The Newtown bee., 1893-10-06
The Secular Pulpit.
THE SERMON.
4 PARABLE OF AHITUB.

Il +Ah-ADi-E| UT AIllI D.
 There once lived in the land of Shem, man whose name was Ahitub. Now this man had great desires to be rich. His father before him had been an hum- ble child of the desert, being content with his little flock of camels, and his scanty fare of dates and water. But Ahtub was not satisfied to live the hum- ble life of his ancestors and his neigh bors. He would revel in wealth. He would have his tapestries and his ser wants, his silver trappings for his camel, and his royal fare for himself. So he prayed often that he might be rich. And as he prayed he meditated how, by right or wrong he might be able to get the desire of his heart. One day, in the midst of his prayer, Satan appeared to in the guise of an old patriarch. And he said, "I am ths Father of evil, I heard you praying to God for riches. Do not believe that he will answer. Only obey my voice and
 YOU SHALL BE RICH."
 l Then Ahitub listened to the voice of Satan and ceased to pray to God. Moreover, he promised to give his soul to Satan, if he would show him how to be rich. Straightway, Satan bade him go to the tent of his Prince, and to steal therefrom, three pieces of gold. The first piece he was to take and throw into a fountain, in an oasis, in the desert,
 
 straightway the water would begin to flow filled with gold. The second piece he was to break in fragments and SOW them in the field. Instead of a field of grain, the ground would bear golden robes and golden ornaments. Taking the third piece he was to kneel with it in his mouth at monday, and pray unto Satan, looking to the sun and golden crown, and bag of jewels would come
 to him.
 AHITUB WAS GLAD
 at the advice of Satan and at once obey ed. The money was secretly taker from the tent of the Prince. When the first piece was placed in the clear water of the spring, in the desert, it began tt . flow with grains of gold. These dif :, Ahitub gather until he was wearied witt his gathering. Then he sowed the field as the Evil One had ordered, and tn, shrubs f1uttered with golden robes ant Il ornaments until his soul was weariet y with the gathering of them. Being no t satisfied with his pile of gold and hi beautiful garments, he knelt to pray t. y Satan with the piece in his mouth. Blu ] here Satan had not told Ahitub that h U should appear and secure his pay. S ; while Ahitub knelt to Satan, the wicke, e one stole away his soul out of his mout T and the man fell lifeless upon the earth
 And God, as punishment for the gree
 and sin of this man and as warning t
 others smote the fountain and field. an . they were turned to barrenness, and tn :. gathering gold became dross. Then hi
 kinsmen of the tribe
 FOUND AHITUB DEAD ,e beneath the boiling sun of the deser and the gold pieces of the Prince in h U mouth, they cried out, ssIt is kismet. ~ And worshipped God that the guilty ha .a not gone unpunished.. There are certai o- morals from the parable, beloved I ., begin with, do not desire overmuch to ,a rich. It will be snare to your soul ,e See also the way Satan tempts mel < He says first, ssDo not believe in God, N And when man begins to lose faith