Telegram-herald., 1891-03-23
MINISTRYOF WEALTH
The Obligations Of the Rich To-
ward Their Fellow Men.
DR.. FLUHRER'S EVENING SERMON
Opportunities that the Wealthy Asn of
Masksxon .ad other Ctties imprors
while Those of erana Rap
ids Neglect Them

Taking the 10th and lIth verses Of
the 18th chapter OF the frat book Of
Samuel as text, Rev. Charles Flu
hrer said: ut was at the time IN the
Jewish history when the patrlarehai
system had been set aside; the admins
trsiion OF affairs had not yet settled
down. In the lack Of law, custom
served Its purpose. Nabal and David
are brought before US; Aabal was q
wealthy sheep owner, David was u
military man, restraIner OF outlaws.
Among them there Was rude sense OF
honor. Dayid's band wac wall of pro-
lection TO Nabal's fiocks. 1t grew so
that Sabal Was under obligation 10 Da-
yld. BY his protection ne had grown
wealthy.
"strlctly speaking, part OF Nahafs
wealth was David's. Acknowledgment
of such obligation voluntarily, Is no.
bic thing, but Nabal was not man TO
voluntarily do such a noble deed. lie
| was man who would only do what he
previously had agreed 10 do. Moral
Obligation did not appeal To him. When
Davld's band needed aid he said: "Who
IS Dayidg' Stung 10 the quick, David
determined 10 appeal 10 force.
Giv.to Those Who Need.
Now. from strictly legal point of
view, Nabal's position was justified, but
there was higher law which he did
not recognize, an unwritten law. Now,
TO the direct application: The oh ga
ton TO the church with men of wealth.
If there is anything which charac-
terIzes 1t. II is that il teaches men TO
give out of their wealth. TO those who
need. Men fulfill their higher pur-
poses by converting lower into =
| higher value. lie converts the
prairie TO n field of flowing grain
He gains wealth. In thishas he done
all? No. He should coin the value of
wealth into the higher value of culture.
comforts and light OF deeper intellectu-
ality. Society has a right 10 demand
that Of every man of wealth.
| "ln accumulatlng wealth alone man
| has not fulfilled his entire mission. So
clety has right TO demand more be-
Cause he is under obligation TO society.
For instance, a man starts an enterprise
IN this city and makes money. By SIM
| ply paving hrs financial obligations, has
| he paid hls entire debt? No, he owes a
| debt to society under moral law.
| There is not a rich man IN the city to-
day who does not owe more TO the COM
munity than the community owes 10
him.
within short time wealthy men
have died leaving a million dollars, but
they left not "A cent for any of the chari
table institutions that exist in our
midst. We are proud of our furniture
institutions, but we are more proud OF
our schools, our churches and what We
are doing toward the cultivation OF
higher life.
The Rich VS. the Poor.
al cannot fully express my appro.
baton OF the establishment OF public
library IN Muskegon. There are such
opportunities for the investment oi
wealth IN our city and If our wealthy
men do not accept them they do not &c
their duty.
There is in all our cities an unrest
among the laborlng classes. 1t seem.
10 them that the rich have too muct
and the poor too little in the way OF
opportunities. BY properly using
wealth great deal of that feeling may
Toe allayed If the time should evel
come that in our city a rot like that OF
the Paris Commune should occur, i
will be the libraries, churches, hospi
tails and institutions of charity tha
would be saved, rather than the palaces
of wealth that have done nothing fol
the condition of the poor.
There is a wealth that we leave be
hind at death, but greater still tina
lives forever IN the enriching of