Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1890-01-23
OWE NO MAN" !"
One Precept of a Debt.Paylng Re.
ligion.
A SERMON RECENTIY PREACHED by
TUE REV. T. +. KILGO, OF LANCASTER.
cove No Man Anytling."-Rom. XIII, 8.


cove No Man Anything. ."-Rom. XIII, 8.
know Of 10 more appropriate
season for the pulpit to speak out
upon the duty of meeting ones
financial obligations than now. The
summer has passed; the crops are
being rapidly harvested and now is
the time for men to pay what they
owe. But, you say, there is no
money in circulation, crops are very
short believe it is good thing
for some men that crops are short,
for it gives some of the dishonest
fellows some excuse, and you know
the old adagc, ga poor excuse is bet
ter than no excuse" And again, if
some men did not have something to
mlrmur against God for, they would
be miserable. Our people arc mur-
muring people.
Did you ever see a crop that was
not short? 1 would like to see how
much corn and cotton an acre had to
produce in order to come up to some
mems idea of n full crop. 1t is a
chronic case of grumbling. Some
one has said, "Some people are SO
miscrably miserable tnat they are
miserable if they are not miserable" ;"
You may take that home and study
it out. What our people want is re-
ligion to make tlcm willing to let
God ran this world.
DEBTOR TO GOD.
This is true in every way we look
at1t. There are none Of these debts
that man may hope to pay in full,
and God does not require it of us.
We can never repay him for that in
finite love that rescued us from per-
dition. But there is debt that we
do owe and that is expected Of us to
pay. 1t is debt of gratitude.
am not going to take up much time
this morning in showing you how
you may pay this debt. | preached
to you last Sunday morning on the
conversation of Zaccheus, and you
saw how he expected to pay it. Too
many people forget that they owe
God anything. They love to talk
about free grace. They love to sing
that soug, "Jcsus Paid 1t All."
Now, brethren, you have worked
Gods land, you have brcathcd His
air, you have had His rain and sun
shine, you have lived in His houses,
you have eat His bread, in word
You are Gods tenants, and if you
are honest men you will pay the
rent Some people say they have
nothing to be grateful for; they have
had aflliction, or some calamity has
bcfallcn them, and they do not sec
where God has been good to them.
ii there is one of this sort here
this morning all | havc'to say to you
is you arc an ungratcful wretch, and
had better thank God that He has
not sent some awful punishment up
on you. One more remark and I am
done with this part of my subject.
When men begin to realize that
times are hard and economy is nee
cssary, they begin to practice it first
at the house of God. They cut
down church expenses onc-half.
God will not bless any such economy.
DEBTS TO MAN.
But let us now turn to the finan
cial obligations you are under to
your fcllow-man. Pope says Gan
honest man is the noblest work of
God" That may be little exag-
gcratcd, yet there is great deal of
truth in it. / know that the highest
type Of Christian man is much
noblcr than the highest type of
man of the world. And | know
that man of the world may be
honest. But at the same time |
know it is impossible for any man to
be a Christian and be dishonest, or,
to put put it plainly, not pay his
debts. wish to lay special cmpha-
sis upon that fact. Many of our
so-callcd Christians have entirely too
loose ideas of honesty
One of the specific rules Of our
church forbids "Thc borrowing things
without the probability of paying
for them" 1t is a rule that is prcg
nant with the spirit of Christ, yet
am afraid it is rule that we, as
Christians, arc too apt TO forget.
Christ did not fail to set us an OK
ample in economy as well as in other
things. He was born of poor pa.
rents and He was raised in poverty,
and lie was satisfied to lead life of
self-dcnial We are too cXtrayaoant.