The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-07-24
TALKS OF REAL VALUES.
Rev. Robert Gordon breaches an
Interesting Sermon.


fist church preached Sunday morning
on Some Real Values" He said:
There are few things more difficult
than to determine whether a proposed
reverse. All of us know men who form
erly were rich but who today are poor.
Many of them tell US misfortune came
through mistakes in investment.
If the collection box We're accepted
as fair index of financial conditions
the average pastor would be forced to
the conclusion that his congregation is
altogether too poor to have much in
Ter est IN investments of any sort. But
If 1t were desired to know the financial
standing of another you know it would
not be altogether satisfactory to begin
by investigating how much he pays to
the church nor to end by learning what
ne pays for taxes. DIR. Strong says the
protesting Christians CT the United
States pay annually for the spread OF
the gospel but one-sixteenth of one
cent out of every dollar in their possess
sion The church members of this
country own about $4,000 600, 900, and
the annual increase of their wealth is
about $500 100000 1t would be appro-
pirate to talk to any church congrega-
ton on investments. taking the word
in It's current acceptation.
But there is another and more i'm
portant sense in which We are all in
vestors. whether We are rich or poor.
All are engaged in the business of ex-
change and the transactions carried on
are of such SURPRISING value as to
make the business of the banks and
boards Of trade look like the dealings
of huc<sters- A boy accepts a job at
IS z, week and fOFfeits an education
ana possible career. Every day we en-
joy once or twice the ease and speed
CT a street car ride and very conscious
ly drop our nickelS and very uncon
scioEsly lose a certain tone of physical
health and the power to walk IN
wearied miles. One mislabels goods and
makes a fortune. Another works from
dawn till dark for years and pays for
a farm then ends his days in an
asylum. We are investing time, health.
influence, abilities; are we investing
wisely?
All depends on the standards of
value held. Every man has a standard
of his own; there is infinite variety
here. One calls for Strawberries; an
other prefers prunes. A child would
give title to a kingdom for an orange.
The savage exchanges priceless ivory
and furs for few yards of brightly
colored calico. Shortly after the dis
covery of America certain adventures
returned to England with a ship loal
of pyrites thinking their fortune made
only to discover the stuff worthless.
What sadder than that after the
voyage and adventure of life we should
false sense of values?
Real estate men know that standards
of value can be changed. A woman de-
cided to sell her home but on hearing the
agent describe it to a prospective custom
er she changed her mind. All advertisers
work on this principle. The average
American has an aversion to flaked bass
wood and chopped straw for breakfast
but it must be sold and eaten if certain
men are to make fortune and SO profess
sors are found who declare that these ele-
mentS in this combination will ensure
physical vigor and length of days if eat
en- regularly. A million dollars is spent
in telling that to the people and enough
change their standards of value not only
to pay back that million but many more.
know a man who was living a worthless
life but through hearing a street-corner
preacher he was led to value what had
once been deSpised and now he is a real
power for good. PauPs commission was
to make men see. That is the chief work
of the school and ten church. Men are
church not because of any opposition to
that for which they consider more i'm
portant. They can be made to see that
purity of heart, strength of character,
the fraternai spirit and reverence for God
are worth more than all else. There are
many who do not share Peters apprecia-
ton of the preciousness of faith, for in
stance. 1t is looked upon as an exercise
of the heart profitable enough perhaps
for unsophisticated youth or helpless old
age but having no proper place IN the life
of a strong man. But business and the
home are saved by faith. Some discount
faith, saying they are willing to live in
what can be seen and felt. But you never
saw your mother You saw only the
house in which she lived the tools with
which she worked, the windows through
which she looked out on the world; but
you never saw her. Through faith you
had fellowship with her and Just so you
may commune with God. The world of
harmonious sounds can only be entered
through the ear-gate; the realm of beauty
through the eye-gate and there is a
spiritual world into which we can enter
only through the portals of faith. That
faith which enables a man to rest in God
is one of the real values
We desire to express our heartfelt
thanks for the kindness and sympathy
In the sickness and death of Orr~ dar-