Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-09-27

sought and mourned because | have
found it not" then others will want
the same thing. That is what the
world is hungering for. something that
satisfies. A great throng of saints
gone before are willing to testify that
the service of the Master does. Have
you found it so in the past year? If
not, there is room for growth. If not,
you do not have vital connection with
Jesus Christ. Have we shown the
world that the service of Christ was
the first thing with us, or have we
demonstrated to them that we only
gave Him the time that business and
pleasure did not take? If the latter,
we will never convince men
and women that religion is of
such tremendous Importance as
it is. What do we talk about
when we meet a friend in the home,
in society, in business or on the
street? Let me tell you. Listen, we
talk about the things that we think
about the most "Out of the abund.
ance of the heart the mouth speaketh."
What the world calls a successful
business man is always talking about
his business; for that reason he was
long debarred from polite society; he
was vulgar; he talked shop; why, be-
cause it was the thing he thought
about, he was full of it and could talk
nothing else. So he should be full of
the love of Jesus and talk about it.
full of the activities of the church and
society and talk about them at all
times. We will do it if the Master
has the rightful place in our hearts
and lives.
1t may close to us what some call
polite society, but it will open to us
the best, not only on earth, but in
heaven; it will bring us into fellow
ship with Jesus and His sainted fol-
lowers, who have found Him the one
altogether lovely. Who on earth are
yet tasting the sweets of heaven?
Have we grown along the lines of
Lords day observance? Do we stand as
wall of defense against the forces
that seek to give us the Continental
Sunday? | am not a fanatic on this
subject; would not go as far as some
of you, or agree with your views. Yet
believe as an organization and as
individuals we must stand in the
breach and defend the Lords day
from the attacks that come seemingly
harmless, but which will really des-
troy 1t. Sunday papers, pleasure rid
| ing, reading of miscellaneous books,
working SO hard or dissipating so
! deeply during the week that we have
to take the day for rest. Sunday
mail, Sunday excursions and Sunday
riding of all sorts.
Have we grown politically? Do
rno1i1n hot ;ct ~,
services on election day, as well
as on the Lords day? Have
we come to see that we can here per-
haps give Him the service that will
be most efficient, because the most
far reaching in result?
Never in the history of the world
have there been such great problems to
solve. Look at the material progress
of this world, the accumulations of
wealth. When Stephen Girard died
| he was the richest man in this coun-
try, and yet his wealth, the accumula-
tons of generations, is now made by
a single individual in a single year.
The accumulation of wealth in the
hands of few is simply appalling. If
| it continues at the same ratio, for one
hundred years, as it has for thirty
years, and the wealth of the nation
does not increase faster, few persons
| will own as much wealth as is repre-
sented by our entire country. Mark
what | say, own as much, not own
all in this country. Should this be so,
especially in this Christian land,
where every one is supposed to have
an equal chance? Listen, do not say
| it is wrong for few men or for one
man to own so much wealth. | do not
say man cannot honestly make a
million. What do say is that we who
are Christ's men do not own it. We
simply have it in trust to be used in
making the world better. | do not
advocate any division of wealth, but
the conservation Of wealth. I do not
advocate the giving away of money,
but the giving of self. | do not advo-
cate common ownership, but common
brotherhood / do say use it for the
advancement of Christ's kingdom. I
do not say that it is wrong to be rich,
but do say it is folly to pile up wealth
just for wealth's sake, or for self. /
would make money as fast as Rocka-
Teller or Carnegie if could, and still
retain my present ideas of wealth. But
IL Will LudC money CdHlo lue uSSlre "
save it in order to make more, would
have none of it. Make it, then spend
it as Jesus would have you. do not
say, like the political demagogs, that
the poor are getting poorer, but do
say that wealth accumulated SO fast
makes the rich and the middle class
spend so much more, enables them
to have so many comforts and luxu-
ries that they did not have, that the
poor seem poorer. God knows that
they have always been poor enough,
they have always suffered enough,
their manhood and womanhood has al
ways been crushed out of them, and
they have been driven to crime and
sin. 1t might be right for me when !
could scarcely make living to spend
what make on self, even if my neigh
Dor lived in howell, cold and hungry,
but now can make twice as much,
and l believe it is wrong and sin to
spend it all on self, and allow that
neighbor to suffer.
1 What shall we say then of Christian
men that are piling up wealth SO fast
that they cannot spend their income