The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1889-12-25
A CHRISTMAS SERMON.
The Text Is: Worldly Possessions Do
Not Bring Happiness.


tion that mans success in life is to be
measured by the extent of his worldly
gains. With most the desired acquisition
is money or its equivalent in lands, goods
or valuable securities that may at any
time be turned into gold. There is hardly
mail brought to our desk that does not
contain one or more requests from some
correspondent for advice as to the best
way to this goal, or for assistance in some
form to attain this desire of his heart
Shall be engage in business when the ave-
nues are so crowded, and the chances of
success so fewa Shall he study a profes-
sion, and which, as the readiest path to
self support and pecuniary independence?
Or if older, with small sum in his hand,
shall he buy land at the west, and if so,
in what section2 Would it pay him to en-
gage in stock raising on a small scale, or
would the competition from the larger
operators, with their immense herds, crush
him at the outset of his enterprise2 Is
there an opening for him in a new coun-
try. Or would We counsel him to 60 to
Central or to South America, and what
location do We recommend as the objective
point?
In every case the aim of the enquirer
seems to be to come into the possession of
something outside of himself, which he
may retain as a fortune in satisfaction of
his aims and desires If there is any les
son written indelibly on the experience of
all the ages it is the one which was SUNNI
ed up by the great Teacher in the graphic
sentence, ga mans life consisteth not in
the abundance of the things which he
possesseth.'' And yet the eager efforts to
lay hold of outside gains that may be
counted as treasures IN hand show how
little the admonition is needed. Success )
in accommodating money or other tangible
| property is confounded by multitudes,
young and old, with SUCCESS IN LIFE. 1t
needs little range of vision to refute this
conception. Money is not life, nor will a
store of it add to the enjoyment of those
powers in which true life consists.
If only physiRl existence is taken into
account the possession of wealth in the
| best use of it will do little to prolong the
| being or to increase its vitality. On the
| other hand, the anxieties that come with
| the possession of large gains, to say moth
| ing of the wearing labors put forth in the
process of acquisition, are nough to break
down the most robust constitution and to
| leave on an impoverished frame burden
always little too heavy for the weary
| shoulder. In the enjoyment of mere ami
| NAL life and vigor large worldly posses
| sions serve as drawb back instead of friend
| ly helpers, and buoyancy of spirits can
| seldom be made an associate with heavy
| rent roll or great estate. We know that
| the sanguine who are so eager IN the pur
suit of wealth regard all this as heresy, but
let one who has made the venture and at
tained his desire take them into his conf
dence, and they would soon be undeceived
if their ears were not closed alike against
| the words of wisdom and the voice of ex-
perience.
Some years ago we sat down for while
with man not much past the prime of
life. who had sat out early in the pursuit
of wealth and had reached the goal of his
ambition. He had been in throng at the
start he said, but only one besides himself
had gained the object. Was he happy in
it's possession? For himself, no. he frankly
confessed: it was all vanity and vexation
of spirit He was broken in health, and
near the close of life, and there was but
one thing in his view that was any com
pensation for the toll and sacrifice of the
|
| though: that his children, each of whom
would inherit from him an ample fortune,
would be saved the mad scramble for
wealth. 1t would fall into their hands
with no effort on their part, and he hoped
they would enjoy it. We had no heart to
weaken this hope, and we left him hug
ging the delusion which was his only
solace in his closing years. When he
passed away, did they enjoy the wealth
be left tnem2 Perhaps some of our read
ers will expect US to say that they wasted
the inheritance in riotous living, and per
ished in their folly. But this was not
their history. We knew two of them,
who were sober, temperate men, and We
asked one not long since about his views
of life He will pardon US for repeating
his earnest protest against the thought
that an inherited fortune is blessing tc
the ,,Ossessor, He declared that it is a
positive curse When it did not lead tC
dissipation, the usual result of idle living
it took awav, he said the chief Stimulant
to either mental or physical exertion, anc
made a waste of the weary hours. A
father, in his judgment, could do nothing
better for a son tnan to train him for the
conflict and leave him to fight the battle
for himself.
The true busint SIS Of man is the building
} | 100000
in life'' is the attainment of this grane
ideal. There are many adverse influences
both within the man and without, ant
the world is the field where the struggle
, is to take place Seclude him from con
tact with his fellows, and if he grows Al
all in true manhood it will be one sideG
development. Service is the law of al
, true growth in this field, and the NOR
unselfish and lovingly it is rendered tn
more rapid and symmetrical is the attain
. ment. Perfection is the aim, but grea
measure of success may be gained far shor
} of reaching that standard. When man
? heart is fully set on the object we hav
, described, his life is redeemed from al
chance of failure. That determination
comes only to these the windows of who's
souls have been opened heavenward, an
the purpose begotten from highe
sphere was never known to come short O
its final triumph. .-.
Earthly treasures, even when thei
! wings are clipped, are at their best in dc
; caying vessels, and are subject to mot
5 and rust. They have no power to minis
: ter peace to the weary and restless, an
4 when hugged too closely to the flesh the
3 eat like a cancer. Their possession add
nothing to mans life in any form, for
2 does not consist in outside accumulations
True life is an inner growth toward res