The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1903-03-05

people" who heard Him gladly, and !
see it in the faces of the lowiy as they lis-
ten to Chrysostum or Moody
Disguise it az We may, deny it II VIC T:Gy
the soul Of poverty has been the oae at
tuned to catch the messages sent iron,
can do no more than furnish the material
for an Angelo; it can only create the up-
portunity for Savonarola; it can but pro-
vide Jesus with the stage Tor His sublime
activity.
Again, is it not apparent that poverty
tends to the development of the power of
receptivity? Rightly understood poverty
is wonderful aid to clear vision, enabling
man to distinguish between the essen=;ai
and the unnecessary. 1t enables its possess
than to collect things" It enables hha
to see the difference between EhaYing" and
"being." Wealth shouts: Il have,S but
poverty whispers, Il am" Poverty comes t.
to know that only spiritual appropriations
gives real ownership. This is one CT :he
messages of the old Eden story of Gcnesis,
for God placed Adam in the garden as 4
poor worker. He was to till aud to kect-
the place and only to enjoy so much of it
as he made his own. The supreme joy
his position was that through toll he was
able to look upon God and the good and
his heart with substitutes for God, and
thus shut Him out of bis soul. The return
to Eden is the return to simplicity and re-
ceptivity 1t is the becoming sensitiS.
once more to the good and the taking In ef
truth. beauty, holiness.
1t il a false theory which assumes that
the activity of poverty is due to reckless
ness. that the poor may choose any course
of action, disregard any existing order. be-
70
for the poor it is true that "life is more
than meat and the body than raiment." The
true cause for the activity Of poverty *
found in the rugged strength developed by
adversely. in the constant need for adapta--
ton to the demands of the passing days.
aud, fually. in the undying belief cherished
that there is "a good time coming" in thee
golden future.
It Is the tendency of wealth to be. sat
isfed with things as they are, industria'ly,
socially, morally. Truths cartoon; An
English Board Meeting" is startlingly sug-
gestiye when applied to morals, as well az
and wealthy directors of the great rsiiway
are made 10 ask. "why must the public in
terfere with our business? Wbv must IN
ventors suggest new devices? What's the
good of these innovations"
The great labor saving ideas Of he age
have come into the minds of the MOOR; they
have been developed amid suffering and
stress, and thev have been forced upon Il
reluctant world by men who cared more
for progress than for ease. So it is WITH
the men and women who, huugering sn6
thirsting after righteousness, have become
possessed nf great moral ideas. The grasp
of these ideas upon their own souls rem
ders them urrestingiy eager to see Them
cnthroneG in the heart of the race. They
are willing to fight seemingly hopeless bat.
ties, to champion despised principles. to-
advocate unwelcome truths. They. know
what they have believed, and their know
edge gives them willingness to utilize their
hard earned strength for the education and
advancement of mankind. and these cham
Mons of the principles of piety have been
from the davs of Jesus and from the spos-
tolic times the sons Of poverty: When IN
THE days OF primitive Christianity the gos-
pel spread from Jerusalem, it was carried
by the poor; when it laid siege to hostile
lands, poverty fought for it; when IL grew
corrupt through the Vaccinations of
wicked priesthood, poor men purified IT..
when in these last days it has become
ready for world conquest: humble servants
of the King have heen called to carry 1t.
But we have said that piety has rs ore.
OF its important elements the recognition
OF love as the great animating and sustain
ing principle: this recognition poverty glad
ilv accords. When we are told in the text
that the poor had the gospel preached to-
them, we have, as has been said. more than
a mere statement of fact that Jesus de-
livered sermons to multitudes or the
needy: we have the implied declaration or
4 condition of understanding OF sympathy
between His soul and theirs. Men Who
we're dominated by selfish principles aid
!. 4 @haxy "a a
be of recognizing love as the supreme mo-
tive Of a soul. Action, for them, was al
wavs dictated by policy. aud they SUSPECTED
hidden motive behind the activity OF
Jesus
The Master declared that for rich man
to enter the kingdom is difficult. What
did He mean? He doubtless considered the
increasing dancer of basing action upon
false motive. He knew that it is the tend
ency of wealth to render action mechanl--
cal, careless, and. too frequently. hears,ess-
that the rich man may give hls gold to
charity" while his heart is as flint; that
he NAV support the gospel with his money
while his heart feels no joy in it's message
But he knew that poverty rightly. con-.
ceived tends 10 keep the life normal and
true to the true springs or action. ne
knew that the poor who heard Him when
thev gave their mites gave them because
OF love, for no other power could cause
that to be sacrificed which represented
bread, shelter, life. He knew that they
were familiar with the ministry of
poverty to poverty, and that. they
were able to grasp the significance
of a ministry based upon simple. IN
selfish love. So He preached to them,
unfolding His conception of the approach
ing Kingdom of God, the kingdom OF iove.
Calmly He revealed to them life which
needed for its realization neither might
nor money. Sweetly He diseoursed to them
of the inward nature of the kingdom. OF
the hunger. the thirst, the meekness, the
poverty necessary in order that men might
possess it, and they understood. q
Serenity OF Character.
Who does not love tranquil heart, a
sweet-tenpered, balanced life! 1t does nor