The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-08-17
BEWARE.
fselected for The Timcs-)

! shall have brought. thee into the lduo
! which He sware with they fathers
| to give thee great and goodly cues;
/ " hich thou buildest not, and houses fuil
! Of good things which thou buildest not,
! and wells dieged which thou diggedest
/ not. VINEYARDS and olive trees which thou
/ planted not; when thou shalt have eaten
/ and be full, then beware lest thou lofse.
the Lord"-Duet. vi:10:12.
A wonderful change has taken place IN
| the tone Of Moses. He is older fhan "hen
| we first knew him and more tender.
Moses becomes a shepherd again. only
now. men and women and children, more
| wayward than any beasts of the earth.
constitute lis Imuls1tudinous and |most
tying flock.
/ Moses is growing old, but he is intel
| lectually as astute as ever. 1t IS not his
| soul that is growing old; 1t is not the
| perennial mind that is drying UP OF with
ering away. He IS about to leave his
! charge. and he IS intensely anxious that
/ they shall know the way and walk in
| it. Over and over again does he exhort
| and entreat them to be wise and obedi-
| ent: nor does he fail to warn them what
| will be the dire consequence OF their folly.
! His brooding care grows all the more ten
der as he gives his last farewell. and it
i is with tears in his eyes and voice that
he ends his last appeal.
Mark the conception which Moses
! formed of all advancing civilization.
How little have we done! How much
is done for us! We are born into
world that is already suhdued and fruit
full; with laws and props and guards
on every hand. The world is already
furnished with the library. the altar.
and the Bible. The paths Of righteous
ness are made fair and in sight; the way
Of sin is shown in all its hideousness.
Men born in civilized countries
have not to make their roads. The for
ests are penetrated and the highways
of commerce intersect the land, while
capital labor, and wisdom combine to
I afford avenues for travel and for pleas
ure.
| We are born into the possession Of
riches The poorest man in all the land
is an inheritor of all but infinite wealth
in every department of civilization. In
erty he is acknowledging his resources.
4 His poverty is only poverty because of
its relation to other things which indi-
cate the progress of the past ages.
The working man of to-day is far
better housed. clothed, and fed than
were the kings of olden times Young
men como into fortunes for which they
| iVfN
possessions for which our fathers toiled
We could not assemble in Gods house
In peace and quietness to-day If the
martyrs had that founded the church
with their blood. Why should we meet
in safety when others were hunted upon
the mountains or in caves in terror OF
their life? who maAeth thee to dif-
.fer?'
To-day we enjoy the liberty for which
ether men have paid their lives 1t Is
ungrateful to forget that every liberty
we enjoy, every security we boast, is the
result of suffering too poignant to be eX-
pressed in words.
Coming into a civilzat ton SO ripe and
rich. having everything made ready tc
our hands, the Whole system OF society
SO constructed that we can communicate
with distant friends and bring them with
in hearing, the table loaded with every
thing that healthy appetite can desire
all these constitute temptation, if not
| rightly received.
: Moses drew the picture and then said
: Beware .IIe knew what prosperity
!, did for the souls Of men. The hot sur
! draws up all moisture and kills the roots
In Pharaoh's palace, amid tho pleasures
). of Egypt, the Injuries of the court ant
r the excitement Of the armies. Moses hat
a found how easy 1t is to be dulled in others
q sympathy, and led away from the stern
. duty Of the hour. From his own expert
! ence, he utters the warning note, BE
ware
II the time of success and fullness ant
overflow, "then beware lest thou forge
the Lord which brought thee forth on
OF the land of Egypt, and the house o
: bondage
T 1t is wise and far-reaching prayer, eli
s all times or our prosperity. good Lord, de
e liver u.s.
d Poverty has its trials But poverty ma,
e be q spiritual blessing. The aimpoverish
: n1ent and punishment of the flesh ma,
be leligiously helpful,
J There are anxIeties and trials connecte
: with wealth as well as with poverty. TIL
/ high and mighty amongst US have thei
d pains and difficulties, as well as tn
n lowlest and weakest members Of society
I How hardly shall they that have rich
y es enter into the Kingdom Of God! Fo
it is easier foa. a camel to go through the
: eye of a needle. than for q rich man t
6 enter the Kingdom Of God.
5. Are these hard words They wer