The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1896-11-09
UNITY CHURCH.
Rev. Mr.. Thomson's Sermon Upon
Christ's Doctrine Concerning Money.

At Unity church yesterday the pastor,
Rev. ]. T. Thomson, delivered sermon
upon Christ's Doctrine Concerning
Money, taking the text duke xvi, 81:
Make to yourselves friends of the man.
mon of unrighteousness. that, when We
fail, they may receive you into everlast-
ing habitation."
1t is not sin to possess riches, said the
pastor, if they have been acquired hon
estly, and if they be used wisely and
conscientiously; but 1t is crime to pos
sess wealth that has been obtained dis
honestly, heartlessly, and by means Ct
legal technicalities 1t would be folly to
make a law that would limit the amount
Of wealth which a successful business
man should possess, because such a law
could be evaded In many ways. Our
nation is saved by conscience, not by
impracticable laws. The development
Of the moral nature of our children. ac-
cordins to the decaloSue, the sermon on
the mount and the blessed example of
Christ's divine life, would be the best
way Of making the country righteous.
Rich men should not continue to make
money until death calls them to their
account. They should devote themselves
to the political interests and the social
improvements of the country which has
made 1T possible for them to become rich.
Its laws, institutions, opportunities ana
resources have furnished them with the
means to gather wealth, and it is very
plain that gratitude to their country.
the claims Of human brotherhood and
the Gospel of Christ demand their devo-
ton to the progress. prosperity, educa
ton, refinement and safety of their cOun-
try. Christ teaches that the man who
uses his wealth for the good of others
is making friends that will receive him
into everlasting habitations of happiness
after death, and he told the rich young
man whom he loved that if he blessed
the poor with his wealth. he would re-
ceive not only salvation, but also eXalta-
ton. The price of this exaltation, this
sense of eternal life, was the bearing of
the cross. which would come to him in
parting with some of his wealth for the
good of humanity. Dives Jared sumptu-
ously every day, living life of luXuri-
GUS selfishness, and doing no good, and
he went to the hell of criminal selfish
ness. The best place to make an invest
ment of our abundance is in some needy
life. The treasure placed in an immor-
tai soul will never be lost. because the
soul is eternal. The rich fool built larger
barns for the purpose of storing up his
abundance for future use, and he COM
forted his selfish soul with the thought
that he could live in luxury for many
years, but death came to him and
brought to him the sad realization of
MS Sill, lOliy anu HllSeEy. "A COuutIy Will
many ulti-millionaires and many pau
pers is not in healthy moral and social
condition. That country is safer where
nobody is very rich and nobody very
poor. This country was happier seventy
five years ago than it is now. with all its
vast wealth, for then there was less pau
perism in proportion to the population,
less sickness, less discomfort. less morbid
agitation. 1t is impossible for us to re-
turn to the good old times. but it surely
Is possible for us to be honest, honorable,
pure, helpful. 1t is not impossible To
keep the Golden Rule and to obey the
laws of the Sermon on the Mount. The
sad truth is, the rich and the poor have
been trained to despise the Golden Rule.
to neglect the Sermon on the Mount. and
to hate the ten commandments, and il
now seems to all men that it is nonsense
to talk about these codes of morals ex
cept in the pulpit, and even there the
preacher must be very circumspect
about the way he suggests anything
about the application of these divine
rules of moral conduct.