Evening journal., 1894-07-24
REAPING WHAT We sow
Our Good as a Nation De-
mands That We Suffer.
HALT IN DUB RUSH FOR MAMMoE

Rev. George c. ball Applies the Parable
Of the Unjust Steward to the Existing
Conditions of Undertaking and Pray
Ink VIII Not AVIAN Unless There is an Er-
change OF Low for HIgh ideals.
Rev. George c Hall. the eloquent
rector Of st. Johns Protestant Episcopal
Church, preached an interesting sermon
on the financial depression existing Ia
the United states and tn causes leading
thereto, on Sunday morning It was as
follows:
st. Luke XVI. 8. Take thy bill ana sit
down quickly, and write nifty.
These are the words of he central
figure in one of our Lords most telling
parallels There, it seems. was a man
who had large property This probably
consisted ia lana chiefly. he, ia other
words, was a farmer, whose estate was
so large that be had the reputation of
being rich He, however, did not him
self manage his affairs, but entrusted
them in free way to a steward While
1t is not expressly stated how long he
mauaged the property, there is reason to
think that he did so for years; that he
for a long time enjoyed the fullest con-
hdence of his superior Bat he, by aud
BY, had serious charges laid up against
him The rich man thoroughly investi-
gated them, and. on convincing himself
that they were true, gave him notice Of
dismissal
The steward, for some reason, did not
al once deliver up his Office The
probability is that time was required for
MIN to complete his accounts and get
affairs into shape for the incoming Of his
successor He at all events, whatever
the occasion for delay may have been,
very clsverly i'm proved his opportunity.
He sent for one after another of his
masters debtors, aud. when the frst
came, asked him; How much owest
thou unto my lord2' When the debtor
Gnswered-"An hundred measures of
oil he said unto hi d." Fake thy bill,
and sit down quickly, and write fifty"
A shrewd Business Move.
hat under the circumstances was an
exceedingly brilliant thing to do 1t was
the part Of a sharp, shrewd business
man, and indicated that he, in an emer.
gency, was hard 70 match What, more
over, adds TO what we may call our sur
prise at the mastery stroke, is The fact
that he till then did not appear TO sd
vantage The estate, under his manage.
ment became involved The rich mans
interests did not prosper, but suffered.
He, as already remarked, had great con-
fidence in his steward believed that be
would do his best It. there fore, was
severe shock to him when he learned
that he was untrustwortby; that his
great farm ia his agents hands had run
down-perhaps, not even paid expenses.
The way be aecosted him shows that
the revelations had been altogether
unexpected. How Is It that hear this
Of thee ?" he said II, he meant, have
never been more surprised in my life
thought everything was going well. But
10 turns out that the man whom trusted
as l trust myself, has disappointed me-
shown that my interests are not safe in
his hands. never did harder thing
in my life; but l, to secure myself, must
take away from you the stewardship"
The Same Old Complaints Existed.
There was, in Chrlst's time, AS now,
much said about the strong expressing
the weak; about the wealthy taking
advantage Of the poor; about the CAPT.
talist doing unjustly by the laborer
While there was room for such com
plants there also was shortcoming on
the other side; many instances, where
hired men-men who filed the response
BILE place of stewards, and men who
occupied subordinate and mental posi-
tions, accepted hire they never earned
and betrayed trusts which they should
have felt sworn to guard and advance
They, moreover, did not come short
from incapacisy simply. The great lack
then, as in every age, was deep, strong
and clear sense of responsibility Too
many entered the service Of others
without feeling that they, in IL. must
exercise as great care and concern as
they themselves would demand IL they
were the employers. The steward about
whom the master tells us in the first
instance. was not dishonest. The charge
was not that he defrauded, but that he
wasted his superiors goods. The implica-
tion Is that he neglected his duty; that
he, through carelessness, suff sr ed the
property to be damaged and lost.
IL has been suggested that he per.
haDs, was given to riotous living: that
he associated with men and women who
had depraved and exp nsive tastes; that
he, in fine, wss another prodigal in the
far country
Similar Cases In This Dav.
Such a superstition is very likely. We
in our day. at all events, on every hand
see the same thing. Thousands are
asked TO give up their STEWARDSHIP
because they through evil companionshiI
and spendthrift hab its, sooner or latei
arrive where wronged and sngry en-
ployers must insist upon a final account
ing. indeed 1t Is not too much to say
that the great bulk of the privatioI
which always exists is owing to vast,
in some form or other If there, for onll
ten years, were no squandering in am
sense; II all men everywhere were tru,
to their obligations, neglected NJ
chances, and remembered that a penn,
saw d was penny made, there woul,
be abundance in households that arr
without bread, while many who say
My lord taketb away from me th,
stewardship. What shall | 90? car
not dig, to beg 1 am ashamed, woul,
remain secure in their position. Then
too, II one In the way now considered
comes to grief, he. in the desperate
straits. nearly always commits the
supreme folly. Multitudes to day hav
the brand Of dishonesty upon them
because they, by neglecting to do thel
best, invited the disaster, which wa
so biting that they in their extremlt