The Detroit times., 1910-12-06
Text: Luke 19:11-27.


recently visited IA great metropoii.
tan bank with deposits OF one hundreo
million dollars. ! saw the great Duilo-
ing. The army Of clerks, the onicers >
private office l went to the vault
where the money and securities are
kept. The great door. weisnlns
eighteen tons yet balanced so oeh
cately that II may be moved by the
pressure o; O. finger. swung open. Win
In the armor plate vault were millions
OF money and more millions or securi-
ties, SO they told me. | did not
see IT, ia like to see what million
dollars looks like.
But I am afraid we miss one point.
The money itself means little II Is
only so much metal or paper or prom
ises to pay. But II stands for so much
labor. so much long sacrifice and pa.
tient denial How many years or toll
were there! How many burrows had
been turned! How many hammers
strokes had fallen! How many years
have been spent in mines. upon the
sea, or amidst the whirling wheels OF
great factories! One hundred million
dollars means MORE than one hundred
thousand men receive in wages for or
binary work I'm year. with their
families, this would mean perhaps i've
hundred Thousand. half million
men, women. and children! There IN
that vault were stored the results OF
the years OF toll Of an army.
Money, Sy,nbol of Power.
And how great the power OF mnssed
money. OF centralized wealth! What
II has done and can do In the building
OF civilization, In the opening OF new
territory. in the upbuilding or vast en- :
terprlses. 1t represents power. IL
turns the currents OF population. II
determines the direction of the path OF
civilization. 1 do not worder that there
is mighty satisfaction. an exaltation.
a sense OF power which comes with the
massing OF great financial resources.
But II Is my purpose tonight to tell
you OF greater power, or mightier
realm and OF greater investment.
The theme Is drawn from the parable
which Jesus spoke To His disciples
upon the money In the bank" 1t is
the parable OF the ten pounds given to
the ten servants and their trading
Herewith. and their return again to
their master OF their gains. one ten and
another five pounds. And then came
the fearful-hearted man, who hid his
pound In napkin and buried II in the
earth, to whom the Master said
Wherefore eavest thou not my money
into the bank. that at my coming I
should have received IT with INTEREST,""
II was the oft-repeated excuse OF
limited power. What can I do? can
not reform society. / cannot save the
world. There Is no use for me to try.
The Masters condemnation OF this ser
want was because he did not use what
he had. because he did not put II where
neither he nor anyone else could ac-
ccmplish anything with II. That was
his sin. He did not join his means with
others, sc that together they might ac-
complish what they could not accom-
plish alone.
There are four applications TO our
modern life which may be Justly drawn
from this parable. The first OF these
has TO do with Joining the church.
How do 1 get such an application?
Very easily and very properly It 10
every mans duty to invest bis life In
the united work for the betterment OF
the world.
Church IA Branch of Gods Bank.
Men have no right TO ignore the
church and to refuse TO support it and
to help II. 1t is the most valuable in
stitGtion In the world. In spite OF all
It's defects and it's failures IL IL the
one institution which Is forever striv-
Ing for the highest things in life. for
the redemption or society. for the
bringing OF Il kingdom OF righteous
ness and Justice and peace among men
life richer; IL makes a city a better
city In which to live. IL Increases the
value OF property and more important.
the value of LIE. The church Is Il
branch office OF Gods bank. Into II we
should put our lives and labors. our
CONSIDERATIONS and our prayers.
But the second application goes be-
yond the institution To the work. In
vest IN tne program OF Gou Gut
money into the work Of the kingdom.
Giving to Christian missions. for in
stance. Is not charity. Ii ~ the great
privilege or sharing in the work OF
civilizing aud saving the world. This
Is the biggest Job which men are try
ing to do today. The digging OF the
Panama canal'is not In the same class
with this task of transforming the
world. Invest in this great endeaVor.
Put your money IN the bank OF the
Spirit. but Invest not only i'm gold but
In thought In prayer, and in very life
In the third place. men should Invest
In all great movements OF their time
speak not now of money, but OF
thought and LABOR. There is great
gain In tying ones self up with the
wotids great causes. A life interested
only ia little things is little life All
great lives. all outstanding lives have
been made great Trough great causes
Jesus took the fishermen OF Calilee and
made them apostles. The great re-
formers were common men made great
through mighty struggles All heroes
nave become heroic because OF causes
worthy OF their heroism. Livingstone
embraced the dark continent I'm his
thought, and became the pioneer OF
those who should bring to Il the dawn.
Lincoln became the greatest man of his
Tor human liberty with which he
linked his lite.
What Do You Live FORE
The life interested only In temper
airy things Is limited by time and
place. What shall such n life do when
these ieeting things are gone? Put
sour life In the bank OF the enduring
Tie your life interests up with great
causes Invest your life in the realm
Of truth. that error my cease; invest
may prevail. invest IL I'm the realm of