The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-11-09
OUTLINE or SERMON BY REV. p. Il.
WELLS.
Matt. vi. 1928. Lay not up for your
selves treasures upon earth, ETC.,

These words have a narrow and q
wider meaning. They have a direct
reference to what we ordinarily mean
10y wealth, or possession. In their wi
der Specification, they have reference
to all q fthose pleasures aud sins, the
lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye,
and the pride of life,-upon which men
place their affections, instead of seek
ing those things which are above.
AS these words relate primarily to
the laying up of possessions here, we
must interpret them in harmony with
the whole of Divine Revelation.
Our Lord does not condemn wealth
as an evil in itself, but the serving of
wealth.
Gathering and using wealth accord
ing the Will of God is not serving
mammOn.
The present life certainly has its
claims upon us, subordinate of course
to the claims Of the hereafter. In fact,
the good things of this life are included
in the promise to US:
"Seek We first the kingdom of God
and His Righteousness, and all these
things shall be added unto you"
1t is my privilege and duty to better
my condition, provided it be done in
submission to the Divine Will. The
command il: "Be not slothful in bust
mes, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord"
And there is that other command:
six days shalt thou labor" To labor
the six days is as much a command as
to rest on the Sabbath.
The Bible nowhere places a premi-
um upon laziness; he who will not
work has no rigot to eat.
ty for the future. We are taught to do
our duty in the present, leaving the
future, with its uncertainties, in the
hands of Him who clothes the lily and
feeds the sparrow.
Our saviour does forbid the useless
boarding Of wealth. Large possessions
are often so held as to confer no benefit
on their possessor, or on the world.
Many men, instead of regarding
wealth as a talent committed to them,
and of which they must give an &C
count, consider it is entirely. theirs in
their W right, securing to think that
God will not call them to account for
its boarding. The talent 10 make
money is as much a Divine gift as any
other talent.
The great danger lies in the wrong
use, or abuse, of talent. In many cases
riches become the master instead of the
-ervant. When wealth is accumulated
for unworthy ends, or acquired for the
purpose of, m%inistering to u pride or
pampering a luxurious taste. then it be-
comes sin. Hence the Apostle says:
"Charge them that are rich in this
world, that they be not high-minded,
nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the
living God, who giveth us richly all
things to enjoy: that they do good,
that they be rich in good works, ready
to distribute, willing to communicate;
laying up in store for themselves a good
foundation against the time to come,
that they may lay hold on eternal
life.n
We may bring this subject home to
ourselves. No one here to day is
rpckoned by the world az a rich man.
Has the %admonition, mot to lay up
treasure upon EARTH" any bearing up
on our lives? The relation of this
question to us is clearly brought out
by Paul Il Tim. soy: "But they
that will be rich," not all the rich, for
some earn wealth by hard work, or
gain it by inheritance, and use it wise.
ly. "But they that will be rich," that
is, they that desire after, that earnestly
crave, whether they succeed in their
desires or not, 'tfall into temptation
and a snare, and into many foolish and
hurtful lusts, which drown men in
destruction and perdition." We may
be possessed of very little of this
worlds goods, and yet be very de-
sirous of wealth for its own sake. If
we calmly and deliberately seek wealth
for the mere possession of it, and with
out any recognition of it as a trust, we
will surely ruin our higher selves.
Whether we possess much or little,
the principle for u guidance is clear
ly stated in the text: 1.-The light Of
the body is the eye if Therefore thine
eye he single, thy whole body shall be
full of light. But if thine eye be evil,
thy whole body shall be full of dark
ness"
What the eye is to the body, the
intention is to the soul. AS the eye
guides the body correctly in its move
ments, so the eye of the soul, the in
tention, guides the soul in its move
ments.
In this chapter, Christ shows US that
in our fasting, praying, and almsgiv-
ing, it is the purity of the intention
which determines the holiness of the
act. The same intention which makes
a prayer unanswered, renders evil the
daily life and work. When the soul
looks at thing only, it, is single !;
when it is my design to love and serve
God supremacy, then my eye is single
and my whole body is full o. light; my
"whole body" every desire, temper,
affection, thought, word and deed.
When I begin to divide my affection,
then comes darkness. Hence no man
can serve God and Mammon it must
be the intention of the soul to serve
one or the other.
The supreme question for us is, not
whether we are rich or poor, but, is it
our desire and purpose to live for the
glory of God.
Our text has a wider application it
refers to all Of the things in the present
life which receive the homage of men.
Are our hearts set upon things here
the lust of the flesh, the lust OF the eye,
and the pride of life, or, are they set
upon heavenly treasusers that is,
''the riches of grace for the life that
now is, and the riches of glory
in the life which is to Gomez"
What kind of investment are we max
ing? We can have no lasting title to
the things of earth, nor are they suit
able for satisfying the needs of the inn
mortal soul, Man needs forgivness
and cleansing; he needs to come into
with God. Nav il hence