The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-08-07
PROPERTY A TRUST.
How to Invest and How to Secure an
Everlasting Reward Business
in Religion.
CHURCH.

IN
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
The til eme OF the evening sermon by
the pastor was "Investing for God" an
exposition OF Luke XIX, 11-27.
The United States government, strong
az ii it, cannot be 80 thoroughly relied
upon az the government OF God. The
policy OF our government depends upon
the policy OF the party in power The
present financial stringsncy 10 largely
due TO uncertainty as 10 what legisla-
tion win be placed upon the statute
books by the party which was victori-
GUS Ut the polls last November. Backs
have failed. Factories have been closed.
Multitudes Of men ara thrown out OF
employment. No investments OF any
kind are being made. The money Of the
country 10 locked up in the vaults and
safes and the people have not the con-
idence to let it pass out Of their hands.
The country is anxiously awaiting the
action OF the present government.
Now while earthly governments may
sometimes give their subjects eason
for distrust and fear, the government OF
God 10 the same yesterday, to-day and
forever. II is always, has always been,
viii always be, stable and unchanging az
the everlasting hills. II this were not
90, il 1t was subject to q f~iuctnating pol
icy Jesus would never have spoken the
Parable OF the Pounds which is our
lesson tonight.
l. That he expects our servants to
invest, use, be busy with talents and
means intrusted to them for the enlarge
ment and growth Of his kingdom on the
earth. They are TO do this with dill
gence and. with perfect confidence, for
(1) He by his death and resurrection has
taken steps to secure this kingdom. ca
BY his ascension to the right hand Of
the Father he 10 in q position TO endow
richly all who labor for the establish
ment OF this kingdom eye shall receive
power" II am with you always.'D There.
(3) 1t is the duty of every believer te
spend and be spent in the service of biz
Divine Master. Take up some branch
of church work. IL it is not lyour duty
to preach, pray. Serve in some capacity
Every branch Of church awork is most
honorable because done for the king Of
kings. There is a diversity Of gifts but
the same holy spirit is given abundantiy
to all. In Shakespeare's Julius Caesar
there is a dialogue between Brutus anc
lLigarius who has been sick, in which
Brntus says: 20 whats time have YOU
chose out, brave Caius, to 81 {
kerchief! Would you were not SICK
and lLigarius heartily rspliesaL"I an
not sick if Brutus have in hand any ex
plot worth the name Of honor" Sucl
an eager desire and earnest purpos'
should animate the servants of the grea
king. Again there 10 no loss in self sac
rifce for Jesus. "Your labor is not il
vain in the Lord" The giver Of tn
cup of cold water will not lose his re
ward. The government OF God pursue
no huctuating policy IN this matter
Every promise will be fulfilled. Wha
; investment, then, can be safer or cal
!. yield a surer return than the giving o
ourselves to the Lord?
2. In particular, u property, GU
money is Gods and he expects us to in
vest it SO as to bring greatest honor +
: Him. "The earth is the Lords and tn
:. f~ullness thereof the world and they tia
dwell therein" 1.-THE silver is mine IN.
the gold is mine," saith the Lord. "I'
are not your own" Such is the Bibl
doctrine of Gods absolute proprietor
ship in us and in our possessions. Thi
is no socialistic doctrine. We do no
> teach that,"priyate property is theft.
! So far as our relations to our fellow me-
are concerned We may say "This house
. this field is mine," but In relation t
!. God We must say we are true to tn
teachings both of reason ann the scrip
! lures sThis house, these goods,s thi
: property is thine and | am only rh
, trustee, permitted for a few years t
= manage it IN thy interest. In the pal
: able the servants Of Jesus are taught t
return to Him their pound with inter
: est"
But this principle is not lived up t
by the church, for only one sixteenth G
one per cent of the wealth Of the churc
, membership of the United States
given annually to carry the gospel t
the unevangelized at home and abroad
Carefully prepared statistics sho'
that the average amount given by eac
member OF the evangelical churches i
q the United States annually for home an
foreign missions is only fifty cents
Thousands give nothing. The bulk
q the offerings is given by a few. VIII