Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-08-29

&&%98 A&$&& We report his dis
e.@.@ course from ST.
lHAStCK kUSSElLj Luke Xii, 81: 80
is he that layeth
up treasure for
himself, and is not rich toward God"
After calling attention to the fact that
.here never was such a day as ours for
the accumulation of wealth. Pastor Rus
sell declared that the wealth itself was
not condemned by our Lord. but the lova
OF IT: 'The love Of money is a root of all
evil" Nor should lie be understood to ha
q d~enouncer of wealth and the wealthy.
Inc outpour of Divine favor in the multi-
plying inventions of our day had poured
wealth into the lap OF some out of all pro.
poftlon TO their c-ovetousness. Indeed.
some OF the most covetous people the pas
Tor Knew were poor people who seemed al
anxious to get rich that their overstrain-
ing led them into numerous financial nit
rams ana Kept them poor. The happiest
people IN the world, he said, are those
who have 'godliness with contentment-
sfea. gain. These are rich toward God,
LOT thsy possess what money cannot pur-
and the peace of God.
Inc uncharitable many, consumed OF sell
~f1shness, ambition and pride. are envio,,s
VINO are as worthy or more worthy of sym.
VINO are worthy or more worthy of sym-
pathy than themselves. A comparatiyelv
small proportion of the wealthy people are
known TO be wealthy, while a large pro-
portion of the supposedly wealthy Of
whom large benevolences are exnected
are really in straits of poverty and need
ing sympathy themselves.
Pastor Russell Reported Wealthv.
Many such people. with heavily mort
gagged properties, come to me under the
supposltlon that / am rich and can helm
them. Indeed. l am told that have the
reputation of being fabulously rich. 1t is
soMetlrnes annoying to be so
stood. For instance, when / was at oar.
nun learned that the report was cur
rent thai 1 was reputed to he a m,,ltt.
l~hAiiianalre and that my library alone was
worth millions. Servants and porters. of
course. expected tips to correspond with
mat reputation and 1 was compelled tn
seem ungenerous.
indeed. learned that even in America
! am credited with being very rich. II
other peoples books sell for one or two
uoliars per volume and mine are sold by
the Bible Students society for one-sixth
the price. in order to put them into the
nands OF the people, it was surmised that
: must reap a royalty of millions. where.
as l receive not q penny. Because m,ch
OF the product of my pen goes INTO tho
hands OF millions without charge. some
are inconsistent enough to surmise that I
must make other millions from that
source.
I do not mind telling you, my fellow
oaoie students, that long years ago 1 took
sAe aoVlce tnat Jesus gave in our context.
! recognized the trifle of wealth In INV
possession as a stewardship, the proper
use or which in Gods service might make
me rich toward God. I invested all that
I had In His service and spent it all long
8 ! became q spender instead of an
accumulation of money. Others, perceive
ing my ability as a spender. have since
nQon A1HfffnO Int v~ ~.Y- o. u
use such of their consecrated means as
they desired so to use.
IN proportion as the money has come in
1t mas gone out In the service Of the
truth. in the service OF Gods word, in the
service of those hungering and thirst
ing after the truth. The Lord is blessing
HIS work In every direction. We never
lack. We never solicit. We merely use
much or little. in proportion as the Lord
Is pleased to send to us. Our experience
Is more or less contagious. Many others
are learning to be rich toward God by not
holding to tightly to earthly riches.
"Go to, Now, Ye Rich Men,"
st. James. by divine inspiration, uttered
q word OF warning to the rich of our day.
NO longer do the rich add barn to barn.
Tha Is too slow a way. Now they add
bond to bond and bank to bank. With
many of them. money-grabbing has be-
come a disease. They are to be pitied.
Accustomed to the battlings of trade they
nave no other pleasure in life. A few Of
them turn pleasure-hunters; but, alas.
they rarely are pleasure-fnders. for he
who seeks to please himself rarely sue
ceeds.
Will not exhort this audience along the
lines Of st. James prophecy, that woes
are coming to the rich and that the treas
ure now being heaped up will neither
bring happiness nor rest, but rather the
reverse-trouble, in the great day of trou-
Die toward which we are SO rapidly has
tentng. l shall not address you as wealthy
itnd urge you to spend all surplus wealth
;.nd spend 1t rapidly In the service of God.
IN the service OF humanity, before 1t
takes wings before it becomes a canker.
Why not? Because I shall assume. dear
lFtends. that as true bible students you
gave not great wealth to dispose of. 1
gould assume that either like myself you
nave disposed of your Stewardship, or that
you were perhaps blessed by never pos
tessing more than a competency. 1 would.
however. urge upon you the general prin-
ciple of our Lords teaching, tina the pos
session of money In any amount more
than meets our necessities is a steward
ship. and that each has q responsibility
toward the Lord for the use of such .
talent, whether large or small.
Other Treasures in Heaven.
We ave mentioned money wealth m
our Lord did. but the principle is much
broader. Gods people who rave given
Him their hearts have given their all
not merely money. but their influence,
name. time. strength. and hold these
merely as His stewards. Shortly He will
call for an accounting and will Judge Of
ou love and loyalty to Himself and His