Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1908-07-31
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PAID AT GODS EXPENSE.

BY George Clark Pee!

By George Clark Peck, D. D.
Render therefore unto Caesar the
things which are Caesars and unto
God the things which be God's.-Luke
Xxx, 25.
Not to pay Paul by robbing Peter,
nor yet to pay Peter by robbing Paul,
but to discharge with fidelity both OBJ
liga tions-such is the eternal sanity OF
Christ's gospel. Commercial prudence
advises us to pay whichever creditor
presses most harshly, whether Peter or
Paul Jesus commands US to pay both.
The last thing that religion does for
a man is to relieve him from any just
obligation whatsoever. Rather, religion
declares the sanctity Of oil duty; calls
each disciple to royal citizenship in
two worlds l have heard Of lad
who pilfered a few pennies in order
that he might swell the missionary
total Of his Sunday-school class. And
there have been ages in which such was
the prevailing style Of religious 10y
atty. Men ran away from all manner
of human duties in order that they
might fulfill the divine behest. The
world was full Of children Of the AL
mighty who believed that they could
discharge their full debt to heaven only
by pouring contempt upon the sacred
things of earth. In a host of some
times naive fashions people used to
pay Paul by robbing Peter.
I scarcely need to affirm that modern
sentiment has swung to the opposite
custom. In this day men commonly
pay Peter by robbing Paul. They are
still at the business of robbing, but
with a change in the victim. If the
former generation shortened its bust
ness hours and sometimes it's COM
mercial honor in the interest of pray
ers, the present generation inclines to
shorten it's prayers for the sake Of
devotion to business, In the words OF
the scripture, Caesar is paid at the
expense Of God.
Faithfulness Is not an arc Of cir
Gle It Is rather a whole circle. No
man is quit of his obligations to the
butcher by paying his grocer's bill.
Nor can we meet Gods claim by being
merely generous in spirit, tolerant to-
ward sinners and good natured in the
domestic circle. Commercial upright
ness is no better substitute for neglect
of God than a one-sided cultivation of
God is an excuse for crooked business
dealings To be truly Christian Is to
endeavor to meet all just claims, to pay
Paul without robbing Peter, to render
unto Caesar all his due tribute, yet not
to fail Of the part due God.
The financial secretary Of a certain
society made a practice Of carrying
the society's books down to his place
of business. And he earned his special
salary as secretary during those hours
in which he was supposed to be earning
the salary paid him by his business
employers | doubt If he were guilty
of any intentional dishonor, but l have
never understood how one man can
earn two salaries at the same time and
for the same time; how he can justly
rob Peter to pay Paul. But the world
is full Of men and women who thus
earn double salaries. Some Of them
steal a mans time to earn Gods wages );
but vaster throng Of them are taking
Gods time to earn mems wages. Paul
must be paid, hence they rob Peter in
order to pay him. What pity that a
man should spend SO much time max
ing his fortune that he should have no
time left to make his soul