The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-11-22
Subject: profit and Loss"

Rev. ]. w. Henderson. pastor, took
as his text Mark S:36. For what
doth It profit a 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 II. 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 f-aggrandizement or
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 powers2
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 acq quired.
But the man who is a growing man"
is marked by his richness in grace,
goodness and godliness.
There is in our time a most COM
Of our people leading them to seek
the amelioration and upliftment OF
the conditions OF life about US There
Is an earnest desire among men of
purpose everywhere to make the
most out of life. We have small pa
thence with the shlrk and are getting
TO have less with the business slave.
We read OF the possibilities of cheap
power in it's 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
10 a successful social system the
worker must have fair hours and
good wage. The luXuries of yester-
day are the necessities, and inexpen-
sive, too. Of to-day. Our miliionaires
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 its way aud place. Social
conditions should be bettared 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-
ceive a fair wage and decent oppor-
tunity for enjoyment and for the cul-
ture of other than 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
properly will be found TO be means
TO the betterment Of this 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 a cure for many
social ills and a saiya for many an
economic sore. Money may and does
bring happiness to the hearts of all
who, righteously, may possess il. No
man can deny the value of physical
culture in the cure of many bodily
ailments and IN gtheuing 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 eycesses Of not a 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 II does make of
men, how soon the greed for it will
stife all that is noble in its lovers.
The size and development of your up-
per right arm is in no way an indica-
tion of the strength OF soul you pos
sess nor Is IL a substitute for &c.
Bulk OF purse. Drawn of muscle,
depth Of learning and fine mental
fly are both cOmmen'dable and desir-
able if 50 be they are righteously ac-
quired, but the acquisition of ali
these things is as nothing II so be a
man has forfeited his soul life for
them.
To-day we train our youth for
business or profession-that Is to
say for careers of economic useful
ness, Our main aim In education IS
TO &c 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
bur scant attention % individuality
and 10 the leanings and peculiarltles
Of personality. Any one here can
state. as well as I. how much moral
training the schools give our youth
in our fear that the Bible in the
school may SAVIOR Of denominational-
ism we leave. often, free field for the
devil. From earliest youth till the
child is a man dependent upon bs
own resources the continual cry IS
for him 70 achieve success. Forum
ate, indeed, is the man who, by wise
direction and personal preference, Is
enabled TO choose the way that leads
to real and lasting success. But the
pity Is that too many of us spell sue
cess In the terms OF material achieve
ment. Too few are they who know
that success is matter not so much
of getting as OF being; that it is more
matter of soul culture than Of ma.
terlal gain. Success is measured not
by the amount you have, but by what
you amount to-
Far be it froE me to bellttle d