The evening Republican., 1902-06-05
!. 'THB RICH FOOL
A Sermon Preached by
the Rev. John Shape,
June LIST, 1902.

community and for miles around.
He is chiefly remembered by spite
fence which he built to tantalize
his neighDor. 1t was as high as a
telegraph pole and as unsighly as
one may well imagine. He is liv-
ing yet, though he has already built
marble monument to his own
memory in new cemetery. He is
known by many and loved by few.
He was never known to give a dol
lar for the Lords work. He had
fine crops and fine grounds in which
he took exceptional delight. He
was a rich fool.
Iknew her well. She lived in a
little house on a modest street. She
boosted no college education, but
she knew how to talk about God.
She did not refrain from making
calls, though it is doubted whether
she understood to the full the ethics
of visiting cards" She IS not
widely known in the city where she
lives, but those who know her best
love her dearly and hereafter will
arise to call her blessed.
She is spoken of by the poor and
sorrowing, as one OF Gods angel
messengers. She is always first to
seek the sick and to kneel and pray
by the suffering, and those who
hear her pray say that her prayers
are eloquent. She is rich toward
God.
We are now to consider the Rich
Fool" whose portrait is drawn on
the parable before us. 1t may be
unnecessary to call your attention
to the fact that this parable is the
first of three that follow each other
successfully in the twelfth, thir-
tenth and fourteenth chapters of
the gospel of Luke. They may be
justly called las Edershein has call
ed them the three parallels of warn
ing The parable of the Foolish
rich man, a warning to the individ
ual the parable of the withered tree
"a warning to the nation; the parable
OF the great supper, a warning to
the theoclasy.
Jesus was ever misunderstood and
misinterpreted Men took his finest
spiritual instruction and demeaned
it to the weakest purposes.
And now while engaged N setting
before his hearcrs the sublime ncces-
s,y of confessing him before the
world that those who do may be
confessed before the angels Of God,
lie is interrupted by the abrupt re.
qucs! to become a Judge in a Real
Estate controversy. His answer is
the parable o! the Rich Fool.
We are introduced Immediately to
Il rich man. We do not know how he
came by his wealth. We suppose he
got It honestly, but there Is no re.
cord OF the days and nights Of ankle.
ty that preceded his prosperity. His
anxiety seems TO lave come with his
crops. His ground brought forth
pleutifuly, and he who was rich got
richer aud poorer. We have no hard
words to say against him for being
rich. 1t is 60 SD to be wealthy, or to
make money. 1t Is a SIN moi to get
rich If one Can, that lie nav bless
humanity with his beneyolenee.
Most Of us would be better off than
We are If we are not narrow visiOned
or lazy. No man has a right to re.
main poor al! his days, il a lack of
ambition is the only hlndrance.
Now thts rich man is in trouble.
Did you ever see rich man who
was not in trouble? Give him ten
thousand dollars and he will lay
awake at nights. trying to make
ends meet, so as to allow his wife
and daughters 10 move in fifty
thousand dollar society. Give him
a hundred thousand, and he shifts
a new Kind Of ARA million aire, and
he will die Of consumption il his
lungs don't get full Of 1t. Give him
a million, and he at once makes a
scrap book ct all the newspaper
notices OF the "Rich Men Of the
Country" lie says. what shall
| do, lhatI may make another
millon?' OH yes the rich mau's
troubles begin when the crops or
dividends are heavy. Blessed are
the poor Tor they are happy
usually. The Lords compassion
be on the poor rich man, who needs
a bigger barn.
Aud now this rich man gets alone
one day in his trouble and has
soliloquy with his soul. 1t is a
good thing to get alone with your
soul and let IL talk to you, as no
one else in the world would be per-
mitted TO do. Try 1t some time.
Get your soul TO talk back to you.
Say to your soul "Soul thou hast
much goods laid up Tor many years.
take thine ease, cat. drink and be
merry" And then bend down
your ear to catch the whispered
answer Of your soul.
That was what this rich man
could have done and this is what he
would have heard: You're covet-
Gus soul and I'm ashamed of you.
Beware of covetousness. A mans
life consistent not In the abundance
of the things he possesseth. That
is to say mans life does consist in
the possession of things he needs,
and to these he may lay rightful
claim. BUTT is the superabounding
things that give him the most trou-
ble-the things that are the excess
OF his requirements. These are not
essential, and he thought they were
>the main thing. A good harvest
every year is better for the farmer
than big harvest once in 10 years,
because when the superab,Intlanee