Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1907-09-06
Calmage
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmase. ID. ID.

shows II to be the duty OF those who
have prospered 20 make generous
and considerate use OF their wealth,
instead of regarding it as Il means to
minister TO their own selfishness. The
text Is Luke xii, IL, What shall do,
because / have no room where to be-
stow my fruits?'
The chief character Of nv text Is an
old miser. He is just like thousands
OF men and women we see in daily
life or read about in the newspapers.
He was evidently one of the agricul-
tural leaders OF the east. Perhaps he
started as poor boy. He may have
been one Of the immigrants who came
to Jerusalem during Herod's admins
tration. He may have been born In
Italy and have gone to Syria to seek
his fortune. In this farofr province
Of the east he hires himself out as a
farm hand. He saves his wages and
works hard But he has a keen mind
as we'll as willing hand. He buys
little farm. There Is a period of
and larger. He begins to have money
to invest and he places mortgages
upon his neighbors' farms and merci-
lessly forecloses them. His landed
estate widens. He is one of those for
tunate or unfortunate beings who.
having an absorbing passion for gold,
find everything turn to gold that they
touch. He builds great grauaries, and
they are always full. His sheep and
cattle are browsing everywhere His
horses are the finest Ills soil is the
richest. Though he has many barns.
the increasing crop is so great that he
does not know what to do with 1t.
He has more than he can use. In
other words, he is embarrassed with
the abundance OF his riches. what
shall | do with all this cropT' he asks
himself. IL must build larger barns.
Then will store away so much that
1 will never have to work any more
and just live to enjoy my wealth"
Folly of Surplus Wealth.
Let me read you the story: "And be
said, This will dol will pull down
my barns and build greater, and there
will ! bestow all my fruits and nv
goods. Though he had more than
he could use, he still kept gathering in.
He doubtless thought himself a most
successful man, and his neighbors, II
they were such people as live in our
times, envied him aud looked I'D to
him with reverence. But Christ tells
us that there was another opinion OF
his life and character. and that. too.
by one who held life and death in his
hands. God said he was a fool.
Now, IL is a terrible thing for God
TO say that of any one, for his judy
ment is true. None OF us would like
him to say that OF us. Then we must
be careful TO avoid these faults, for
God judges now by the same stand
ard as he did I'm the time of this rich
farmer. Now, as his fault related 70
his surplus wealth. it is an appropri-
ate subject for consideration on this
Sunday preceding Labor day.
Thoughts on Labor Day.
would say TO n successful man.
You know you are in affiuence. You
Know you have more than you can eat
up or wear out You know that you
are boarding up more money than will
ever be good for your children to in
herit. IL YOU are a wise father, YOU
Will compel them 10 work for their
living, as you worked for yours. II
will be better for you, instead of de-
Veloping your righteousness, TO learn
the gospel law OF giving and OF help
ing. And today 1 want to tell YOU
whom you ought TO help with your sur
plus wealth.
First, when you begin to prosper In
HE you should be willing to aid those
who have been directly or indirectly
the means OF making it possible for
you 10 achieve the success which Is
yours. You should extend the hand of
gratitude to those who helped develop
you in your babyhoOd and boyhood and
youth and manhood. You should think
or your father and mother in the old
homestead, OF your cid teachers and
or your old employers. They have
claim on you, for they devoted their
lives to your interest and you should
now recognize the obligation to help
such or them as need your help.
Then, too, there are your EMPLOYEES.
No man ever wins his success alone
1 always like to compare life to a great
battle. A general has campaign to
tight. What does he do? Does he
take gun and n sword and go forth
and fight that battle single handed?
No. He first collects an army made up
or many soldiers. Then he organizes
those soldiers and drills them. He
drafts those soldiers from the best
homes all over the land He gathers
them from the stores and the factories.
Then he sets his army in motion and
hurls 1t against the TANKS of the en-
envy, and the lines are broken, and the
battle is Won. Now, what would you
think OF general who should come
home from war and say: ''I did it
all. The credit is all mine" Would
you not consider such man a selfish
man and an migrate? Who were the
staff officers and the right hand men OF
that general? Who were the soldiers
who did the weary sentinel duty and
stormed the breastworks and risked
their lives to make his victory possible?
Are not the soldiers to have any part
In the triumph and in the reward of
the nation?
A Word to Employers.
All, no! The true general and the
soldiers Of his army are one. When
his soldiers are defeated, he shares the
blame. And sometimes a general will
take upon himself all the discredit of
the defeat Thus Robert f. Lee. after