The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1903-05-29

without an ambition. My Temperament
/ disposed me 20 case, and TO the full 4 in.
dulged the disposition. / said 10 mvself:
have all that / see others contendine for
why should ! struggles i know not the
curse that lights on those who have never
TO struggle for anything. Had / created for
myself definite pursuit-literary, fcien.
tine, artistic, social, political, no matter
what, 20 there was something TO labor for
and to overcome-l might have been happy.
! feel this now-too late. The power IL
gone Habits have become chains Through
al the prOhtless years gone BY i seek vain.
~ Tor something TO remember with pride
or even 10 dwell on with satisfaction.
have thrown away a life. / feel sometimes
as " there were nothing remaining 10 mo
worth living for ] am an unhappy man"
The necessity, therefore, Of purpose in
hIe Is apparent And the question we are
asking tins morning IS a permanent one:
What am l making the supreme purpose
OF my litey The Roman made martial ex.
plot and supreme physical proves the de-
sideratum of existence. He was trained in
the gymnasa; he sought TO develop his
bodily powers 10 the utmost And so he
became a splendid animal His legions
were unconQuerabie but his moral nature
was undeveloped, and Rome fell because
she was built upon power without princi-
pie end conquest without character. The
apotheosis of Greece was aesthetics She
established her life on philosophy and art.
She gave them to the world, but persisted
in the giving. Her art and her philosophy
did not strike fundamentals. Greece and
Rome persisted because they did not grasp
the divine philosophy Of life; the truth
that righteousness exalteth a nation, but
sin IS q reproach to any people" The su-
preme motive Of their existence was car
nal, not spiritual, and so, being built upon
tho sands of time they persisted with time
A polytheistic paganism; not too much Of
God, but too many Gods, that was their
undoing
And so we might particularize. What is
true Of nations is true of men, for it 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
clares in the text-to do the will of God
is to court destruction. We need this
warning to-day. We pride ourselves on the
fact that we are a peaceable and peaceful
people. We enter upon war only as a der
nier resort. We are seeking to develop the
industrial side OF our life. We boast OF
our achievements in commercial competl-
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 arc the wealthiest
nation on the face of the earth. Our re-
sources are ineXhaustib.e, our possibilities
of increment unlimited. But herein lies
our very peril. 1t needs no figures to de-
clare that the spirit of materalism Is rife
as never before in our land The dOmlna-
ton of wealth becomes daily more cruel.
The quest OF riches is more and more
strenuous.
Milionaires are not numbered by the
scores, but by the thousands. Materlalsm
is rampant. Its interests are supreme. 1t
has been said that market is beginning to
dominate literature and art. instead OF
classic models and superior excellence. To-
day men no less than things have their
price, and the money value IS made the
standard of the worth of an object. 1t IS
true that in some quarters there is revul-
sion of spirit on this question. The PEN
dulum is beginning to swing the other way.
We take hope from the thought that many
are studying with insight the gross mate
rialsm of the age. The prophetic voices
against it are on the increase in the pulpit.
Ignorant, vulgar and brutal wealth receives
severer Establishments 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 solidity, for ear
nest realities, for ethics, Cor spirituality.
for better ideals, for deeper thinking AID
for the inner as we'll as the outer develop
ment of society. The leavcn is working,
but as vet the lump remains practically IN
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 for
Christ as truly as was Paul. Through us,
through our lives, our thoughts: our ac-
tions, God is seeking to speak to the world.
And what message would de have US
bring? Is it a message of worldliness, OF
sel6shness, of carnal desires. message OF
skillful temporizing with His commands
and skillful 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 soporihc to their con-
sciences to be in this world and OF tins
world, and yet belong to God. Let us re-
member the words of the great apostle;
"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 viii OF
God"
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 G.
God, the whitened harvest would wait no
longer for reaDers; the desire Of our Lord,
which with aching heart He expressed that
day of His conversation with the woman Of
Samaria, would be fulfilled
Al 4 l. i, Lfo-s rstvIN F
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 a Quaker preacher.
she Conseorated her life to God. Her meat
and her drink were the doing Of the Mas