The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-05-27
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
AN ELOQUENT DISCOURSE BY THE
REV. C. L. PALMER.

Subject: "why the Righteous Suffer an,
the UngodIy Prosper'-God Permit
Affections to Come Upon His People
as n Character Test.
KINGSTON, N. Y. In the Reformed
Church of the Comforter on Sunday morn.
ing the Rev. C. l.. Palmer preached q
scholarly discourse entitled "Whv the
Righteous Suffer and the Ungodly Pros
per" He took his text from Psalm rs: 3:
For | was envous at the arrogant, when
i saw the prosperity of the wicked"
The Seventythird Psalm was probably
composed by Asaph, who was pious jew,
and one of the leaders of the temple
chorus. The phraseology and contents in.
dictate that he was intelligent and spiritual,
and that in the course of his religious ex-
perience was exposed to the ravages OF
doubt. However, upon mature delibera-
ton all doubt was overcome, and he be-
came strong in the faith
The particular problem that confused
him was why the righteous suffer and the
ungodly prosper. Why the most vicious
criminal should enjoy material prosperity
and consecrated disciples be subjected TO
suffering. If God is perfectly righteous in
Himself, and supremacy just in all His
dealings with men, why does He allow the
ungodly to succeed and the believer to
fail? Why does He not obliterate every
sinner and preserve every saint? Why
does He permit the godly to pass through
so many deep and raging seas of affection?
Why are many Of the Christless so free
from human misery? These are questions
which nave been fresh in the mind of every
generation, and the only satisfactory an
swer is the one that suffced the psalmist.
Before undertaking to develop SO impor-
tant subject it is necessary that we d.
vest our minds of one possible misconcep-
ton. The implication of the text is not
that all the wicked prosper, and that all
the righteous are afflicted. 1t is not that
all the ungodly prosper because they are
ungodly, or that all believers are afflicted
because they are believers. 1t is not true
that all the worldly enjoy success, and all
and unsuccessful. The psalmist was in
pessmistic mood at the time of writing,
and describes a condition from which he
was eventually extricated 1t is true that
some goddess men and women seem to be
happy and prosperous, and that some de-
voted disciples aSe greatly afflicted. But
it is far from the natural deduction of
Scripture and experience that all the godly
are unsuccessful and the wicked prosper
Gus, though we do acknowledge that the
ancient sentiment of the text is not with
OuC us IlOQClA dppllSoblOh' w y Gun WON
der why the unrighteous prosper and the
cody are afflicted.
1. WHY THE UNGODLY ENJOY TEN
PORAL PROSPERITY.
We cannot deny that many worldly peo-
pie have an abundance of life's blessings,
and that they appear to be quite free from
adversely. 1t is well known that many of
our most wealthy people seem to be indif
ferent to religion. They spend their time
and means either in business or seeking
pleasure. Our contention is that human
success or failure is not an infallible crter
ion by which we are to justify or condemn
the government of God.
1t is not uncommon for goddess people to
inherit property. Nor is it unusual for I'M
parents to leave an inheritance
to their children. That while there has
been utter indifference to Christianity
there has been no want of concern in the
of wealth. And many pos
sess a disinterested temperament that pro-
tects them from needless care and anxiety.
Unbehevers are often more shrewd than
Christians. "Ihe children of this world
are wiser in their generation than the chill
dren of light" A life of utter absorption
in the accumulation and management of
money develops an acumen, one who read
lily discovers whatever will contribute to
his personal and temporal advancement.
And since we are free moral agents it is
possible for one to succeed in the direction
Of his ambition.
Unbelevefs are often less scrupulous.
They will do many things for temporal
comfort that others will not. A goddess
mortal will keep a saloon or gambling
den, from which the profits are very large.
He will desecrate the Sabbath or violate
any of the divine laws without hesitation
so long as his personal interest is encour-
aged. His motto is "eat, drink and be
merry, for tomorrow we die" Would a |
reborn soul and heir of the kingdom do |
the same? A true disciple of the Great |
Teacher would not consciously transgress
any civil OF religious requirement, even If
by such a violation he would increase his |
means and comfort.
The attention of unbelievers is more
on the accumulation of |
wealth and on personal comfort. 1t is
about all many think of They think about
money when they retire. They dream
about it at night. 1t is upon their minds |
when they awake in the morning, and they
labor for it during the day. 1t is the only |
desire they have, and it is not strange that |
they should obtain it.
Christians are unwilling to deprive them |
selves of the comfort and blessing of CIV
ing. Our churches arc supported by the |
protested followers of Christ. All the phi |
anthropic and charitable organizations are
largely sustained by those who bear the
Christian name The church has great rea-
son to thank God for those who give SO
literally toward her support, while the
world is either boarding or wasting its |
means, they are applying their gifts to the
social, intellectual, moral and eternal i'm
of others.
The long suffering of God is not to be
ignored. God permits ungodly people to |
obtain the desire of their hearts. The !
sneering jest of Dionysius, the younger, a |
tyrant of Sicily, when, after having robbed |
tha Temnle of Syracuse he had q Drosner-