The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-03-14
NOT RICH TOWARD COP.

This sermon Is preached at this time
because unusual prominence has been given
recently TO the mere possession and use OF |
wealth. Our attention has been called to |
the fact that the cabinet OF the chief mag
istrate is largely made up Of millionaircs. |
An unfortunate publicity was given not
long ago TO the waste Of money In connec-
ton with private ball In New York City. |
And. then. you are mostly young people, |
whose future will be determined largely by |
'he estimate you place upon things mate |
RAJ ana things spiritual. and | am anxious |
mat you shall put the emphasis where 1t |
belongs.
There Is unqucstionably growing an
sgonism In this country between the rich
ana the poor 1t comes from three causes. |
TOO many people who have money mistake
It's value. put upon It too grea, emphasis.
misuse II in pandtring to their own selfish
ness. and os,entatiously spread their sails
100 wide. That sort OF thing is apt to pro-
woke less fortunate people and mako them
resent such exhibitions, and they soon
learn to hate those who thus display them
selves and their wealth
The poor who work hard day by day,
never winning either competence or an
even fairly comfortable lving, as they get
Older feel more and more the pressure OF
the rich. and more or less subject to them.
learn 10 hold wealth responsible for ccnli-
items which seem to be manipulated for the
purpose OF keeping poor men poor
The third cause of this growing antago-
nism between the rich and the poor Is the
false estimate put upon life by both the
rich and poor. Too many people look upon
material possessions as the real constituent
of life. and discount all those values which
are not marked by dollars and cents ami do
rot tell in ones bank account. AS a re-
Wit there is a rad haste to be rich on the
part of those who have aCqusltiye powers.
and a disposition to curse fate and every
fellow more fortunate than themselves on
the part of those who, toll and scrimp aud
scrnpe NJ they may, never get on. but re
main poor and. possibly, ignorant all their
days
Whereas in truth, there is nothing of
real value with reference to life in the pos
session Of money. much or little. some or
none. There is neither honor nor dishouor
in the mere fact of being rich neither
honor nor dishonor in the mere fact of he
ing poor. There is no harm In money sim
! ply as mcney. The Lord did not say that
money is the root of all evil but that the
| love Of money is root from which every
| kind of evil flows
In the section OF His teaching from
| which have taken the text Christ touches
| this Whole matter OF material wealth and
| hte's relation to it, and | wish now as far
| as | can do 1t in the limited time at my
| disposal to expound His teaching on tho
subject.
! After Jesus grew into His great II brief.
popularity with the people and exorted II
wonderful influence over them almost
1 every sort Of question was referred to Him
/ for settlement THIS was very natural and
{ very human. A yourg man who had been
! dofraudcd by his brother out Of his share Of
| an estate sought To take advantage OF the
| popular influence OF tho Lord ard asked
! i'm TO make his brother. who appropriated
the entire inheritance. divide 1t. The legal
| aspect of IT was peremptorily dismissed by
Jesus Christ who declared that He had
not been constituted a Judge IN common
I law and did not propose to interfere In its
| administration, But His teaching with ref
| eronce to the moral matters involved comes
out as He proceeds.
In the request OF this young man Christ
perceives a deep selfishnoss. The spirit
which is the very honor Of high spiritual
contemplation could feel nothing higher
| than how TO apply the authority OF the
| Teacher to material things and work out a
| scheme to win an inheritance, was essen
| tally a covctous spirit. Aud with suiii-
| Client reason Christ assumes that the spirit
of covetousness is the distinguishing mark
of the people as a whole Poinedly and
earnestly He warns them against it. He
Insists that material possessions are not INC
real constituent OF me. ara mat man
| could make no huscr nlunutr IMAM M 10
mistake life AS to bring It down to tho mar
| rowness ana coaiscnosS OF such cohcep-
| tion.
| lie tells them n story rirh man ma
| not where to store his increased riches, he
| built larger STORE houses w N""n !" E"'
| rer his crops; ne shid 10 ms sou' iaH,
thine case, Thou hast much goods stored
| w tor many years. anu 'ha' Fc's hiS"' nv
| died. A..
Without minclhS worms '"'.s w..
man 1901 pecaust Nv 50, ~ ,,a'i,h
| and enjoyment oil ms me upon n,s ".a,, W.,
| Ana Nv the rlch hal su"', -, ',o 49,,
! very notion upon ""'eh nv onsv' 800
| thing Is shown 10 pe p'tn i"a',a" ,'', a.u
false. By dying SO sooh 'no ''e" ,oo' ""'
derived OF me soit U, s"Jos NV u. Nv ~
| cipa'ed ana because n,s ueae' ",' Az
| pected ne was ho' even pVt'a''te" w ~, w.,
| pose OF MS srea' es'a,e' os'us III 'ie ' ~,
| day OF selfish ne ms "nt',,l'"'eu nv VIZ
aster' YET an ma horo .o,aa ,p -