The citizen., 1915-04-29

N%W <l illustrate a large
number OF people
today. They are those whose under
lying principle might be termed Nv
ing for self alone. They do not care
for real religion. but are occupied en-
tirely with the things OF time and
sense. what they will eat today or
what they VIII wear tomorrow is To
them vastly more important than how
they will stand before God In the
future. Their effort Ia concerned with
this life alone. and they live and work
and play as though there were no such
thing as eternity and no such person
as God. They come to the end like
the man who told himself he could re-
tire from business because he had
much goods laid up for many years
and he could now afford TO enjoy the
fruits OF his toll and eat. drink and
be merry. But he had laid up all his
goods on the earth; they were not
taken from him. but he was taken
from them. and II IL no wonder the
Lord says he was a fool. The class
under consideration are not neces.
sarily bad people. for usually they are
tolerant OF religion. as the people OF
Sodom did not mind having Lot in
their midst But she religion that
Lot had was not very insistent When
II would threaten to interfere with
business or with pleasure II must not
be heard. II was time then TO laugh Il
out of court as a sort OF fable. and
when II became personal Lot was to
Living for Self and God.
The second picture Is that OF Lot. In
whom the halfand-half Christian is
easily seen. This man illustrates
those who seem to have. as the under
lying principle OF life. the idea OF liv.
ing for self and for God too. They at.
tempt 10 serve two masters. and. fail.
ing TO serve either. come TO the end
with nothing to show for their labor.
They trust their own vision and live
by sight and not by faith. Lot looked
on the well.watered plain and. as far
as he could see. II was the very thing
he ought 10 have. the very thing that
was best for him. But, as God saw,
II was the very thing he ought not to
have. the thing that was worst for
him. He hazarded everything he had
OF hoped TO have-himself. his family.
his property-on what he could see
with his own eyes. when he might
have chosen what God could see He
trusted himself rather than God and
the results we're inevitable. He lost
what God would have given him and
he lost the enjoyment the men OF
Sodom had: for all the time he was
there his righteous soul was vexed
lie was neither out and out for self
nor out and out for God He had tried
to live for God and self. he had tried
to serve two masters and TO get both
the wealth OF Sodom and the wealth
Of God But he ended with awful dis
aster. losing his property. his testi-
mony. his family-all that he had.
Living for God.
The last picture is that In which
the "out.and-out" Christian is seen in
Abram. The underlying principle OF
his life seems TO be that he had made
up his mind 20 serve God alone He
was far from being perfect man. He
made many mistakes and even com
mitted some sins But underneath he
was living for God. He had learned
thou shalt have no other God before
me" and his life was governed by
this principle. He recognized that he
could serve only one master with any
hope OF success and he chose 10 have
the Lord as that one Master. What
he was and had and hoped to be be-
longed TO that Master to do with as
the Master desired Where he was
to be and go depended on that Mas
ter's direction. He would not lean to
his own understanding nor Judge by
the sight OF his eyes nor walk by bis
own wisdom. He would gladly take
the seeming second best from God, be-
lieving that whatever appearances
might say. they could not tell the
whole truth.
The men OF Sodom lived for self
alone and lost themselves and all they
had; Lot lived for self and God and
lost all he had OF peace or power or
property: Abram lived for God alone
and. while he was not a perfect man,
there was given TO him the peace OF
God and power for God and posses
sions from God. Choose ye this day
whom ye will serve"
Il