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
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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,
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Backache or any other pain. SALVATION OIL
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Chew LANGE'S PLUGS. Tho Great Tobacco Antidoto.ICc. Dealers or oiaii A.C.Meyer A Co., 3aJto.,M<L
CANDY
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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.