Democratic messenger., 1903-03-07

"being." Wealth shouts: II have. but
poverty whispers. Il am" Poverty comes
to know that only spiritual appropriation
gives real ownership. This is one of he
messages of the old Eden story of Genesis.
for God placed Adam in the garden as a
poor worker. He was To till and Ia keen
the place and only TO enjoy so much of 1t
as he made his own. The supreme ioy OF
his position was that through toll IL was
make them his own. In his sin h. iliet
his heart with substitutes for God. and
thus shut Him out OF his soul. The return
TO Eden is the return to simplicity and re-
ceptivity. 1t is the becoming sensitive
once more to the good and the taking in Of
truth. beauty. holiness.
1t il false theory which assumes that
the activity of poverty is due TO reckless
ness. that the poor may choose anv cours.
of action. disregard any existing orler. be-
cause they have nothing to lose Even
for the poor it is true that "life s more
.han meat and the body than raimen." The
true cause for the activity OF poverty IS
found in the rugged strength developed hy
adversely. in the constant need for adapta-
ton to the demands of the passing days.
and. finally. in the undying belief cherished
that there is "a good time coming IN he
golden future.
1t IS the tendency Of wealth to hc sat
isfied with things as thev are. irdustral.v.
socially, morally. Truths cartoon. An
English Board Meeting" is startiinglv sug-
gestive when applied to morals. well as
when applied to money. Why" the aged
and wealthy directors of the great railway
are made to ask, "why must the public IN
terfere with our business? WIZ mmst in
ventors suggest new devices: What's the
good of these innovations"
The great labor saving ideas OF .hc age
have come into the minds Of tn" MOOR: they
have been developed amid suffering and
/ stress. and thev have been forced rDon 4
/ reluctant world by men who cared i"orc
for progress than for case. So it ;s with
! the men and women who. h-ngcrin. and
! thirstins after Righteousness. have become
possessed of great moral ideas. The grasp
! of these ideas upon their own souls rem
! iers them unresting,v eager IN see thcm
are willing to fight seemingly hope'ess ist-
! ties to champion despised pri"cn's<. IN
/ advocate unwelcome truths They know
what they have believed. AMI tho" know
edge gives them Willingness to utilize tnei~
hard earned strength for tho education and
advancement of markind. and those cham
| pions of the princip'es OF pietv have hren
/ from the davs of Jesus and from th" amos
| tolic times the sons % Dovertv. When in
the days III nrimi'ive Christianity the rHs-
mel snread from Ierrsalr-,. it was carried
/ bv the poor: when IL laid siere to hostile
| corrupt through the Vaccinations of =
wicked priesthood. poor men purified It..
/ when in these last davs * has become
ready fo~ world conquest. humble ser"nnts
! of tho King have heer called to carry 1t.
BIT we have said that pietv has rs one
of its important elements the recognition
of lore az the rreat animating and snStain-
, ing prnc;p,e: .his recognition noveriv c,sd-
! " acco-ds Whe- we are tod in the text
that the moor had the gospel nrcachcl to
them we have. as has been said. more than
a mere statement of fact that Jesus DO
livered se-mona to multitudes .: the
needy: we have the implied declaration of
a condition of understanding of sympathy.
between His soul and theirs. Men whn
were dominated by selfish principles Gid
not understand Him. for they were incapa-
BILE of recognizing love as the supreme mo-
! tive of a soml. Action, for them. was al
wavs dictated hy policy. a"d they susnectcd
a hidden motive behind the activity of
Jesus
The Master declared that for a rich ran
To enter the kingdom is difficult What
did He mean? He dorhtless considered the
false motive He knew that il is the tend
ency of wealth to render action mechani-
raj. careless. and. too frequently heartlcsS.
that the rich man may give his gold To
charity" while his heart is pc flint: that
he NAV support tho gospel with his money
But he knew that poverty rightly cor:
ceived tends to keen the life normal ard
true to the true springs of action. He
knew that the poo who heard Him when
thev gave their mites gave them because
uf love. for no other power could cause
that to be sacrificed which renrescr;ed
bread, shelter. life He knew that thev
were familiar with the miristry of
poverty to poverty. and that they
were able to grasp the significance
Of a ministry based upon s'mp'e. un-
selfish love. So He preached Ia them.
unfoldinc His conccrtnn ~ the approach
ing Kingdom of God. the kingdon, of love.
Calmly He revealed to them life which
needed for its realization neither might
nor money. Sweetlv He discourSed tn then,
nt tac inward nature of the kingdom. "t
the hunger. the thirst the meekneSs. 'nc
poverty necessary in order that men misht
eossess it. and they understood.