The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-03-14

covctousness and seifishncss from your /
heart and life and 10 10 work TO do your |
duty to both God aud man In the place |
where the providence Of God has placed |
you. and then You can wisely look to your |
Father In heaven to take caro- Of you on |
earth. only such man In such way can |
be rich toward God. and only such n man |
will God count rich toward Him.
There are certain Inducements offered 10 |
influence men TO grow rich toward God.
One is the absolute assurance that every |
one who does hts duty In the use OF all |
God gives him and 80 bevv.lex rich with |
God VIII receive from His Kindly provi- |
dence whatever temporal blessings are nec-
| cssary 10 his usefulness and development. |
Not TO the lazy fellow or tho improyident |
fellow. who will neither work nor save but
| to tho man who. without covetousness and |
| without using his abilities OF whatever sort |
| to pandcr 10 his selfishness. Will wisely |
devote himself 10 an unscifish and loviug
! service OF God, our Lord declares that God
| will always give an abundance Of whatever
| is necessary to enable him to make tho
| best use vf himself to himself. to his
| family. to his fellows and TO hts God.
| This no coyetous man viii look for nor
| could get. Col guarantees TO his dutiful
| children certain blessings but they are
| guarauteed only TO His dutifui cESdren.
| Men learn after time to say with the
| psalmist, II have been young. and now am
| old. yet have | not seen the righteous
forsakcn, nor his seed begging their bread
| To loyal children tod gives the assur
auee and confirms II TO all who are loyal
| hut only to those who arc loyal. The
| quality OF their adherence Is the condition
OF His gift The promise ~ not given to
men who are afraid to So ahead and SIM
| ply do their duty and Woo therefore try
! so to arrange matters Ms TO make sure OF
| their comfort. come what will, Such men
are selfish and Covotous and are not con
tent merely to do their best and leave
everything TO God. have never known an
uuseiflsh servant of God the worse for
trusting Him.
Put aside covetousnoss and soitishncss.
do your work faithfully and earnestly do
not worry about the morrow, trustly SIM
ply In God, and all will come out well.
Only such II man can become rich to-
ward God for only such an one will do
those things which place treasures In
heaven: only such an one viii make God
his banker. Such man will have Ath
, time and disposition to helm the needy. to
care for the poor, to comfort the despair
ing to nurse the sick, to cothe tho naked,
, to shelter the houscless to give the gospel
, 10 them that are In ds>kuesS, The man
who Us kind and un-Scliish and simple
hearted and noble VIII deal IN such things
and only that sort of man will
Now. such are the things God counts the
y true riches They arc riches in Gods
sight They are the definition and proof
, OF an unselfish and divine life When the
imprisoned prophet, John the Baptist. sent
= to inquire into the reality of christ 4 mcB-
, siahship the Lord returned him word that
kind and gentle deeds were done by Him
! to the helpless ana forlorn. and that tho
+. gospel was freely preached to the poor.
y Proof sufficient Such things are the
u divine riches. and God win keep them In
. eternal pcrmauonce--n purses that wax
not old that moths can not harm nor
. worms destroy. nor rosuo1 steal, Only
:, those things VIII God keep. and only tho
= riches He Keeps are kept forever, man =
+ affections are given uTcservcdly to what
- he conceiNos 10 be his trnest riches, This
is according to our nature and In borne
. out by universal experience. man 5
: heart Is whore his treasure is. II you ibok
- upon vast Accommodations or material com
= forts. or worldly power, or Influence. or
, fame us your chief treasure. your affections
a viii infalllbly twinc about such thinga.
= Their reflex Influence ON YOU Will inov-
itably ooarsen and harden you aud event
uaily strip you OF everything that rs OF
, value in the sight OF God. No matter how
. rich you may he in other ways II you bs
found poor In Gods sight you VIII be poor
'. indeed II you make material things your
treasure you win grow earthly and mate
rial on the contrary. II yVu make moral
and spiritual things your treasure your
heart VIII center its affections In them
and you VIII grow gracious tender Kind.
, Such things will refine and ennoble you
:. and make you divine II Is coarscncss OF
II soul against spiritual culture. oovetousnoss
= against unsclfishnoss. hell against heaven,
tho devil against God.
without saying one word against wealth
as wealth, or against rich men as rich men,
for the rich may and often do hold their
a wealth as stewards of God ana feel all the
responsibility imposed by such providen-
tal posse ssions--without saying uno word
In criticism of simple riches the Lord
. nevertheless most severely characterl2ca
- every one who is guilty of the incredible
y folly Of mistakng worldly wealth and
y selfish ease for the true riches aud who
neplects or refuses to do those things
which make him rich toward God.
The wise man. and the only wise man.
ns God estcoma wisdom. ia he who uses
u NIL he Ia and all he has In the service Of
&c mankind which W the service Of God. and
thus lays up his treasure In heaven In
y Gods hands. where II viii be kept forever.
: free from rot rust and rogues
May your cpitaph he that found on the
' tomb Of an early Chrihtian king. WIN used
I his power and wealth for others Having
transported his fortune ia heaven. he
I has now gone there to enjoy IT,"
al