The Indianapolis journal., 1890-06-08
READING FOR SUNDAY.
A Morning Thought.


Strange peace and rest fell on me from the
presence
OF benignant spirit standing near;
And should tell him, as he stood beside me:
.sThis is our earth-most friendly earth, and
fair;
Daily its sea and shore, through sun and shadow,
Faithful it turns, robed in its azure air;
ssThere is blest living here. loving and serving.
And quest of truth and serene friendships dear
But stay not, spirit Earth has one destroyer
His name Is Death; Zee, lest he ind thee here"
And.what If then. while the still morning bright
ened,
And freshened in the elm the summers breath,
Should gravely smile on me the gentle angel,
And take my hand and say: my name Is
OeathP'
international Sunday School Lesson for
June 15. 1890.
THE RICH MANS FoLLY-Luke xii, 1921.
Golden Text Take heed, and beware of cov-
etousness; for mans life consisfeth not IN tho
Luke, xii, 15.
HOME READINGS.
Mon.-The rich mans folly. Luke xii, 1921.
Tues.-Wealth cannot save. Psa XIX. b-lT.
Med.-Godly contentment Tim; Vi. 6ol2.
Thur.-Uncertaln riches. Tim. vi, 1871.
Fri.-Danger Of selfish ease. Amos vi. Ia.
6at.-"If the Lord will" Jas. iv. 1917.
Sun.--All from God. Deut. viii, 1920.
WHAT THE LESSON TEACHES.
The Independent
Covetousness can well be called our ma
tional vice. 1t is the more insIdious be-
cause 1t can be and generally is so respect
able. How is it otherwise whenit is so uni
yersal that it is no longer popular to call it
sinf Avarice and cupidity are vulgar.
Both are acquired qualities. and show
baseness of character that is deservedly
execrated. But covetousness is natural
disposition to get more. 1t Is the craving
for property of any description that will
make one richer. 1t is the passion for ac-
cumulating. which in itself may not be i'm
moral, but which becomes so as it blots out
the instincts of generosity. 1t is not un-
christian to berich, but itmakes Christlanl-
ty the harder test. Theman who lIvesbutt
accumulate wealth is in no sense Chris
tian. Christ has shown us plainly enough
that the accumulation of virtues IS the
only reasonable aim of high life. 1t en-
tails everlasting possession.
Christ's realm is the spiritual. He did not
come to settle family disputes or take sides
on matter of property. The great major
ity of prayers that are uttered are for phys
ical benefits. This is all wrong. 1t does not
require much insight to see that man has to
tight his battles against nature and f0rnat-
ure under the natural laws God has made:
To expect q subversion or suspension of
these laws is absurd. 70 pray for even their
acceleration Is ridiculous. Reasonable
Christianity expects no such miracles. But
on the higher plane, the spiritual, Christ
denies no righteous prayer. The culture of
the soul is Christs immediate care. Ask
and ye shall receive. That is what he came
for.
Take heed! Christ begs his followers to
be as astute in the making of character as
in the making of money. The business man
makes his success by sort of intuitive far
sightedness. He looks ahead, reads the
signs Of the times. and changes his tactics
at every breath. So the Christian must
note the minutest indication of a lapse of
virtuous conduct. He must foresee the
symptom before the disease is developed.
A careless word repeated often may de-
stroy one lobe of o fine Character. 1t must
be checked and symmetry saved.
My barns my corn. my goods, my soul
Oh, the mania for personal possession! How
long s the title for the estate gOOdf The
neglect of heavenly inheritance for earthly
possessions is a strange anomaly. Who Is
so foolish as to prefer COW to honesty;
barn to virtue: q crop of hay to holiness;
house to Christ; an income to eternityF
After all, there 10 more than q worldly
shrewdness and sagacity. What unwise
creatures must these seem to the eternal
God, who chuckle to themselves that they
outwit their fellow-men, and who are dig
ging their own pitfalls! The one who only
looks at the present profit is world-foolish.
The great general is he that plans. not one
skirmish but whole campaign ahead.
The sagacious man is he that plans life
work to the end, and accomplishes it dis
passionately. How much shrewder is he
who, taking into account the longest life,
the life beyond, plans TO attain eminence
and honor therein. This is q low motive
to live nobly; but it is better than
none. Some are constitutionally CONNER
cial, and these must win heaven in their
own way. The shrewder q man is. the
more far-sighted, the better Christian will
he be. Rich in reference to ones self or
toward God! The blunt contrast is Pict-
ure that is in itself a final argument. Does
the salesman sell for himself or his en-
ployerf Whose money does he take Inf
And yet, in working for another he works
for himself. too. But the treasure toward
toward the poor. of seif-sacrifice for others,
of kindness and generosity. 1t is not SO
very hard to be rich in the happiness of
others God asks little, and gives king
are so common nowadays that it 10 unself-
ishness tDat shines brighter to-day than at
any other time in our history.
OF General Interest.
The Emperor of Germany has subscribed
90, GOO marks to the Evangelical mission for
hospital at Zanzibar.
The provisional programme for the ninth
international Christian Endeavor conven-
tion at st. Louis. June 1915, is out.
A translation of the "Pilgrim's Progress" !"
printed with raised types for the use of the
blind in the Island OF FOrmosa, is about to
be published.
No fewer tian threo Roman Catholic
archbishops and seven bishops of the Amer
lean hierarchy in the last fifty years were
born in other creeds.
Miss Guinness says that the nearer one
comes to an open port in China, the more
antagOnistic 10 the feeling toward foreign
ers. That is sorry comment on the lives
of foreigners in the ports of that country.
It is said that Bishop Bowman has dedi-
Gated more churches than any other minis
ter of any denomination. He recently dedi-
Gated q new church on the circuit in Penn
sylvana, where he preached his first ser
mon, over fifty years ago.
The last yearly meetingof the Friends, in
London, is described by one of their num-
ber as lone long series of sermons and
PRAYER unrelieved by silence" And out of
the WEAKNESS of such performances he cries
out for 1.-The active power of silence
The United Presbyterian Church has con-
formed it's statistical inquiry this year to
the schedule of the Census Office. IL re-
ports S65 congregations, 103,921 church.
members, SIS churches. with seating capac-
ity of 263, ,303, and valued at S.. .036, 764.
The central division of the Salvation
Army has just celebrated the tenth anni-
versary of the Landing of the army in this
country. At the meeting in New York
five delegates from the army in India.
includin MOhamnedap Buddhist priest