The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-09-15
INTERNATIONAL S. s.. LESSON.
September 10, 1900: Luke xii, 1928.
The Rich Fool,

80 b. .
1t is hard for the western folks to un-
uerstand the unconventional freedom OF
n public assembly In the rar east. 1t Is
n common circumstance for speaker to
be Interrupted by questions and COM
ments, favorable or unfavorable. This
incident is an example. a man In the
audience called out. Teacher, tell my
brother to share the property with me-"
Easy to see where his mind was! Langc
says. While Jesus was speaking Of he'd
Tenly things, he had been brooding over
worldly" and Arnot. He went to
preaching that he might do stroke OF
business when 1t was DONE" Jesus
phenomenal discretion has no finer ex-
emplincation. He could. not be pulled
out OF his sphere. He was no Judge in
ichanGery. 1t was not for him to parti-
ton an estate But with consunlruate
skill he does avail himself of this inter-
ruption to enunciate rule Of life which
would insure universal equity in mon
etary matters. II his interlocutor staid
to listen, Jesus enriched him more than
: II he had obtained for him his share OF
the property in dispute. The Masters
sententious style is nobly illustrated in
that word. "A mans true life does not
depend upon his wealth"-a saying
which he Immediately expands into q
parable. The rich man, whose portrait
he paints with a few strokes. thinks
only Of holding his wealth He shows
the poverty OF his soul in that he thinks
the only disposition he can make Of his
larger. harvests is to put them into larg-
er grain-pits. 1t never Sc much as oc-
ours to him to give.even his surplus to
the hungry. And as he cannot take his
material possessions with him into the
immatcrial world. what sorry plight he
Is in when he IS Unexpectedly summon
ed there. All that can be carried into
the spirit world is lodged in the spirit.
But tnls mans spirit Is unchecked with
single grace. His apparent wealth Is
real poverty. How poor rich man can
be. But the converse also Is true. \
poor man can be rich. The substance
Of truly rich life Is the evolution IL
it of good traits of character. Material
possessions are evaneScent. They are
unportable TO heaven. Graces In the
spirit. on the contrary, may be said to
be already laid up in heaven because Of
the certainty with which they will be
carried.
The Teachers Lantern.
The banker. Peter Hayden. was once
sitting in church near white column.
During the sermon he abstractedly took
out his pencil, and did sum In COM
pond interest on the column. There Is
mental arithmetic expression on the
faces of many during divine service who
do not so entirely forget themselves as
to literally go to ciphsring. The man
of this incident is mol an entirely lone
some fellow. The public speak
er who can use an interruption to point
n moral has peculiar advantage. Sam
Jones once said to an audience alarmed
by 4 flaring lamp: Don't mind It! It's
only doing what lot of you folks are
doinS-'cutting up too much of 4 shine
for your calibre.' s"'-. -. Jesus IL
Illustrates the non-political. muscular
character of his church and ministry.
He decidedly repels the temptation to
enter sphere which lies so far from
that which he was appointed to" :.
HE mingles as little with the con-
troverSies of the Jews as With the po-
litical affairs of the Romans" :. =.
One OF the Rothschilds had just COM
pleted and furnished n palatial resi-
dence when friend called to Inspect IL.
In parting ut the vesubule. the friend
said. "a man with such a palace must
be happy" The baron replied. depre-
catingly and bitterly. Me .happy?" :.
j.. II Judas was present and heard
this parable, his darling sin" certainly
received n deadly thrust -. Jesus
came not to be n judge concerning in
heritances, but a Savior from sins, and
the sin of avarice in particular. Z.
The contrast between the soliloquy Of
the fool and the Judgment OF God Is rs
effective as anything in literature. II Is
like clap OF thunder.