Charlevoix county herald., 1906-06-02

Text: But seek ye first the king
dom of God, and his righteousness.
and all these things shall be added
unto you. st. Matt. 6:33.
My friends l do not come before you
this evening with an essay dotted with
literary gems, or beauty of diction, as
/ do not deem this to be my business;
nor do 1 come with sermon merely
because it is customary once each year
TO have such All one delivered. My
purpose is rather TO give you plain
Common sense talk on religion in the
light in which Jesus teaches in this
remarkable chapter of st Matthew.
Humanity some how or other has
sadly got into the way Of doing certain
essential things at just the wrong
time. A young man decides on GER
tain course of action today Oh which
he should have decided a month ago,
and is therefore too late There is
tide in the affairs Of men, which if
taken at the food leads on TO fortune"
Speaking generally men think of re-
ligion as thing to be deferred to the
last few moments before death. 1t is
the last thing which they wish to do
in this world, when God says it should
\ be the very first.
Now that you people are finishing
your course IN the High School there
,rn rnanv fhinuc ,Ubinb , an ctilI paad
and must have in order that you may
be successful in the career which is
being marked out for you. and tor
which, perhaps, you were sent into
this world, and Jesus Christ here
dares to say that the greatest requisite
OF all is that you seek first the king
dom of God. and his Righteousness,
and follows it up with-if posSible-a
more daring statement still, namely.
if you do the one Ill other things
shall be added unto you. He does not
ask you to do something which has
been done only by the weakest minds
in the course OF the ages. Your
Daniel Webster never thought it be-
meath his massive mind TO aim after
the life which is here implied. Your
much respected Nick Kinley did not deem
it beneath him TO seek to be nearer to
God, and in his dying moments was
heard to Say-"Nearer my God TO
: Thee. Nearer TO Thee" Your ROoSe-
welt does not think ii below him to
bare his head in the presence Of, and
to worship this King Of men. Your
Susan B. Anthony one of the very
noblest women who ever trod this
earth looked on Christ as the only
power able to right the awful social
evils OF the ninett euth and twentieth
centuries. Your Francis Willard, a
noble woman, most highly esteemed
considered it an honor to spend her
life in aid Of others in their search for
the kingdom Of God and his righteous
ness, and desire to show you as far as
it may be possible in the light of these
words what are the results of success
full searching.
Imperishable qualities come to the
man who lives this God controlled
life.
Perhaps there is nothing in this
world to-day for which men work SO
hard as for wealth. There are two
roads To wealth, one which doth not
consume, and the other the reverse.
Therefore care should always be taken
as to the method. When a man gets
wealth we arainclined to speak of him
as one of thee members of society,
He may be perhaps Sunday School
teacher, or "a great contributor to
Schools and Colleges. But after all
if his money has not come to him by
rightful methods, his position in the
church or world does not justify him
in the sight of God, nor In the sight of
honest men. His wealth Is perish
able. Now some of you before me to
night may be called TO commanding
positions in your life. and | think you
will do so by the imperishable charac-
teristic Of honesty. 1t seems TO me
that our country is at present under
going most remarkable revival in
the sense of real searching Of mems
character How many men in recent
times to whom we looked as men OF
highest honor, have fallen from their
high place simply because they lacked
the imperishable qualities whicn are
the gift of God, and are given TO all
men who will meet the Divine con-
ditOns.
If you have been successful in your
search for the kingdom of God you