The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-05-09

Christianity thus professed. don't fight
it-this is the age of religious tolerance
but pass it by rs good for women and
children.
l appeal to the conscience Of every
man and woman here to-day. we
! are followers of Jesus Christ. Now
! only His first word to the world is
repent. He gave many more, but they
all depend upon that fer their rcal
meaning. Until we truly repent Chris
tianity for us is q sealed book. Have
we %repentcd? We have looked over
our personal lives. Here was 4 fault
Here was 4 sin. There was a mistake
We feel ashamed of this. Henceforth
in our personal lives we shall be diff
ferent. God forgive! And we feel for
given. There it ends.
Ends in an age where there is more
wealth than in any age of the world
before; when that wealth is attained
by some men. not by hard labor OF
hands or brains, but overnight: in an
age when because Of this wealth there
is more luxury in a city like New York
than in all the world fifty years ago;
where men and women live for money
and sell their souls for money! What
should repentance mean to-day?
It is q message to those who have
money. Search your consciences to see
how you came by your wealth. Can
you say with Z%accheus, Lord, if
have taken anything from any man
by false accusation. I :estore him fOnr-
fold?" You know and 1 know that
many of orr fortunes have been dis
honestly, illegally and u~njustly &C
cumulated. By false returns to State
officials, by false use of trust moneys,
by false use of the powers of Govern
ment. by false business methods has
this money been obtained. Repentance
demands that restitution be made to
the individuals or the community from
whom this money vas taken. Search
your conscience to see what wealth is
doing to you. Since you entered into
the possession Of money by work or
by inheritance are you a nobler man
or a truer woman? Or has money
made you little-souled. mean, narrow,
proud, eXtravagant. arrogant. supercil-
ious? Give it away ut once. every cent
Of it. 1t is better to 90 through life
with no money than with money to go
down into hell fire.
Money is sending thousands Of men
and women to what Jesus called hell,
in this city. They got their wealth in
defiance of Gods and u country's
law; they can only keep it by control.
ling legislatures and creating monopo.
lies. And what do they say? They
po1 ho ot- an conditions on1 1odpa 70.
sponsibility. Repent. Fail? You prob.
ably will fail. Conditions are bad In
politics and business. But God bids
you fail. Go forth as sheep among
wolves and fail. You will save your
soul alive here and hereafter. 1t is a
message to those who have no money.
Money itself is not evil. but the love of
it, the lust after it. Many a man who
has not a dollar has the love Of it, and
Is giving his soul to get it. 1t is his
envy Of the rich that is sin. If such
a man had money he would become
like the rich he now envies, for his
soul Is like his brothers soul. Circum-
stances may vary. n may live in
Mulberry Bend and the other or Fifth
avenue but their souls are alike. The
idle rich mar in his club and the Bow
cry loafer are one and the same breed.
One has allowed himself to become the
victim of wealth, the other the victim
Of poverty. Both are victims, not free
men.
Therefore, to both alike, neither as
rich or poor, but rs men. conquered
men, comes this message: Turn We
from your poverty and your wealth and
with Gods help stand forth free. Strip
you, make you bare Of this money and
know the joy Of bread earned in the
sweat of your brow. Find work, ally
honest work, and do it like a man IN
the strength Of the Lord.
When a man stops blaming condi-
tons and takes to himself the respon-
sibility for what he is and what he has
done he has obeyed the first word Of
Christ-"Repent."