Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-12-15
Calnase
sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt TIA. --ase. d. d.

Los Angeles. Cal. Dec. 10. That
godhness is profitable both in this
world and the next and that religion
Drings In its train enduring success
anu material as well as spiritual bless.
ing Is shown in this sermon. for which
the preacher has taken rs his text the
story OF Joseph i'm Genesis xxxix. Q.
+ anu ne was a prosperous man
Did you ever stop to think how much
God appeals to the selfish motives of
the children of Israel in the Old Tesla
mentF' said an aged Christian some
time ago. Il am nearly eighty years
or age now, but am not too old to read
the Bible. So few weeks ago, with
my daughter, l decided to start at the
nrst chapter Of Genesis and go straight
through the Old Testament Though
have read the Bible many times be-
fore. was never struck with this fact
so much as during the last reading.
All through the Pentateuch and up to
the time OF Joshua and the Judges
God keeps saying: Follow me, and 1
VIII increase your herds. Follow me,
and I will give you land. Follow me,
and 1 will make you a powerful peo-
pie God seems to be appealing al
most entirely TO mans self interest in.
stead Of to mans duty TO make sacri-
fees for him" "Well.' said, s'that is
30. never thought OF that matter be-
fore L am going to look into it."
When l went home I began to turn
the leaves of my Bible. and I found
what my good friend said was literally
true. In that child age of the world
God wooed men as we WOO children,
to be 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 worshiping false idols and dis.
obeyed God, then God sent them wars
and pestilences and famines and trials
OF all sorts. He seemed to say, "Obey
me and prosper" or, 'Disobey me and
suffer" He seemed to appeal to their
selfish motives in order to make them
good. And yet. as l sat in my study
brooding over this thought, 1 said to
myself, as it not possible to find the
cause Of every mans actions and deeds
In selfish motiveT'
Abraham Lincoln said. "No man ever
a selfish motive" One day when riding
about on his Illinois circuit with a
brother lawyer he argued this question
by the way. AT last rs the two law
yers were passing a mudhole the fu-
ture president saw n little pig strug-
Cling In the mud and about to be
drowned. Lincoln dismounted from his
horse He waded through the mud,
picked Up the little pig and placed 1t
on the solid ground. Then he mounted
his horse to ride on to the next county
seat There" said the lawyer, Lin
coin. you. have disproved your own
case. You say man does nothing but
with q selfish motive. What selfish
motive did you have in saving that lit
tie pigf1N MY motive was purely n
selfish one" answered Lincoln. IT did
not want TO so into that puddle and get
my clothes covered with mud any more
thnn you did. But i said to myself,
Abe. II you don't save that pig YOU
Will hear him squealing all night long
calling for help. and you won't get
wink OF sleep 1 saved him In order to
keep my conscience from bothering
me-" Like Abraham Lincoln are many
OF us. When we analyze our motives
for doing some good deed we often
find self interest at the bottom Ii Is
not always pity for the sufferer that
prompts the charitable gifts so much
as fear OF the self upbraiding we would
have TO endure if we refused to give.
or course that Is n very low motive,
but it Is very potent one with the ma
" ~ 4 e..
YOU that even on that low plane rell-
gion has claims that no one can afford
TO ignore Goodness is profitable for
the life that now Is as we'll as for that
which Is to come. Like Joseph, you
want TO become prosperous man. and,
like Joseph, we all want to make the
best of our lives.
Wants 40 BE Prosperous.
Every man, IN the first place. wants
to be financially prosperous This does
not mean that he necessarily wants to
be a millionaire and have n private
yacht and palaces scattered all over
the country. like the Duke OF westmin-
ster, or wardrobe crowded full OF
garments which he can never wear out,
like the head OF the German empire,
who has a different uniform 10 CORE
spond with every regiment OF his army
and different uniform for every for
eign regiment and navy OF which he is
an honorary colonel or admiral. That
does not mean that lie wants TO go on
boarding up his gold until his wealth
becomes so great that he does not
know where TO invest his surplus CAPT.
tai. But It does mean that every man
wishes TO be financially independent.
He wants to have n home over his
head. He wants TO be able TO pay his
butcher and baker and clothier's bills.
He wants 10 be able to buy books.
When his family is sick be wants to be
able TO hire n physician and a nurse
and TO have the proper medicines and
delicacies for them. Now all these
financial blessings are associated with
the consecrated Christian life. AS God
cared for Joseph and clothed him and
fed him and made il possible for him
TO care Cor his loved ones. so God will
clothe and feed us and care for us IL
we trust him and, like Joseph. do our
best. And vet TO hear some cynics
talk you would suppose that great spir-
ituai conservation inevitably goes hand
ia hand with financial bankruptcy. If
a disciple OF Jesus Christ is to be strict
~ honest they think he must dress in
rugs and have no roof which he can
claim as his own. Yet the direct oppo
site OF this supposition is true. God
has promised that those who seek first
the kingdom of heaven shall not lack
any good thing.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday,
today and forever. How did God deal
with his disciples OF old? Does Abra-
Aam come before us dressed in rags?
Was Joseph bankrupt? Did job have
20 beg his bread after he had remained
true to God and forgiven his three mis-
cradle friends? Did Joseph always re-
main a hireling, a slave and an out
cast? Was Daniel always despicable
youth? Was David perpetual refugee
In King Achish's court? Did Mordecai
always have to bend the knee to the
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