The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1906-11-22
Subject: "Profit and Loss"

irving Square Presbyterian Church
on the theme, Profit and Loss the
Rev. I. w. Henderson, pastor, took
as his text Mark S:36. For what:
doth it profit man to gain the whole
world and forfeit his life" He said:
Jesus draws the picture with
strength and in a startling manner.
What doth it profit man if, in the
end, he shall have gained control
over the sum total Of the material
things in the universe and have for
feited, his soul life with God? "The
question is between that life which
consists mainly in having and that
which consists in being" The ques-
tion is whether or no our efforts
shall tend to self-aggrandizement or
I to soul culture. Shall we devote our
larger and finer energies to the at
tainment of possessions which are OF
use in this world alone or to the en-
largement of our spiritual powers?
The difference is between getting
and growing. The man whose ca
reer is given over to getting things is
measured as a success according to
the material wealth he has acquired.
But the man who Is growing man.
is marked by his richness in grace,
goodness and godliness.
A There is in our time most COM
mendable spirit abroad in the hearts
of our people, leading them to seek
the amelioration and upliftment of
the conditions of life about US. There
lis an earnest desire among men OF
purpose everywhere to make the
most out of life We have small pa
,tiense with the shirk and are getting
to have less with the business slave.
We read of the possibilities Of cheap
power in its relation to economic af-
fairs and millions Of money trans
form Niagara into electricity and
rapid transit. Our hearts are ap-
palled at the ignorance of thousands
of men here in America and we build
schools. We are told that in order
to a successful social system the
worker must have fair hours and a
good wage. The luxuries of yester-
day are the necessities, and ineXpen-
sive, too, of to-day. Our millionaires
have gold galore for charities and
clubs, and men in all grades of So
ciety put more money into amuse-
ments than ever before. All this is
well in it's way and place. Social
conditions should be bettered and the
standard of life raised. No man
should waste any of his talents. nor
should he give undue attention to
any one to the detriment of the rest.
The latent wealth of the world should
be made productive. No man should
be sent out into the battle Of life
mentally unprepared- Each member
of this State deserves and should be
enabled to acquire sufficient physical
endurance to fit him for the fight.
The man who sells his labor must re-
ceiye a fair wage and decent oppor-
tunity for enjoyment and for the cul-
ture of other thap>his business ma
ture.'' We cannot have too many
charitable institutions to meet real
need, nor can we do other than re-
joice over the wealth that lies at our
hands All of these things are good,
all are. necessary, each when used
proIerly will be found7to be means,
to the betterment of thiss world and
life.
But in our endeavor to utilize the
possibilities Of the present and mate
rial life, there lies the danger to for
get the immortal and spiritual exist
ence of the soul. Education at the
States expense Is cure for many
social ills and a salve for many an
economic sore. Money may and does
bring happiness to the hearts of all
who, righteously, may possess it. No
man can deny the value of physical
culture in the cure of many bodily
ailments and in Strengthening the
constitution. Fair pay for a fair
days work is only just. None of us
begrudges the man Of millions except
we are aware he has robbed US. But
brain muscle and morality are not
necessarily synonymous. Some of
the most dissolute men the world
has ever harbored have been the
mightiest in intellect. The antics
and eIcesses Of not few college
men but prove that book knowledge
and purity of.life are not one Money
is not an unrighteous thing of itself.
but, oh, what slaves it does make Of
men; how soon the greed for it will
stife all that is noble In it's lovers.
The size and development Of your up
per right arm is in no way an indica-
ton of the strength of soul you pos
sess nor is it substitute for it.
Bulk of purse, Drawn OF muscle,
depth of learning and a fine mental
fly are both commendable and desir-
able if so be they are righteously &C
quired, but the acquisition of all
these things is as nothing If so be a
man has forfeited his soul life for
them.
To-day we train our youth for
business or professionalism is to
say, for careers of economic useful
ness. Our main aim in education is
to fit men to achieve material sue
cess. We demand that our schools
shall turn out men who are able to
take care of themselves. We pay
but scant attention to individuality
and to the leanings and peculiarities
OF personality. Any one here can
state, as well as l, how much moral
training the schools give our youth.
In our fear that the Bible in the
school may SAVIOR of denomfnational-
ism we leave, often, a free field for the
devil. From earliest youth till the
,hild is man dependent upon his