The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1903-04-23

| life IS apparent. Anu the uuS7Vioh VIC arc
asking this morning is a permanent one:
| What am [ making the supreme purpose
| of nv life? The Roman made martial ex-
ploit and supreme physical prowess the de-
sideratum OF existence. He was trained IN
| the gymnasia; he sought to develop ms
| bodily powers to the utmost ana SO ne
| became splendid animal. his leglons
| were uncomfortable, but his moral nature
| was undeveioped, and Rome fell because
| she was built upon power without prlncl-
pie and conquest without character. Inc
| apotheosis of Greece was aesthetics. She
established her life on philosophy and art:
| She gave them to the world, but perished
| in the giving. Her art and her philosophy
| did not strike fundamentals Greece and
Rome perished because they did not grasp
the divine philosophy of life; the truth
| that righteousness exalteth nation, Dut
sin IS a reproach to any people, Inc SUI
preme motive of their existence was car
nal. not spiritual, and so, being built upon
| the sands of time they perished with time:
A polytheistic paganism; not too much OF
| God, but too many Gods, that was their
undoing.
| And SO we might particuiarize. What as
| true of nations is true or men, Tor 1t IS
| the man that makes the nation. Any mo-
tive, other than the highest, Is fatal to per-
| manence and power. 10 adopt any other
motto of life than that which our Lord de-
| clares in the text-to do the will OF God
| is to court destruction. we need TINS
warning to-day. We pride ourselves on the
| fact that we are peaceable and peacefui
people We enter upon war only as der
nier resort. We are seeking to develop the
| industrial side of our life. we boast or
| our achievements in commercial compel-
! ton; that the balance OF trade IS largely
| in our favor. We point to the enormous
| accumulation of capital; to our ever IN
| creasing exchequer. We are the WeatnlesS
4 4l,n Of hn o1pFh
| sources are inexhaustible, our possibilities
! of increment unlimited. Bat herein hes
/ our very peril. 1t needs no figures to de-
! clare that the spirit of materiallsm is RTE
as never before in our land. The DONNA
ton of wealth becomes daily more cruel.
| The quest of riches is more and more
| strenuous.
| Millionares are not numbered by the
| scores, but by the thousands. Materlahsm
| is rampant. It's interests are supreme. 1t
| has been said that market is beginning to
| dominate literature and art, instead OF
classic models and superior excellence. los
| day men no less than things have their
price, and the money value IS made the
| standard of the worth OF an object. 1t 1s
true that in some quarters there IS revul-
| sion of spirit on this question. Ihe PEN
| dulum is beginning to swing the other way.
| We take hope from the thought that many
| are studying with insight the gross mate
rialism of the age. The prophetic voices
| against it are on the increase IN the pulpit.
| Ignorant, vulgar and brutal wealth receives
| severer chastisements than few decades
| since. Empty show, extravagant display
| and selfish luxury are seen by increasing
numbers, according to their hollownesS
and iniquity. There is a growing demand
for simplicity of life, for sohdity, for ear
nest realities for ethics, for spirituality,
for better ideals, for deeper thinking and
for the inner as well as the outer develop
ment of society. The leaven is working,
but as yet the lump remains practically I'M
leavened.
What, then, is the duty of the church
and the Christian In this matter! DO we
not need to stand where Christ stood, to
make the motive Of His life the supreme
| motive Of ours? Let us remember our
apostleship. We are ambassadors Tor
| Christ as truly as was Paul. Through US,
| through our lives, our thoughts, our ac-
tons, God is seeking to speak to the world
And what message would he have US
| bring? Is it a message of worldhness, OF
selfishness, of carnal desires, a message OF
skillful temporiZing with His commands
and slzillful attempts to make His claims
| upon US consistent with luxury and pleas
ure and worldly conformity? There IS no
doubt that many In our churches are seek
ing to apply this soporifc to their. con-
sciences; to be in this world and of this
world, and yet belong to God. Let us re-
member the words of the great apostles:
''Be not fashioned according to this world,
but be We transformed by the renewing OF
your mind, that we may prove what IS the
good and acceptable and perfect Will or
God" i
| What was needed in Rome is not less
needed with US here to-day. Should there
come such a Transformation, should there
be in every life the proving OF the will or
God, the whitened harvest would wait no
i g L rysdi
which with aching heart He expressed that
day of His conversation with the woman or
Samaria, would be fulfilled.
Elizabeth Fry was thorghtless girl or
seventeen years, used to all the rehnements
of luxury and life of ease, wholly selfish
and wholly useless, when God came to her
through the voice of Quaker preacher.
She consecrated her life to God Her meat
and her drink were the doing of the Mas
ter's will and work. At the age of sixty
FIVE she wrote: "Since my heart was
touched, at the age of seventeen, believe
[ have never awakened from sleep. in sick
ness or in health, by day or by night, with
out my first waking thought being how
best might serve my Lord" There could
be bat one result from such conservation.
God sent her among the outcast, and her
life became a constant benedlctlon. The
work she began in Great Britain among
female convicts spread all over the conti-
|
heads, as well as from philanthropic peo-
pie in the common walks of life began to
pour in, inviting her to visit the prisons
Of other lands, and subsequently she visited
Scotland, France, Germany and other coun-
tries, upon this errand of mercy, every
where hailed as an angel of peace and
good win to men. The prisons of Europe
were reformed through her labors, and the
laws to punish criminals were greatly
modified in nearly all European countries.
Indeed the reformation spread throughout
the world. This was the work accom-
plished by one woman, who had submitted
her life wholly TO the will of God. She was.
changed from a thoughtless, fir volous girl
into woman of great usefulness and pow
er. But the power came because the pur-
pose came. She gave full place to God.
and to His plans; she put them first, and
so God used and honored her. And what
was true of Elizabeth Fry may be true of
each one of us. We may not be called to-
so nigh task. We may find our horizon
circumscribed, and our opportunities lin
ited but if our meat and our drink are to
do the will of God, the opportunities viii
be many and the results viii be precious.
and permanent.