The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1897-07-29

will get not only spiritual profit, but he
will get paid back In hard cash or In con-
vertible securities. We often see men who
are tight-hsted who seem to get along with
their Investments very proftably, notwith-
standing all their .parsimony. But wait.
Suddenly In that mans history every
thing goes wrong. His health fails,
or his reason is dethroned, or a
domestic CURSE smites him, or mid
night shadow Of some kind drops upon
his soul and upon his business. What Is
the matter? God Is furnishing him for his
small heartedness. He tried to cheat God,
and God worsted him. So that one Of the re.
eipes for the cure OF individual and national
finances Is more generosity. Where YOU
bestowed 81 on the cause OF Christ give 80.
God loves to be trusted, and he Is very apt
to trust back again. He says: THAT man
knows how to handle money. He shall have
more money 10 handle" And very soon
the property that was on the market for n
| great while gets purchaser, and the bond
that was not worth more than fifty cents
on dollar goes to par, and the opening OF
a new street doubles the value OF his house,
or in any way OF a million God blesses him.
Once the man finds out that secret and
he goes on to fortune. There are men
whom have known who FOR ten years have
been trying to pay God $1,000. They have
never been able to get 1t paid, for Just as
they were taking out from one fold OF their
| pocketbook bill mysteriously somehow in
some other fold OF their pocketbook there
came larger bill. You tell me that Chris
tian generosity pays in the world to come
tell you 1t pays now, pays in hard cash.
pays in Government securities. You do
not believe 1t? Ah that is what keeps YOU
back. l knew you did not believe 1t. The
whole world and Christendom is to be re-
constructed on this subject, and rs you are
n part OF Christendom let the work begin
In your own soul. "But," says Some one,
II don't believe that theory, because
have been generous and | have been losing
money for ten years" Then God prepaid
You, that is all.
People quote as n joke what is divine
promise, Cast thy bread upon the waters.
and 1t will return to thee after many days"
What did God mean by that' There is an
allusion there. In Egypt when they SOW
| the corn 1t Is Mt timo when the Nile is
ovcrnowing its banks, and they SOW tho
| seed corn on the waters and as tho Nile be-
gins to recedc this seed corn strikes In the
earth and comes up harvest, and that is
the allusion. 1t seems as Il they are throw
ing the corn away on The waters, but after
awhile they gather it up in n harvest. Now
says God in His word Cast thy bread
| upon the waters and it shall come
back to thee after many days" It may
seem to you that you are throwing it away
on charities, but it will yield Il harvest OF
| green and gold-a harvest on earth and a
harvest in heaven. II men could apprc-
ciato that and act on that, we would have
no moro trouble about individual or ma
tional finances.
Prescription the third. for the cure OF all
our individual and national financial dis
trcsses, great spiritual awakening 1t Is
no mere theory. The merchants of this
country were positively demented with the
monetary excitement in 1857. There never
before nor since has been such state OF
financial depression rs there was at that
time. A revival came, and 500 900 people
were born into the Kingdom of God. What
came after the revival? The grandcst
financial prosperity we have ever had in
this country. Tho finest fortunes, tho
largest fortunes in the United States, have
been made since 1857. "Well," You say,
what has spiritual improvement and re-
vival to do with monetary Improvement
and reyival?" Much to do. The religion
OF Je3us Christ has direct tendency to
make men honest and sober ana truth tell
ing, and are not honesty and sobricty and
truth telling auxiiarieS Of material pros
perltv?
II we could have an awakening In this
country "a in the days OF Jonathan Ed
wards of Northampton, as in the days OF
DR.. Finley OF Basking Ridge, as In tho
days of Dr. Griffin OF Boston, the whole
land would rouse to n higher moral tone,
and with that moral tone the honest bust
ness enterprise Of the country would come
up. You say n great awakening has an
influence upon the future world. tell you
1t has direct influence upon tho financial
walfare of this world The religion OF
Christ is no foe to successful business.
II Is its best friend. And II there should
como q great awakening in this coun-
try, and all the banks and insurance
companies and stores and offices and
shops should close up for two weeks and
do nothing but attend to the public wor-
ship of Almighty God, after such spiritual
vacation the land would wake up to such
financial prosperity a5 we have never
dreamed OF. Goodness is profitable for the
life that now is Us we'll rs for that which Is
to come. But, my friends, do not put too
much emphasis on worldly success as to
let your eternal affairs g5 at loose ends.
l have nothing to say against money. The
more money You get the better, If it comes
honestly and goes usefully. For the
lack OF 1t sickness dies without mcdi-
cine, and hunger ilnds its coffin in
an empty bread tray, and nakcdness shivers
for clothes and fire. All this canting TRADE
against money, as though IL had no practi-
cal use, when hear man indulge in 1t,
makes me think tho best heaven for him
would be an everlasting poorhouse. No:
there Is practical use in money. but while
we admit that we must also admit that il
cannot satisfy the soul, that 1t cannot pay
for our fcrriage across the Jordan of death,
that it cannot unlock the gate Of heaven
for our immortal soIl.
Yet there ara men who act as though
packs OF bonds and mortgages could be
traded off for Il mansion in heaven, and as
though gold were n legal tender In that
land where 1t Is so common that they mako
pavements out OF 1t. salvation by Christ
is the only salvation. Treasures in heaven
are the only incorruptil'le treasures. Have
you ever ciphcred out that sum in loss and
gain, "What shall it profit man il he
gain the whole world ana lose his sOul?"
You may wear fine apparc, now, but tho
winds OF death will fluttct it like rags.
All tho mines OF Australia md Brazil, |
strung in one carcanct, are not worth to
you rs much rs the pearl of grcIt price.
You remember, suppose, some years ago,
the shipwreck of the Central America? |
storm came on that vessel. The urges
the deck and swept down through /
tho matches, aud there went ~ n
hundred voiced death shrek. The foam
on the jaw Of the wave. The pitching OF .
the steamer. rs though 1t would leap q