Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-10-01

Wn1cR we 80 m41cn enjoy, and say II ~
Is not worth the thought OF those who
profess and call themselves Chris
tians Son of man." says jeremiah.
IF any of the house of Israel setteth
up his idol in his heart and eometh to
inquire of me, and the Lord will an
swer him. according to his idol" This
is the polytheism we may practice and
these the idols of our hearts which in
Gods sight are as hateful as. If they
were carved OF wood and stone.
There are many others besides the
gods of wealth and pleasure. We
shall refer to but one more this morn
ing, and that is ambition. which is
quite as fatal to character and is as
surely violation of the First. Com
mandment, If our chief aim is to get
at the top at all hazards.
OF course, there can be no difference
of opinion as to the supreme import
ance of proper ambition, but if it be
not OF the right sort it is then an idol
of the heart. There is certainly a
wrong ambition which is constantly
manifesting itself everywhere by set
ting aside all moral restraints, and i'm
polling us to carve our way in life as
the old Romans used to make their
military roads. They projected them
in a straight line, straight TO the point
of termination, and everything had 70
give way, and so on they went with
the road. bridging rivers, filing up
ravines, cutting down hills, dwelling
forests, making its way through every
obstacle. Just so Is it with those who
set their desire on some height OF am
bition. No object is unsurmountable.
Everything must give way TO their de-
sire for place, or rank, or power.
Health, happiness, home. comfort, hon
esty, conscience, even the very laws of
God and man are sacrificed TO this
god of ambition.
Their one idea is to get to the top
of the ladder, and for this they are
willing to make any sacrifice. Ambi-
ton is their god, and they worship 1t
Just as the covetous man worshipS his
money, the lustful man his lust, the
drunkard his drink, the vain man his
own foolish self. Beware, then, of. am
bition, and fling 1t away If it be OF
the wrong sort; for 1t will surely
bring you sorrow at the last But
some one may be inclined to say this
is not my danger, nor am l especially
DESTROYS of the riches and pleasures of
this world. And yet not one OF us
can claim obedience to this law: IL
any evil temper, or bad passion, or
sinful desire draw us in the least from
the worship and service OF Almighty
God, for whenever we forget or neglect
the perfect submission and dutiful
obedience which we owe TO His rule
in all things, we are setting up in our
hearts some other god and breaking
this first commandment at God. And
SO we must all coniess mat we do not
keep this commandment and cannot in
our own strength. Thank Gcd If we
can say this sincerely, for it shows that
he is teaching by His spirit to know
ourselves and the sin that doth so
easily beset us. And until we DO
know ourselves as under condemna-
ton by the law, we shall not know our
Savior; for the law is school master
to bring us to Christ.
Let us then, my brethren, constant
~ examine ourselves under the light
of the law as interpreted by the Cos
pei; for only so shall we fly to Jesus
for pardon and absolution; only so
shah we fly to the Blessed Spirit for
strength; only SO receive from the
Father OF Mercies the loving welcome
of His forgiveness.
Let there be with us this living
faith in the one and only true God,
which manifests itself in reverence for
His laws, in the purity of the house
hold in the spiritual life of those who
are the professed followers of His Son,
in the social virtue that keeps the
heart of a people, and our Christianity
will endure. But il these things
wither, If an age of selfish wealth and
fast growing luxury and pleasure palsy
the life of our civilization, II our free
dom become only license, if our greed
eat into the fabric of our manhood,
our integrity, our justice, our honor;
if the love of humanity wax cold and
the social meaning of Christ's religion
be forgotten. If these be thy gods,
0 Israel, it matters not what stately
churches may rise on our streets, what
priests may stand at your affairs, or
what preachers may preach in your
pulpits; the outward name of Chris
tianity cannot preserve us, but we
shall perish as they persisted who be-
lieved in one Cod, but forgot that He
was the God Of holiness and truth.
-YanxYrcr rYnrHr naTru