kindred and peo ple, “Glory to God in tho highest, and on earth peace, good will to men.” Some years ago, on a train going to ward the southwest, an tho porter of the sleeping car was making up the berths oi the evening tide, I saw a man kneel down to pray. Worldly people looked on as much as to say, “What docs this mean?” I suppose tho most of the peo ple iu tho cer thought that the man was either insane or that he wan a fanatic, but ho disturbed no cue when ho 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 a northern city, that ho was a seafar ing man, and that ho was on his way to New Orleans to take command of a ves sel. I thought, then, as I thi:-,k now, that ten such men—men with such cour age for God as that man had—ten such men would bring tho whole city to Christ. A thousand such men would bring thia whole land to God. Ten thou sand such men, in a short time, would bring tho whole earth into tho kingdom of Jesus. That he was successful in worldly affairs, I found out. That ho was skillful in spiritual affairs, you are well persuaded. If men had the courage, the pluck, tho alertness, the acumen, tho industry, tho common sense in mat ters of the soul, that they have iu mat ters of the world, this would be n very different kind of earth iu which to live. More Common Sense In Chnrch Building. In tho first place, my friends, we want more common sense iu the build ing and conduct of churches. Tho idea of adaptiveness is always paramount in any other kind of structure. If bankers meet together and they resolve upon putting up a bank, tho bank is especial ly adapted to banking purposes. If a manufacturing company puts up a build ing, it is to bo adapted to manufacturing purposes But adaptiveness is not always the question in the rearing of churdboa In many of our churches we want more light, more room, more ventilation, more comfort. Vast sums of money are expended on ecclesiastical struoturea, and men sit down in them, and you ask a man how he likes tho church. Ho says, “I like it very well, but I can’t hear.” As though a shawl factory wore good for everything but making shawls! The voice of the preacher dashes against tho piHars. Men eit down under the shadows of the Gothic arches and shiver and feel they xnnst bo getting religion or some thing else they feel so uncomfortable. Gh, my friends, we want more com mon sense in the rearing ef churches I Thero is no excuse for lack of light when tho heavens aro full of it, no ex cuse for lack of fresh air when the world swims in it. It ought to bo au expression not only of our spiritual hap piness, but of our physical comfort, when we say: “Blow amiable are thy tabernacles, U Lord God of hosts 1 A day in thy courts is better than a thou sand.” Again, I remark we want more com mon sense in the obtaining of religious hope. All men understand that in order to succeed in worldly directions they must conccntr iti. "Tiey t hink on th t one object, on that one subject, unui their mind takes fire wi?h the velocity of their own thoughts. All their acu men, all their strategy, all their wis dom, nil their common senee they pnt in that one direction, and they succeed. But how seldom it is true in the matter of seeking after God. While no man expects to accomplish anything for this world without concentration and enthu siasm bow many there aro expecting after awhile to get into the kingdonr^of God without the use of any such means. The Monntala of GoU’a Lot*. A miller in California many years ago picked up a sparkle of gold from the bed of a stream which turned his mill. Ho bold up that sparkle of gold until it bewitched nations. Tens of thousands of people left their homes. They took their blankets and their pick- axes and their pistols and went to the wilds of California. Cities sprang np suddenly on the Pacific coast. Mer chants put aside their elegant apparel and put on tbo minor's garb. All the land was full of the talk about gold. f Gold in the eyes, gold in the e::rs. gold In the wake of ships, go'd in th. streets -gold, gold, gold! ^Word comes to us that tho mouyitain God’s love is full of gold; that men kve been digging there and have ibt np gold, and amethyst, and Mmele, and Jasper, and 'Sardonyx, chrysopranos, and all jfhe precious let out of which the whlls of heaven were bnilded. Word comes of a man who, dinging hi that mine for one hour, has brought up treasures worth more than all tho stars that keep vigil ov^r our sick ami dying world. Is it a bogus company that is formed? Is it undeveloped torritory? Oh, no, tho story is true! There are hundreds and thousands of people who would be will ing to rise and testify that they have discovered that gold and have it in iheir possession. Notwithstanding all this, what is the circumstance? One would suppose that tho announcement would send people iu great excitement up and down our streets, that at mid night men would knock at your door, asking how they may get those treas ures. Instead of tkat many of us put our bands behind our back and walk up and down in front of the mine of eter nal riches and say, “W’ell. if T am to bo saved I will bo saved, and if I am to be lost I v.il be lost, and thero is noth ing to do about it. ” Why, my brothor, do you not do that way in business matters? Why do you not tomorrow go to your store and sit down and fold your arms and say, “If these goods ute to ho sold, they will be sold, and if they are not to be sold they will not bo sold; there is nothing for me to do about it.” No, you dispatch your agents, you print your advertise ments, you adorn your show windows, you push thoaa goods, you use the in strumentality. <Jh, that men were an wise iu tho matter of tho soul us they are wise in tho matter of dollars and cents! Not One Conacrlpt. This doctrine of God’s sovereignty, how it id misquoted and spoken of as though it were au iron chain which bound us hand and foot for time and lor eternity, wheat, so lux' iTom that, in every fiber of your body, in every facul ty of your mind, iu every passion of yocr soul, you tue t. free man—a true man—and it will no more tomorrow bo a matter of choice whether you shall gn to business through Benusylvania ave nue or some other street, it will be uo more a matter of choice with you to morrow whether you shall go to Phila delphia or New York or stay at home, than it is this hour a matter of free choice whether you will accept Christ or reject him! In all tbo army of banners there if! not one conscript. Men are not to be dragooned into heaven. Among all tho tens of thousands of tho Lord’s soldiery there ia not one man but will tell you: “I chose Christ—I wanted him. I de sired to be iu his service. I am not a conscript—I am a volunteer. ” Oh, that men bad tho same oommon sense in tho matters of religion that they have in the matters of the world, the same con centration, the same push, tho same en thusiasm—in tho one case a secular en thusiasm, in the other a consecrated enthusiasm! Again, I remark we want more com mon sense in the building up and en larging of our Christian character. There are men who have for 40 years been running the Christian race, and they have not run a quarter of a mile. No business mau would be williug to have his investments nunccumulative. If you invest a dollar, you expect that dollar to come home bringing another dollar on its back. What would you think of a man who should invest f 10,- 000 in a monetary institution, then go off for five years, make no inquiry in re gard to tho investment, then oome back, step up to tbo cashier of the institution and say, “Have you kept that $10,000 safely that I lodged with you?” but ask ing no question about interest or about dividend? Why, you say, “That is no common sense.” Neither is it, but that is the way we act iu matters of the soul. We make a far more important invest ment than $10,000. We invest our souk Is it aocumulative? Are we growing in grace? Are we getting better? Are we getting worse? God declares many divi dends, but we do not collect them; we do not ask about them; we do not want them. Oh, that in this matter of ac cumulation wo wore as wise in the mat ters of the soul aa we are in the matters of the world! Tim Purpose of the Bible. How little common sense iu the read ing of tbo Scriptures I We get any other book, and we open it, and we say: “Now, what does thia book mean to teach me? It is a book on astronomy; it will teach me astronomy. It is a book on political economy; it will teach mo political economy.” Taking up this Bi ble, do we ask oursvlves what it means to teoob? It means to do just one thing —got tho world converted and get us all to heaven. That is what it proposes to do. But instead of that we go into the Bibli as botanists to pick dowers, or we go <«8 pugilists to get something to fight other Christians with, or we go as logicians trying to sharpen our men tal faculties for a better argument, and wo do not like this about the Bible, aud we do not like that, and we do not like tbo other thing. What would you think of a man lost on the mountains? Night has oomo down, be cannot And his way home, and he sees a light in a moun tain cabin. He goes to it. He knocks at tho door. -The mountaineer comes out aud finds tho traveler aud says: “Well, here I havo a lantern. You can take it and it will guide you on the way home.” Aud suppose that traveler should say: “1 den t like that lantern. I don’t like the handle of It. There are 10 or 16 things about it I don’t like. If you can’t give me a better lantern than that I won’t have any?” Now, God says this Bible is to bo a lamp to our feet and a lantern to our path, to guide us through the midnight of this world to the gates of the celes tial city. We stop and say we do not like this about it, aud wo do not like t.’.at. «;jd we do not like tho other thing. Oh, Low much wiser we would bo if by its holy light wo found our way to our everlasting home! Then we do not read the Bible as we read other books. We read it perhaps four or five minutes just before wo retire at night We are weary and sleepy, so somnolent we hardly know which end of the book is up. We drop our eye perhaps op tho story of Samson and the foxes, or upon some genealogical table, important in its place, but stirring no more rclf&ious emotion than the announcement that somebody 1 cgut Homebody else, and be begat somebody else, instead of open ing the bock and saying, “Now I must read for my immortal life; my eternity is involved in this book.” Corauiou Si'me Iu I'rmjor. How littlo wo uso common sense in prayer! Wo say, “O Lord, give me this,” and “O Lord, give me that,"and “O Lord, give me something else,” and we do net expect to got it, or, getting it, we do not know wo havo it. Wo have uo anxiety about it. Wc do not watch aud wait for its coming. As a merchant you telegraph or you write to some other city for a bill of goods. ^You say, “Mead mo by ::u;.h express or by such a steamer or by such a rail train. ” Tho day arrives. Y'ou send your wagon to tiie depot or to tho wharf. The goods do not come. You immediately tele graph: “What is the matter with those goods? Wo haven’t received them, i^end them right away. Wo want them now. or wo don’t want them at all.” Aud you keep writing, and you keep tele graphing and keep sending your wagon to the depot or to the express office or to the wharf until you get the goods. In matters of religion we are not so wise as that. Wo ask certain things to be sent from heaven. We do not know whether they come or not Wo have not any special anxiety as to whether they come or not. Wo may get them and may not get them. Instead of at 7 o’clock in the morning saying, “Have I got that blessing?” at o’clock noonday asking, “Have I got that blessing?” at 7 o’clock in the evening saying, “Have I received that blessing?” and not getting it, plead ing, pleading, begging, begging, asking, asking until you get it. Now, my breth ren, is not that common sense? If we ask a thing from God, who has sworn by his eternal throne that he will do that which we ack, is it sot common sense that we should watch and wait until wo get it? But I remark, again, wo want more common sense in doing good. Oh, how many people there are who want to do good, and they are dead failures. Why is it? They do not exerciso tho same tact, the same ingenuity, tho same strat agem, the samo common sense iu the work of Christ that they do in worldly things; otherwise they would succeed in this direction as well as they succeed iu the other. There are many men who havo an arrogant way with them, al though they may not feel arrogant in their soul, or they havo a patronizing way. They talk to a man of the world in a manner which seems to say: “Don’t you wish you wera au good as I am? Why, I have to look clour down before I can see you, you ore so far beneath me. ” That manner always disgusts, always drives men away from the kingdom of Jesus Christ instead of bringing them in. Working Naturally For tiio Oospol. When I was a lad, I was one day iu a village store, and there was a large group of young men there full of rollick ing and fun, and a Christian man came in, a very good Christian man, and without any introduction of the subject and while they were in great hilarity said to one of them, “George, what is the first step of wisdom?* ’ George look ed up and said, “Every man to mind his own business. ” Well, it was a very rough answer, but it wao provoked. Re ligion bad been burled in thero as though it wero a bombshell. We must be natural iu the presentation of religion to the world. Do you suppose that Mary in her conversations with Christ lost her simplicity or that Paul, thun dering from Mars hill, took the pulpit tone? Why is it people cannot talk as naturally in prayer meetings and on re ligious subjects as they do in worldly circles? For uo one ever succeeds in any kind of Christian work unless bo works naturally. We want to imitate the Lord Jesus Christ, who plucked a poem from tho grass of the field. We all want to imitate him who talked with farmers about the man who went forth to sow and talked with the fishermen about the drawn net that brought in fish of all sorts, and talked with the viue dresser about the idler in the vine yard, and talked with those newly affi anced about the marriage sapper, and talked with the man cramped in money matters about the two debtors, and talk ed with tho woman about the yeast that leavened the whole lamp, and talked with the shepherd about the lost sheep. Oh, we might gather even the stars of tho sky and twii t them like forgot- menoU in the garland of Jesus! Wo must bring everything to him—the wealth of language, tho teuderneus of sentiment, die delicacy of morning dew, the saffron of floating cloud, the tangled surf of tho tossing sea, the bursting thunder guus of the storm’s bombard ment. Yes, every star must point down to him, every heliotrope must breathe his praise, every drop in the summer shower must flash his glory, all tbo tree branches of the forest must thrum their music in the grand march which shall celebrate a world redeemed. Now, all this being so, what la the oommon sense thing for you and for me to do? What we do, I think, will depend upon three facta—three great facts: Tba Only Sura Tina. The first fact, that sin has ruined us. It has blasted body, mind and soul. We want no Bible to prove that we are sin ners. Any man who is not willing to acknowledge himself an imperfect aud a sinful being is simply a fool and not to be argued with. We all feel that sin has disorganized our entire nature. That is one fact. Another fact ia that thrift came to reconstruct, to restore. So revise, to correct, to redeem. That is a second fact The third fact is that tho only time we are sure Christ will par don us is tbo present. Now, what is the common sense thing for us to do in view of these three facts? Yon will all agree with me to quit sin, take Christ and take him now. buppooe some business man in whose skill you had perfect sonfldcnco should tell you that tomorrow, Monday morn ing. between 11 and 12 o'clock, you conic! by a oertuip financial transaction make §5,000, but that on Tncwlay pur- baps you might make it, but there would uot be any positivonoH about it, and on Wednesday there would uot bo so much, aud Thursday less, Friday loss, aud so on less and 1 s—when would you attend to the matter? Why, your common si use would dictate, “Immediately I will atteud to that mat ter, between 11 aud 12 o'clock tomor row, Monday morning, for then I can snrely accomplish it, but on Tuesday I may not, and on Wednesday there is less prospect and less and less. I will attend to it tomorrow.” Now, let us bring our common sense in this matter of religion. Here aro the hopes of the gospel. Yv’t- may get them now. Tomorrow Mo may get them and we may uot. Next day we may and we may not, tho prospect less and less and less aud less, the only sure time now—now. I would not talk to you iu this way if I did uot know that Ghri.it was a Liu to save ail ihe peo ple. I would not go into a hospital and tear off tho bandages from the wounds if I had no balm to apply. I would not havo tho lace to tell a man he is a sin ner unless I had at the same time the authority for saying he may be saved. The IMvInn Ilapliarl. Suppose iu Venice there is a Raphael, a faded picture, great in its time, hear ing some marks of its greatness. History describes that picture. It is nearly faded away. You say, “Oh, what a pity that so wonderful a picture by Raphael should be uoarly defaced!” Alter awhilo a man comes up, very unskillful in art, aud ho proposes to retouch it. You say: “Stand off. I would rather have it justau it ia You will only make it worse. ’’ After awhile there comes au artist who was the equal of Raphael. He says, “I will retouch that picture and bring out all its origkinl power. ” You havo full confidence in his ability. He touches it here and there. Feature after feature comes forth, and when bo is done with the picture it iu complete in all its original power. Now, God impresses his image on eur race, but that image has been defaced for hundreds and for thousands of years, getting fainter and fainter. Here comes up a divine Raphael—I shall call him a divine Raphael. He says, “I can restore that picture. ’ ’ He has all power iu heav en and on earth. He is tho eqnal of the one who made the picture, the equal of the one who drew tho image of God in our soul. Ho touches this sin and it is gone, that transgression and it is gone, aud all tho defacement disappears, aud “where sin abounded grace doth much moro abound.’’ Will you bavo tho do- faoemeut, or will you have tbo restora tion? 1 am well persuaded that if I could by a touch of heavenly pathos in two minutes put before you what Las beon done to save your soul thero would be an emotional tide overwhelming. “Mamma, ” said a little child to her mother when she was being put to bed at dight, “mamma, what makes your hand so scarred and twisted and unlike other people’s Lauds?” “Well,” said tho mother, “my child, when you were younger than you are now, years ago, one night after 1 had put you to bed, I heard a cry, a shriek, up stairs. I came up and found the bed was on fire, aud you were on fire, and I took hold of you, and I tcro off the burning garments, and while I was tearing them off aud trying to get you away I burned my hand, and it has been scarrod and twist ed over since and hardly looks any more like a hand, but I got that, my child, in trying to save you. ” O man, O woman, I wish today I could show yon the burned hand of Christ—burned in plucking yon out of the fire, burned in snatching you away from the flame. Aye, also tbo burned foot, and tho burned brow, and the burned heart—burned for you. “By his stripes ye are healed. ” Interesting Letters. The following interesting let ters were re ceived bv Dr. Hartman. Co lumbus, Ohio, from thankful women: Mrs L. A. Adams, Bearden, lenn., writes: “I can gladly recom mend Dr. Hartman’s wonderful remedies. They are all any house wife needs with the books sent free treating on the different ailments. I havo used Pe-ru-na for four years and it never fails to give relief if taken in time. Whenever I feel done up it helps me wonderfully. In cases of colds, chills, la grippe, if taken in hot water, it acts like a charm. I can recommend it for pains in the back, cold hands a >d feet. You will save doctor bills by tho use of Dr. Hartman’s wonderful medicines.” Miss Linnie Wiggins, Berlin Heights, Ohio writes: “I gof fered with ca tarrh of the nose, head and throat for throe years. I could get no relief until I began taking Pe-ru- na. I took three bottles. It has done wonders. Independent of cur ing my catarrh, it has greatly im proved my general health. I cannot describe the change. Any one suf fering from catarrh and knowing that it can be curt d would bo very unwise not to take Dr. Hartman’s advice. Follow directions. Pe-ru-na does the /eat.” Address The Pe-ru-na Drug Manu facturing Company, Columbus. Ohio, for a free book entitled “Winter Ca tarrh.” Ask your druggists (or a free Pe-ru- na Almanac for 1898. ’ ASH BITTER'" 1 £ & C2.EAMSES THE LIVER A&C DOWELS AT.D rOxTtt'IZS TK2 SYSTZM 10 R2SIST KtfVULIIiG LISLASEib PiUCE *1.00 PER BOTTLE. S0LD gy AU DRUGGISTS. /f^f*(’herokee Drug Co. Special Agents. i The Greatest Cure on Earth for Pain. Cures permanently Rheumatism, Neuralgia, Sciatica, Sprains, Cuts, Bruises, Scalds, Burns, Swellings, Backache or any other pain. SALVATION OIL is sold everywhere for 25 cts. Refuse substitutes. Chew LANGE'S PLUGS. Tho Great Tobacco Antidoto.ICc. Dealers or oiaii A.C.Meyer A Co., 3aJto.,M<L CANDY CATHARTIC ALL DRUGGISTS m. Christinas * «- will soon be upon us with all its attendant joys and pleasures and the pleasure of giving your wife, husband, sweetheart 01* friend something real nice as a present, is uot surpassed by any other pleasure you may have during the gay holidays. We have laid in a supply of suitable articles which will make handsome Xmas presents, and they won’t cost you much, either. Call and see them. s. yy- i>Yv:vri^i^, tucceaior to DANIELS & CO. X. B.—Between now and Xmas I will have a beautiful «tock of diamonds. Christmas is Coming and you will want some toys for the children; some Fine Candies, Nuts, &c., Pretty Dolls, and lots of other things that I will sell you cheap. See my line. I have the prettiest lot ot these goods iu Cherokee county. Yours truly, O. A. OSBORNE, Blacksburg, - - - - S. C. There are others .here who sell groceries, hut we claim to he the leaders in .prices and quality, and if you’ll give us atrial we wil .prove to you that our place is the place to trade. Yours truly, J. L. ALEXANDER & CO. THE NATIONAL BANK OF GAFFNEY. CAPITAL $50,000.00 This bank respectfully solicits the accounts of individual firn and corporations aud will extend every reasonable accommod tion to those doing business with it. Call to see us if you wish to borrow money. F. G. Stapy, Prest, J. G. Wardlaw, Vice-Prest, D. C. Ross, Cashier Die Gaffney City Land and Improfeinent Company, Offer for Sale Building Lota In this Flourishing Town, Also Farina near by and In reach of the achoola of Limeatone Spring* and of thia place in lots of from 30 to 100 acrea on liberal time rates. Alao Agricultural Landa to rent for farm purpoaea. For full particulara apply to MOSES WOOD, Agent. N.B.—All treapaaaing on landa of thia Company cutting and removing timber, flahing or hunting are forbidden under penalty of law. LIMESTONE * SPRINGS * LIME « WORKS,, CARROLL ft CO., Leasees. ——Manufacturers of BUILDING, * PLASTERING * AND * AGRICULTURAL * LIME, And Dealers In Coal, Shingles, Lathes and Plaster Hair. Oynamite. Blasting Powder. Fuse and Dynamite Caps.