Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1910-04-21
| abOT Sermon
Pastor Of tie First Methodist Episcopal Church

without the formality of text,
want to refer to passage of scrip
| ture which is credited to the Master
Himself It is this: There was a
rich man who Jared sumptuously
every day, and there was also beg
gar"
The direct reference is this: A flu
ture Divine Reconing is necessary to
righteous adjustment of human
conduct, and it will be Forthcoming.
This future reckoning will reveal some
differences and inequalities which
separate individuals and classes here.
Retributive Justice is absolutely
necessary to balance the sheet of hui
man conduct. Whoever is to blame
eliminate this kind of justice, we may
never know; but it is evident that
Jesus Himself taught this truth
And furthermore, is likewise evident
that the rich Croesus, as well as the
defiled will be included in this decree
of Justice. There were some startling
things said in that dialogue between
Abraham and Lazarus. For example,
we have the statement Abraham
Bosom" 1.-The gulf of separation.
and the Flame of torment. While
-hese may be in a sense figurative yet
hey convey to us the fact that for all
of our deeds and words we shall nave
to account. These are spiritual reali-
ties. and types of Divine Truths.
Whatever else we may hear or read
concerning Social Inequalities, we are
face to face with problems which de-
mand the most thoughtful examina-
ton anu adjudication.
We have, for example, the r1cn,
Who are using their wealth in luxury
ind self-indulgence, while at the
same time, they utterly ignore the
-Iaims of God and the hard necessities
If their fellow men,. But this is not
ali, many of our poor and less for
innate brothers, who are bruised IN
BODY and mind, (often the victims OF
misfortune and sin of others) are
spurned by the gay and festive and
thrust aside as so much wreckage and
rubbish
The careful observer of the times
and conditions, can and do easily
discern the magnitude of the prob
lens, and tremble because of the
seeming inequality in the race OF llfe
The certain rich man, who was cloth
ed in fine linens, and who Jared
sumptuously every day, and the beg
gar. who sat at the gateway without,
are conditions which are plain to all
It is true, that men of means are
not all as soul-less as the one spoken
of in the parable, and neither are all
of the working men innocents, 1or
too many of the latter spend their
earnings in dissipation and abuse,
and some of the former are real ben
efactors to the human race, but as
a whole. the lesson is clearly given,
namely: Inequalities do exist, ana
such as demand heroic efforts on the
mart of those who are interested IN
their brother-men. These lnequall-
ties do exist. They stand out berore
us I'm bold and startling contrast.
Some of our magazine contributors
and nress editors have had the cour-
age to Law bare these alarming condl-
tions-and with some degree of sue
cess hut we shall never ind an
en,iitable adjustment, until labor pc
canitalized as well as money, and
labor receive its just share OF tne
accumulated profits.
Wealth. with its senuOus or renneo
iH0ulRGQC0s WSd1IA, WIN AVA
filed with costly elegance; with its
flowers, and music, and wines, and
banauets; with troubles only IN
anxieties and plannings how to graf
ify some new and richer oeilgnts,
wealth, say, as such, STANDS out ~
hold contrast to the next street WheIe
poverty, and filth, and rags anu
Wretchedness mark the habitation OF
thousands who are as equal by plrrn,
and as meritorious in real worth:
However, we may account for these
conditions. However we may tninK
them unfortunate. the contrasts exist
and in a large sense we are RESPONSE.
sovernment urecludes them, and even
Christianity, for numerous reasons,
has not relieved the situation as II
should have done. Indeed ! some
times wonder if what Dr.; hela ms
saws is not true, namely: That CIV.
i nv has even intensified these