The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-02-05
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
AN ELOQUENT DISCOURSE ENTITLED
BREAD UPON THE WATERS"

rhe Rev. Edward Niles Declares That the
Opinion of the Worldly Economist is
Not Supreme Court Whose Decisions
Are Binding on the Christian.
BROOKLYN, N. Y.-Sunday morning. in
the White Church (Bushwick Avenue Re-
tormed) the pastor, Rev. Edward Niles,
preached on Bread Upon the Waters"
The text was from Ecclesiastes XII: l.:
shalt find it after many days" Mr.. Niles
said:
The book of Ecclesiastes is the life re-
view of the wisest and richest man of his
day. Every statement has been tested
A young man might have said the same
thing with equal eloquence and convic-
ton, but the impression on the mind Of
the elderly reader would be, eyes, his ad-
vice is all very well in theory, but what
does he know about life?"
The words of the aged Solomon are open
to no such criticism. Our text is the first
OF the short, pthy sentences with which
the teachings of his wonderful career are
summed up.
In thought he goes back to the early
days Of his reign. Then his country was
insignificant Jerusalem itself was a pi-
oneer city only thirty-three years old His
people bore something of the same rea-
ton to the surrounding nations as did the
Beers OF dozen years ago to the Euro
pean countries. They were strong, relig-
ious self contained, with few extremes Of
poverty or wealth, who had partially en-
shaved, partially exterminated, the orig
nal inhabitants of the land. Yet, they
were mostly isolated on their plantations
and lacked the polish of refinement and
culture which only comes with long set
Element OF country and contact with the
great world
Solomon recalled how ardently he had
entered into the work of putting his sub
jects abreast of the times. He had Wild
ened the borders of the land until they
reached the Red Sea. There a dockyard
was established, feet of ships was built
and launched, marking the first ventures
of the Jews in commerce.
Human nature being the same in all
ages, we can be sure that many Jewish
fogy demonstrated. "What, take hard.
earned money, the result of so much toll in
the fields, and put it in these tubs, to go
on no one knows where, to return no one
knows when, il ever? Young King don't
be SO foolish as to throw away our money
on the sea-"
The day when these ships sailed off in
search of trade and profit was likely made
the occasion of great pageant by the Gov
eminent to counteract these grumblings,
but as week after week went by and
month followed month, nothing was heard
of those much discussed ships. The wise
acres became all the wiser, shook their
heads more knowingly and croaked more
disconsolately. The time came, however,
when off in the dim. distance the watcher
by the sea discerned white speck upon
the water. Looking more intently, he
saw here a ship, there another and be-
hind still more. When near enough to
be hailed all were found to be we'll. Their
venture to countries before unknown had
Leen crowned with success.
AS the crews with their rich burdens
wendell their way overland to Jerusalem
the rumors of the profit of over $ll 100000
from the single voyage preceded them. l
can imagine the smile of the aged Solomon
as he recollected the CONSERVATION the
; ews caused to the conservative croakers.
So evident were the benefits derived
from the policy of putting out money for
in the end, that ship building fever
seized the nation. Three year voyages
were undertaken and prospered, until the
quaint, primitive Jewish community was
fairly gorged with wealth. Silver was as
stones in the streets of the Capital City,
palaces and other public build
ings were erected where the rude huts had
stood. Palestine ceased to become the
contempt of all countries. Distinguished
ert to see the grandeur with their own
ewes, to find that it was more remarkable
than depicted in even the most glowing
stories. Such was the mental vision that
came before the reminiscent writers of
Ecclesiastes. The cause was for that tru-
ly phenomenal industrial revolution he put
into the precept of our text, Cast thy
bread, or thy capital, upon the waters. In
vest it in some enterprise that does not
bring in an immediate result; it shall re-
turn unto you as it did unto me, infinite
ly multiplied, even though it may be after
my days" 1t is another way of saying,
Nothing venture, nothing have"
Of course, Solomon ran many risks. His
feet might have been shipwrecked, his
crews destroyed by the sa,vages, visited,
Gney were in danger of losing their way
forever in those uncharted seas; yet, al
though his eyes were wide open to the
chance of loss, he didn't hesitate to act.
The rule of greater economy PROFOUND
ed in the advice, Cast thy bread upon the
waters, for thou shalt find it after many
days." is good for our own age. Those
who are content to do as did their fathers
may make a living. That is all. The shift
mouth, satisfied if he barely meets his
bills, we regard as only less than Grim
inal. The father, with a family looking
to him for support, who tacitly assumes
that he is to be we'll and keep his position
who lays up neunlng IN the
bank, makes no investment, joins no fra
ternal order, pays no insurance, has more
ready money than he who is looking for
the return after many days of the sub
stance he is now casting upon the waters
Which one 10 wise? The over 5000, 700, 900
we annually spend on life insurance pre-
niums shows how thoroughly belief in
soiomon's precept has taken hold of the
American people.
Men without the yeast of imagination
never rise in the business world. A short
time ago salesman in one of the large
notion houses, after telling me of the
prestige held by his firm ten years ago,
aid "Now, want to leave. They don't
Ieem to know how to accommodate them