The record-union., 1898-09-12


sciences of men and women with earn
estseloquence One Of the truest tests
of character is the money test. When
you know how a man gets his money,
and how he spends it, you know the
man. You know whether he is indus
trious or indolent, honorable or fraud
ulent. economical or extravagant, be-
nevolent or miserly. This sermon is a
warning and a protest against sundry
ways Of getting and spending money
The Bible has much to say concern
ing money. Some of the most pitiable
moral collapses recorded in the Bible
were caused by men yielding to the
temptation of dishonest dollars. A
wedge of gold lured Achan to destruc-
tion. Balak's gold seduced Balaam to
apostasy. The Pharisee's silver bribed
Judas to a betrayal which ended in
suicide. True to life and fact is that
scripture which says: 1.-THE love of
money is a root of all kinds Of evil,
which some reaching after have been
led astray from the faith, and have
pierced themselves through with many
sorrows"
Tonight want to point out some OF
the ways in which this Christian pre-
aside. Froude said that he had heard
many sermons on the mysteries of
faith, verbal inspira ton, efficacy of the
sacraments, but never one on common
honesty What want to emphasize
at this time is common honesty be-
tween man and man. Religion is right
living. 1t is living right with your
self. with your neighbor, and with your
God IF x-o11r reIi criOu does not make
you honest and straight and fair in
your dealings with your fellow-men it
is spurious and not worth having.
To preach a complete gospel we
must enforce the moralities Of relig-
ion, as well as declare it's mysteries.
We must preach duties as well as doc
trines A sermon on the text, Great
is the mystery Of godliness," should
be followed by one on the text, Let
him that stole steal no more" Re-
1igion is as much for this world as it is
for the next
Our Savior in His preaching often
said, Beware" ''Take heed" He ex-
horted men to watch and pray against
temptation Paul, who was a model
preacher, ceased not to warn men,
night and day, with tears. With great
plainness of speech he warned men
against adultery, fornication, drunk
enness, covetousness, declaring that
they who do such things cannot in
herit the kingdom Of God. The pulpit
needs to be as outspoken to-day. If
there is one place more than another
where the unvarnished truth should be
spoken without fear or favor, no mat
ter who is hit or hurt, that place is
the Christian pulpit. The message that
comes from the pulpit should be as
harsh as truth and as uncompromising
as justice. The pulpit that does not
faithfully and fearlessly declare the
whole gospel of God is about as good
in a community as a spiked gun in a
fort-good for nothing.
There Is an immense amount of fraud
and swindle and misrepresentation in
the industrial and commercial world
to-day. Some firms have not honesty
enough to fill an army contract ac-
cording to specifications. They will sell
putrid meat to soldiers going out to
defend the flag and honor of the ma
ton. In the mad haste to get rich
men trample truth and right under
their feet. The golden rule Of Christ
is ignored. Men seem to have more
faith in the devil than they have in
God There is no gospel that needs to
be preached to-day with more insist
ence than the gospel of providing
things honest,
1 want TO dissuade young men and
women from ruinous paths. There are
mul1tudes in the land tonight hope
1essly coiled In the serpent-fold OF some
fascinating vice who might have been
saved If warned IN time. They thought
lessly drifted into the maelstrom of
moral ruin 1.-THE way of the wicked
is as darkness; they know not at what
they stumble"
One Of the most subtle temptations
of modern life is the temptation to live
beyond ones income One of the most
fascinating vices of modern life is the
vice OF extravaganza There is no sin
more fatal to character than the sin
of going into debt There is no sin
more ruinous to home life, none that
hangs such q milestone about mems
necks, as the sin of living beyond ones
income. The most abject slavery is the
slavery Of debt. The borrower is SER
want to the lender It was so in Solo,
mons time, is now, and ever shall be.
I would like to waken in the con-
science of every young man and young
woman a consistent and persistent alb
horrence of debt. I would like to brand
the sin with the infany 1t Justly de-
serves The habit of going into debt
is perilous to moral character It is
the fruitful source of forgeries, embez-
Elements, and similar crimes In To-
600 cases, going into debt means going
to the devil Debt Is the DEVILS agent
Many a man finding himself in the
meshes of this net has broken faith
with God and lied to his fellow men
Under the pressure of debt men resort
to dishonorable and degrading schemes.
/ know men in the church who have
made complete shipwreck Of faith and
character by contracting debts they
were unable to pay. l know homes
turned into hells because Of debt. 1t
has built walls of separation between
husband and wife. Will Carleton's s
poem which describes a woman dying
of mortgage on the heart is, alas.
too literally true. Debt has driven men
to suicide. The young man who al
lows himself to live beyond his income
mortgages himself to Satan. and will
find that the day Of foreclosure will
surely and speedily follow.
The habit of going into debt is in
direct violation of the command, pro
vide things" that is, prepare things
beforehand This is what some people
never do They live in chronic state
of Indebtedness. They owe the butch
er and the baker, the doctor and the
dressmaker. the grocer and the tailor.
They owe everybody who is idiot