The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-12-12
HE.EAMoUSEDIVTNE

shall attain material success at the
xpens of our souls life? For
what doth 1t profit a man to gain the
whole sum total Of material things
and have forfeited his soul life with
in God?"
The highest measure Of success Is
the permanency Of achieved results.
The test of service is in the WORTH
ness of the labors to which our efforts
have been applied. If sound money
is more important than sound morals
then the teacher Of political economy
is of more value to the world than
the teacher of ethics, that Is to say,
Of the science of right living. II
fleets are Of more consequence than
spiritually minded and Christ-moved
men, then Morgan with his mer-
| chant marine is mightier than Moody
with his Bible. If. cash counterbal-
ances character then let us relegate
the Christ life to its proper, that is
to- say, the second, place in our
scheme Of living. If policy is better
than principle and gain at any cost
| superior to righteousness, then let
us hoist the jolly Roger to the fore
peak Of the ship Of State and de-
! clare ourselves the moral pirates that
we are. But I am persuaded that we
do not value the material more than
manhood. I am sure that funda-
mentally we do believe that princi-
ple, purity and goodness are more OF
account than all else in life. We are
all conscious Of the beauty, n no
bility, the transcendent Importance
of the culture of the soul. There Is
not a man, or but few. men anywhere
but who will admit at once and with
out discussion that to trade the souIs
life for material success is to strike
a Door bargain. I have yet to meet
the thinking man, whose opinions are
worth q snap of my finger, who sus-
tains any other proposition save that
a, godly life is the only sure Pounds
tion of society and the. only guarantee
of the permanency and efficiency OF
success.
Believing these latter truths to be
divine why, then, do we hesitate to
connote logic with action? Why dc
we refrain to parallel our academic
conclusions with. definite effort. why
do we refuse consistency a hearing
and continue to serve the. god OF ma
terial success? o.,
MY friends, the whole question OF
service and success is a matter OF
getting or being, Of self-aggrandize:
ment or of self-realization and SOU
culture. Getting is as natural as
breathing. But we breathe not fol-
the sake Of breathing, but in order
to live. Getting, the requirement OF
temporal wealth, may be a means to
the culture Of our souls. When sc
used riches are a blessing. That mar
Is wisest who makes all things in this
life tend toward his, souls develop.
ment. Let US teach u youth that
growth in goodness is the prime
function, the principal task of hu.
man endeavor. Let us tell u young
men and our maidens that it is best
to serve God and to grow constantly
into the graces and beauties OF
Christlikeness. Let US send home tc
the young and impressionable hearts
Of our boys and our girls the change
less and eternal truth that 1t car
never proit.a man to gain the whole
world and lose his own life within
God. Then shall we have inculcateo
the true philosophy Of life and hast
ened the coming ofAthe kingdom OF
the God of Christ our Lord.