The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1905-02-15
A Sermon For The Day.

Beloved, | pray that in ali things
thou mayest prosper and be in health,
even as thy soul prospereth. John
III2.
Those words strike you right away;
prosperity, health, soul 1t is easy
to recognize the importance of the
first two; that Of the third is more re-
mote. Some have imagined that re
ligion emphasizes the last alone and
| ignores the other two. 1t is refresh
ing to find the most mystical of the
New Testament writer's reminding US
that religion seeks both prosperity
and health.
Evidently il is legitimate thing
for the Christian to pray for prosper
ity: and it is right for him to try 10
answer his own prayers. Poverty is
no proof of piety. Nothing a:out
God is or can be pov 2rty-strickcn. He
gives us a rich and glorious world
prolific in it's resources; it's life is rich
and prosperous. Nature is running
over, fairly riotiDg in splendor and
wealth. The creator has given man
this garden Of glory that he might en-
joy it. 1t is sin not to enter into
its possession; he is dead already who
does not desire prosperity, who no
longer seeks success in life. 1t is an
easy matter for the man who has
made an all-round failure to talk
about the dispensations of Providence
aod the compensations of the future.
Prosperity is always sin to the man
who lacks the pluck to secure it.
Yet many who seem to have failed
may have succeeded beet of all. Pros
perity often comes in strange pack
ages, 10 may even be labeled Adver.
aity. Not ell will succeed according
10 popular standards. Many will be
more fortunate; they will win the
riches Of influence, friendship, family,
thought, knowledge, love, character.
It is not the things we have that
make US rich, it is the amount Of life
we are capable Of enjoying. The
soul determines prosperity. 1t is the
energizipg spirit of man, stirring him
out of the ignoble dust, creating the
desire for more Of the things of life
and then FOR more OF life itself. It
determines values. 1t has way Of
reserving things 40 that one man gets
more out Of dollar book than another
gets out Of q million dollar bond. It
alone gives appetite end spprecistione,
and, without these, though there may
be many possessions, there is no pros
perity.
What is true of prosperity is also
OF health. Happily the days are gone
when sickness passed for saiptliness.
No longer 70 red blood counted foe
Of righteousness. We are getting
back TO the simpler, earlier thinking.
It is not only light to seek; 1t is
wrong not to. The haggard fsoe no
longer indicates the holy heart; it is
likely to evidence the opposite. We
are getting over the notion that God
is glori6ed By running the fair temple
he has given us. Men no longer count
on being beautiful angels in the skies
because they have looked like walking
sepulchers on our streets. 1t is On
imperfect holiness that does not have
health. Health, that is physical
prosperity, ia = aasss... -.
And here, also. the soul is central.
The clean heart. nnre thoughts, COZ
trolled appetites, aspiring hopes,
these make health. Evil temper,
lust, worry, care, envy, these are the
.soul processes that disturb the life
aud destroy health. Happiness is
health, and happiness 10 wholly Of
the heart. The soul is but the sum
Of all the things within. the force
that moves all things in life; If within
the man looks up, then he lives up;
if his soul droops, he decays. Wha.
you .sare within determines what you
are without; he who is poor in heart.
in this inner life, will be poor in
prosperity aud weak in health, no
matter how much he possesses. But
he who with his soul takes in the
world of beauty, of love, Of joy,
who reaches out to heaven and God,
oil these things are his and he is rich
and strong indeed.-Henry F. Coz q
Of Rams Horn. b \