Gilpin observer., 1911-10-12
LAST SUNDAYS SERMON AT ME. CHURCH.

|
laugh at" The great Spurgeon re
piled, II was just thinking Of the
goodness of God" II we would think
more Of the goodness of God / think
we would laugh more and sing more
and be happier.
| Why! l heard one time of a man
and the boys had written in a certain
place, that this man laughed last
last February on such day and al
such and hour. What strange
creatures boys are!
| "A mans life consistent not in the
abundance. of the things he possess
eth.'A mans life consists largely in
his ability to secure joy and happi.
ness and a beautiful character, dur.
| ing these days on earth. His own
happiness is largely measured by his
ability to give these to others.
We ought to be consistent There
is time for tears as well as for joy.
! There Is time for earnest inter
cessory prayer. There is time, to
plead with and weep over the unsav-
ed. The clouds are as necessary as
the sunshine. The poet has beauti-
fully said:
There's never day SO happy,
But little cloud appears.
There's never a life SO happy,
But has its time of tears"
The days are made up of clouds and
sunshine. Our lives ought to be like
the days. l think the proportion of
sunshine should be fully as great.
In this passage of scripture the
Savior teaches that we are not to set
our hearts upon the riches of this
world, and make the securing of
worldly treasure the purpose for
which We. live. He follows the text
with The parable of the rich man
whose fields brought forth plentiful
ly, and who thought within himself
saying. What shall / do because |
have no room where to bestow my
fruits,' and then a happy thought
came from some where, and he con-
tinued, This will l do, / will pull
down my barns and build greater.
and there will bestow all my fruits
and my goods, and l will say to my
soul" Soul thou hast much goods
laid up for many years. take thine
ease, eat drink and be merry. But
God said to him, Thou fool, this
n Diph hNyc nj hal h. -
thee, then whose shall these things
be which thou hast provided? Thus
the Master impresses the transitory
character of earthly treasures, say
ure for himself and is not rich to-
ward God"
1t may not be popular thing to
say. but some men who have possess
ed more gold than they could count
have been miserably poor. and some
who have had only enough of this
worlds riches to provide food and
raiment, have been rich in the bless
ings of God. Time after time they
have said, my cup runneth over.
my cup runneth over" They have
been rich in the uplift they have
given to the community, rich in pos
sessing holy character. When they
went away the world was made poor
No, earthly treasure does not nee
essarily make men rich" A mans
life consisteth not in the abundance
of things which he possesseth. John
Bunyan did not have very much, If
We judge him by his possession of
fined in Bedford Jail. But he was
rich in his religious experience, in
his knowledge of God and in the
possession of a title to an inheri-
tance in heaven incorruptible, unde-
filed and that fadeth not away There
went out from that dungeon "Pilg-
rims Progress" which has been to
the world greater blessing than
most mems millions of gold. 1t is
not what a man possesses, but what
he gives that makes him rich. What
he possesses and retains and boards
and dotes upon and sets his heart
upon, of this worlds treasures, tends
to shrivel his life and make 1t bar
zen and poor, and not rich. Jesus
Christ was richer than all the prin-
ces of the world because he gave to
the lost new hope. He gave to the
world a new purpose in life. He gave
to the lost race path back into the
inheritance which they had lost
through sin. That is the reason, the
Apostle wrote, Though he were rich
yet for your sakes. he became poor,
that ye through his poverty might be
rich" ! do not know that Jesus ever
pnccnvca1 foot af land Tho Amos.