The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1904-07-08
SIN OF COVETOUSNESS
Or. Talmago PreaChes on a
Great Subject.
Thc Wfckcdncss of Jericho aud the
Terrible Punishment OF Achan
Have Lesson For the Peo-
pie of Modern Times.

copyright ls4 by Louis Klopschl
los ANGELES. Call May 22.-Iho
present sin OF covctousncss. It's genesis.
logical progression and elimination. Is
today the theme Of the preacher The
text is Joshua yH 25. And an Israel
stoned him with stones"
Few people have any adequate con.
rcption OF the wealth and the luxury OF
the ancient peoples OF the cast Ever
and anon iu our own day the ncwspa.
pors contain accounts Of the foolish ex-
travaeancos Of the scions Of wealthy
families. who show oven greater genius
in their ability 60 dissipate and scatter
their enormous fortunes thnn their an
ccstors did in the accumulation Of theii
wealth. BY frequent repetition so pro
eaic and commonplace have these ac-
counts become that special trains. pri-
vate yachts and banQuets costing ten
and even twenty thousand dollars for
D. few selected friends attract the read
crs Of the many newspapers hardly
more than a passing notice. But even
tho widest extnvagances OF modern
times cannot equal those OF the an
cicnts Then not only did Strcca and
bis friends move around their palaces
I'm shippers OF gold. but when out rid
ing they bcsrole horses shod with sill
yer. II perchance one of these silver
shoes should bee wrcnched from on a
horse, hoof the supcrclli0us and AFRO
CANT young Roman mobiles commanded
their servants TO leave IL lying in the
dirt rather than Sop the cavulcade to
pick it up
Fxtravagant were the ancicnts in the
matter OF personal apparel Pliny the
elder makes mention Of on instance
be knew of q bridal dress which was
made entirely OF the most precious
1 kind of pearls. which We're strung TO-
/ eether. costing over 100000 sestertii
or about s1.720.O0O in American coin
Among the famous collections Of per.
sonal apparel cxhumed from the buried
cities OF the east by Dr Heinrich
4 schIomnnn. the noted German archae.
olocist. we find that the ancient peo-
pies OF Troy aud Mycenae once wore
waistbands Of gold, necklaces OF gold
and taras Of precious stones, when
cltterod Ike the stars of midnight
Extravncant were the ancient peo
ple N the east in their menu, as wei
as in the adornments Of their banquet
halls Caius Suetonius Tranquilius
the Roman historian and biogropher
makes mention Of one supper given IN
honor Of Yltelllus, where there wer'
served up to the guests at one sittlne
900 most delicate fishes and IO0
birds while one immense dish, called
the "ghield." was composed entirely ol
the brains Of peacocks and parrots
suotonlus also records the fact ina
fabulous sums were sQuandered eaci
YEAR In the Roman capital and th'
mobiles might banquet of the tongues
of nightingalos. Like the Count o.
Alonte-Christo. they bad all the mos
delicate tropical productions brough
10 the,r tables in midwinter as wei al
during tho summer months.
But though the wealth Of this cap
tured eastern capital was prodiglous
vot not one atom Of gold. not one yar'
Of SILK. Dot one rug. not one diamond
was TO be taken by the Hebrew sol
olers for their own use. God toi'
Joshua be would give this city into nj
soldiers hands. but all the spoils o.
war Of this city were 20 be Gods am
Gods alone. But the night after tn
hattie one Hebrew soldier, Instead o
stovlpe In his own company ana DOM
what he ought 20 have done, allowe'
his sinful curiosity 10 get the bettor 0
him He went out among the ruins o.
his own account and began to explore
Then AS he saw the piled up heap o
wealth. his heart began 70 coyet VIVA
was not his. but Gods. When h
thought no one was looking De stol
a beautiful Babylonish garment -
shskels Of silver and a wedge OF gol
and went and hid them in his TEN
After many days this theft was e'
nosed. Swift condemnation FOLLOWED
and "all Israel stoned him with stones
z The first stage in Achan's fatal eoufs
, was what the apostle describes as TN
Inst Of the eve" Achan's curiosity wa
{ evclted He wanted TO see the wonde
z ful treasures which were TO be cons
: Grated 10 the Lord HIS first step
\ the downward path which ended IN h'
destruction was taken when he ros
Z from among his sleeping comrades ant
! Slipping past the guards ne wended ~
+ vev among the shattered walls OF N
captured city. II was one act Il
Z Achan with sword and spear and shieI
4. N 6eht his way into that doomed cal
y i.ol swarming with enemies Dut
was another act, after the battle VIZ
Z won for this brave soldier 10 arise
: night and crawl past the sentinels an
y beein 90 examine the spoils which wei
f. not his and by right never could
Z his II is one act. and a commendaD
= act for a young physician at the ca
. of duty 20 20 down 20 the place OF CIV
resort in a large city to help some su
4 ferer prostrated by physical inhrmit
: II IS another act and a very DANCE
ous act. for a young man OF o your
woman. actuated merely by an idle G
Z rlosity. 70 join a Summing party
Z look upon vice and gloat over II as
spectacle. Sometimes temptations cen
70 man in the ordinary walks Of III
but in nearly every case. as wi
4 Achan. temptations 10 SIN most su
cessfully assail man when that MI
+. IS idllng in a place where he has
business 20 be.
y. Lot me illustrate my thought fro
s an old scene iu the Bible. How Oft
has the downfall Of David been d
subject Of TIE pesslmists dlatrih
,fl How he exults over the spectacle