The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-04-09

hover above him and flank him and crawl
beneath him. II hear you are in great
danger" said a friend to a church MEM
Der as he was leaving the service one
Sunday morning. why do you warn me
thus?" asked the gentleman. Because,
answered the friend, Il hear you are
becoming rich Take care, for 1t Is the
road by which the devil leads thousands
TO destruction No man has great wealth
unless at the same time the moral thieves
are ready to steal his good name and
head him off from finding safety in the
city of God
Oh, the moral temptations which con-
front the richl Only the power of the
Holy Spirit can safely overcome them.
One day gentleman entered the study
of prominent New York pastor. This
pastor had once been a leading minister
of the city of Philadelphia, where the
visitor had grown up under his preaching
as a poor young man. But the wheel Of
fortune had turned From being poor
; he was now growing fabulously rich.
The wealth of a Monte Christie seemed
to be his. No sooner did he enter the
pastors study In New York than he said:
"Dr. Chapman, pray for me. oh, pray
for me Lrrdr' what Is the matter,
man." asked DR.. Chapman. Are you
not making a great success? Is not the
world practically at your feet2' IAN,
yesl" came the blunt answer. THAT Is
just the trouble. This awful whirling,
/ rushing life of a successful New Yorker
Is not only maddenlng, but feel 1t sweep
ing me away from God. Oh, DR.. Chap
man. pray for mel Pray for me hardW
My friends, are you making a great sue
cess In life? Then the demoniac robbers
are ready to come and steal from you
your safety in Jesus Christ.
Like a Man Who Sends Substitute.
But, after ALL believe one Of the great
est moral and spiritual dangers besetting
the rich man is not innate hardness OF
heart or selhshness, but lack of personal
Christian service. BY this | do not mean
the rich man is unwilling to do anything
for Jesus Christ: but, being rich, he gets
others to do the work he should be willing
to do himself. In other words, he Is like
man drafted as a soldier to fight for
his country who sends a substitute. He
Is q man who gets others to do his gos-
pei singing and others to do his gospel
praying. and sometimes others to do his
visiting. and thus he himself becomes a
spiritual nonentity.
Let me illustrate my thought by sim
! pie story Some years ago one of the
most prominent physicians in the east
had very wealthy patient who was
nervous and for the most part bedrid-
den physical wreck. Listless and without
particle of ambition. she stayed in her
room week III ana week OUT HlbnlH diltT
month. What to do with her he knew
not. But one day he hit upon a glorious
| idea He came into the room and said
| MAIDEN, I want You to help a hospital
for crippled children In which I am very
much Interested I want you to taka
there some dolls for my little patients 4"
! "Oh, doctor" said she, II cannot go. The
sight of suffering always has a bad effect
upon me. But If you wish will give yJn
| $1,000 to send some ono else in my place
| Then / will give another $1,000 for my mes
senger to buy the dolls" No" said the
, physician, 81 do not wart that. I want
YIN, and, furthermore. l want you TO
make the dolls dresses will your own
HARD s, that I may tell my Iatients 70 /
made them Well, to be brief. the rich
! lady did as her physician wanted. She
| found after awhile she had enough
strength to go downtown and buy the
dolls. She made the dolls dresses with
her own fingers She after awhile became
| strong enough to visit the little patients
IN their wards. And In caring for and
making them happy she made her own
self happy and well.
Rich man, rich woman the reason you
do not grow in grace IS because you do