The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-12-31
PROBLEMS OF YEAR THAT ARE UNSOLVED  Do American People Know How
 to Use Wealth? OUR PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS Poor is the Nation Whose People Do Not Know How to
 Use What They
 Possess.
OUR PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS

The Rev. Dr. J. W. stagg preached at the First Presbyterian church yesterday morning on "unsolyed Problems of the Old Year." taking the text from the twelfth verse of the fourth chapter of Philippians: 'I know how to abound. Dr. Stagg spoke in part as follows: "I know how to abound" which is great Knowledge. The lack of 1t has been the destruction of most of the great nations, and not few individuals. At the time the apostle was writing, his life had known much of the bleakness which followed his identifying himself with the cause of Christ If he means simply the abund- 1 ance which could be so called from the contrast of the general emptiness of his life since he became Christian. then he meant little enough as we count abund ance today But if he intended to teach by his great word, abound" that he had discovered in the teachings of Jesus principle by which life could be so reg ulated that a man could always be master of his circumstances and handle 1 himself so as to keep in line with the i high purposes of God. then he has l brought to us a law of human conduct applicable to all ages and which makes abundance relative, for the rich of one age may be, and often are, accounted the l poor by another age. Wherever, then, we find abundance, whether in Pauls age l or that of our own, the law for human conduct Is the same.
 The world has so long lamented the emptiness of life that men have unthink- ingly acquiesced in the opinion that no other kind of life Is hard. but when we take into consideration the relationship of plenty and want of fulness and empt ness of wealth and poverty, it is not diffi- cult to understand that the man who pos sesses has a harder work than the man who possesses not; in word, 1t is harder to be rich than to be poor, when we measure by the relationship that God has established in the earth.
 1 Whatever was in the mind of the apostle think We can all agree that at least this much was there-the influence of man contained in his possessions, him. self and his home. These have been tho sources of power in all the ages, and in proportion as they have been used wisely or unwisely has been the happiness or misery of the nations of the earth.
 Welfare of the Nation.
 In recent years we have become the richest nation in the world. The impor- tant thing about 1t all is: Do Americans know how to use wealth? When we count over our wonderful attachments in gov- ernment and commerce. in great cities and great institutions, when we reckon the splendid results made possible by the munifcence of private citizens, 1t would seem that they had But when we consider the vulgarity of display and re- member the unsoved problems that this year closes on, and know that many of 1 them are in existence, not because some | men have more than others, but because of the misuse to which those who have put what they possess, and when we re- call how in all the field of science willing workers are standing waiting for those who know how to abound to bid them go on and make the world more habitable place for man, then we feel that as a na- tion we do not know how to use wealth.
 Plenty of men there are in this coun- try that exemplfy the best in individual | attainment But recent years have uncoy- cred so much that is bad In the places of responsibility occupied by men of great | privileges that one almost accepts without question that the individual American has not learned how to take his place on the worlds great stage, and play his part as God would have him play 1t.
 Investigation has shown a prostitution of the individual conscience almost the equal of that in the reign of the Caesars
 If 1t be true that the difference In fife may be noted in the change from the wild men dwelling in the boughs of the trees | or in the caves of the earth to his dom icile in the mansion or the palace, then our American life has advanced indeed | but when 1t Is observed that the Altayo l have been taken down and much of the | sacred is not admitted into these fine great mass of mankind never come under | the influence of the place where once the high priest and hand maid of the Lord dwelt-then, with all our fineness, 1t Is possible that we have failed to learn the great lesson of using great things for noble ends.
 This, of course, must be thrown open 10 every other man, but that from every mans door there should go out kindly and helpful influence to all.
 Use of Possessions.
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