Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1907-12-13
PROSPERITY OF THE WICKED.
1SS@lzSSSSSS 5SSS@@S5@o
Rv Henry A. Cope,


Some saints have lost a lot of sleep
worrying over the prosperity Of the
wicked and some sinners have made
themselves ridiculous Boosting over
their immunity from adversely. 1t has
seemed strange to the saints that the
low so many of the good things Of this
world to fall into the hands of the I'M
worthy; if they had chance they
could tell where they would be much
better bestowed.
It is true that there are many bad
men who have plenty of money, lands,
and other possessions; it is true that
there are many thoroughly good men
and women who do not have even as
much as they seem to need. But it also
is true that the snarling, clamorous
voice of envy ever is ready to assert
that a man must have sold his soul to
the evil one because he has secured
some measure of success.
The saints are not all poor; the sin
ners are not all rich. Riches are not
at all an index to character or to
worth The moral order Of the universe
does not have to justify itself by the
precise and equitable division of dol
lars. The indictment of Providence on
account of the prosperity of the wicked
simply indicates the tendency of us all
to measure all things by the money
standard.
Who is the prosperous man? There
is world of difference between being
personally prosperous and being the
nominal possessor Of things that are
prosperous in themselves. A poor kind
of a man may own rich farm and
man may be rich in himself while get
ting his living off poor farm or at
a poor job.
Prosperity must be measured by the
person and not by his possessions. We
answer the question, "HOw much is a
man worth?" BY quoting figures and
bank account. But we know we'll that
many a man said to be worth millions
is actually not worth 10 cents in him
self, is not in his own character add
ing one mite to the worlds wealth.
What are you, the real self, worth ?
Is your life prosperous? Is your heart
getting richer? Are your sympathies
broadening, your ideas and hopes be-
coming worth more to you and to the
world? Even though you had all those
things which you envy others, would
not your prosperity still depend on
yourself? Can any other than your
self make you essentially either richer
or poorer?
This is not a plea for men to be con-
tent with poverty; to every man be-
longs that share of this worlds things
which he shall earn by the investment
of himself in the world. Religion does
not mean the love Of poverty nor the
lazy spurning of Ines duties and re-
wards. The enlarging and enriching
of this world Of things is the sacred
duty of every man.
But how foolish are we who judge
only by that which is on the surface,
who talk about the injustice of a world
in which bad men can get so many good
things and fail to see that no bad man
ever came in sight of the real good of
anything, while no good man can be
hlndered from or deprived of the en-
during and satisfying good of life.
The man himself is the secret of
prosperity or adversely. He deter
mines whether his life shall be rich or
poor. Into the great game of life no ele-
ment of chance enters we are not the
puppets of blind forces which in malig
nant sport lift us up or toss us down !;
we will for ourselves whether we take
the good or lose it, whether we will
have heaven or let it go.
No man ever lived toward things
that are better, really sought the things
that are best, without enriching him
self. No man, rich in friendship, beau
ties, and the deep, quick joys of life
ever had reason to envy the one who
had set his heart on things and thus
had bought them.
The thing to be coveted is character.
The prosperity first to be sought is
that which is personal. The standard
by which to measure men and their
success is a spiritual one. Today is not
a sentence from Jesus or thought
from Emerson worth more to us than
any check that can be signed on Wall
street?
Pity the prosperity of any to whom
life consists in the abundance Of things
possessed. Poor, destitute, naked, such
a man walks among his palaces and
treasures empty and soon forgotten
he goes from life. Rich indeed is he
who though he have not where to lay
his head, sees the face of the infinite
Father, wins his brothers love, and to
whom belongs all the treasures Of the
kingdom of heaven now.
RELIGIOUS VALUE OF THINGS.
BY Pleasant HuEter.
/ do set my bow in the cloud, and it
L ILL - 10