Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1905-12-16

Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmage. d. d.

Los Angeles, Cal, Dec. 10. - That
godlness is profitable both in this
world and the next and that religion
brings in its train enduring success
and material as well as spiritual bless
ing is shown in this sermon, for which
the preacher has taken as his text the
story of Joseph in Genesis xxx, 2,
And he was prosperous man."
"Did you ever stop to think how much
God appeals to the selfish motives or
the children of Israel in the Old Testa-
mentY said an aged Christian some
time ago. Il am nearly eighty years
Of age now. but am not too old to read
the Rible. SO few weeks ago, with
NV daughter | decided to start at the
first chapter Of Genesis and go straight
through the Old Testament. Though
I have read the Bible many times be-
fore. | was never struck with this tact
so much as during the last reading.
All through the PeItateuch and up TO
/ the time Of Joshua and the Judges
God keeps saying: Follow me, and l
will increase your herds. Follow me-
and | will give you land. Follow me-
! and I will make you powerful peo-
| ple' God seems to be appealing al
most entirely to mans self interest IN
stead Of to mans duty to make sacrl-
fees for him" WELL l said, "that Is
so. I never thought Of that matter be-
fore. | am going to look into It,.
when [ went home | began TO turn
the leaves of my Bible, and / found
what NV good friend said was literally
true. In that child age of the woriu
Cod wooed men as we WOO children,
IN he good with promises of reward.
And he kept his promises. When the
children of Israel obeyed God, then
God prospered them. And when they
went to worshipng false idols ana as
obeved God. then God sent them wars
and pestilences AID famines ana trlals
Of all sorts. He seemed TO say, "ODey
me and prosper" or, "Disobey me ana
suffer" He seemed to appeal to their
selfish motives in order to make them
good And vet. as l sat in my study
brooding over this thought, l said TO
myself, "Is it not possible to ma the
cause Of every mans actions and deeus
in Il selfish motive"
Abraham Lincoln said, mo man ever
did anything in life unless it was win
selfish motive" One day when rlding
about on his Illinois circuit WIN
brother lawyer he argued this question
bv the way. At last as the two law
yers were passing a mudhole the Iu-
ture president saw a little pig strug-
cling in the mud and about to be
drowned. Lincoln dismOunted from MS
horse. He waded through the mud
picked up the little pig and placed IL
ON the solid ground. Then he mounted
his horse to ride on to the next county
scat There" said the lawyer, Lin
coin. YOU have disproved your own
case. You say man does nothing Du'
} with a selfish motive. What selhsn
motive did you have in saving that III
: tie pig?" MY motive was purely q
selfish one" answered Lincoln. Il did
not want to 20 into that puddle ana gel
my clothes covered with mud any more
than YOU did. But l said to myset
.Ahe if YOU don't save that pig yor
will hear him squealing all night long
# calling for help, and YOU won't get
wink Of sleep. l saved him in order L
keen nv conscience from botherlnl
me-" Like Abraham Lincoln are many
of us. When we analyze our motives
for doing some good deed we ottei
find self interest at the bottom. IL i
u + always pity for the sufferer tina
nrompts the charitable gifts so mucl
r os fear of the self upbraiding we woulC
have TO endure if we refused 10 give
OF course that is very low motive
but it is very potent one with the ma
ioritv of people. Now, l want to shov
Won that even on that low plane rell
- pion has claims that no one can at1or'
TO ignore. GOdliness is profitable 10
tbe life that now is as well as for tina
} which is to come. Like Joseph, yol
want to become a prosperous man, and
like Joseph. we all want to make III
best Of our liyoS.
Wants to he Prosperous.
Every man. in the first place, want
to be financially prosperous. ms doe
not mean that he necessarily wants I
, he a millionaire and have prlva'
Yacht and palaces scattered all owe
the country, like the Duke of Westmn
ster. or a wardrobe crowded 1uli q
= garments which he can never wear ou
like the head Of the German empire
1 who has n different uniform to CORE
~ spond with every regiment of his arm
u and a different uniform for every 10
eign regiment and navy Of which he
an honorary colonel or admiral. Ina
does not mean that he wants to go 0
boarding up his gold until his weai'
" hecomes so great that he does NJ
know where to invest his surplus cap
tal But 1t does mean that every ma
wishes to be financially independen
He wants to have a home over b
head He wants to be able to pay d
hntcher and baker and clOthler's bill
He wants to be able to buy DooK
When his family is sick he wants to
able to hire physician and nur'
and to have the proper medicines ar
delicacies for them. Now all the'
financial blessings are associated WI
the consecrated Christian life. AS G(
cared for Joseph and clothed him al
fed him and made 1t possible for III
TO care for his loved ones, so God W
- clotbe and feed us and care for US
we trlst him and, like Joseph, do o.
hest. And yet to hear some cynl