The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-02
MUST NOT MEASURE
 MAN BY HIS MONEY, .SAYSDR. ROSS BAKER
Breaches At Woodlawn Bap- tist Church On "The Lure of the Queer "-Money
 Is Often a Curse

'"rhe Lure of the Queer" was the topic of Dr. C. Ross Bakers sermon delivered before a large gathering at the Woodlawn Baptist church yesterday morning. pr. Baker spoke from the text Mark l0:21. "One Thing Thou Lackest."
 Dr. Baker laid special emphasis on the position that the people take upon the subject of riches. Riches can be made one Of the most useful things of our life If We use them properly he said. Riches often develop ltttleness in man, so that when stripped of his earthly incum- brances he has nothing left To have riches and make them do some earthly good Is a blessing to any man.
 pr. Baker continued in part.
 Dr. Bakers Sermon
 "Here is good fellow who had great possessions It is good thing to be ahuu- danty rich, free from anxiety about daily temporal needs to have plenty to lodge comfortably, have nice meals, no concern about good health or loved ones and all ways have enough money to meet your needs and some to spare.
 Tt Is good thing for your neghbor when you possess enough money to be charitable. The fact that man has riches does not necessarily mean that he must lose eternal life. Lord Shaflesbury said: TO love the public, to study univer- sal good and to promote the interest os the whole world, as far as Is within our power. Is the height of goodness and makes that temper which We call divine.
 Riches is a blessing when rlshtully used It is a big thing when man Is SO built that he will use the abundance of his wealth for the uplift of mankind and the glory of God. But big mistake is made when we try 10 measure man by his riches, What is man worth? Tho answer comes, "A million dollars Take away the money that he possesses and would you still be willing 10 put him in the mlllon-dollar class? You Just can not size a man up by his bank account.
 Difficult Not to Love Money The lure of the queer has its dan gers. It Is difficult for a person to | have riches and not to love them. 1t Is difficult for person to have riches and not be puffed up by them. It Is difficult for man to have riches and not be corrupted by them. Riches
 
 the extent that when stripped of his earthly incumbrances he has nothing left But the big man, the catholic spirited soul who has the best interest of man and society at heart. never shines so gloriously as when he in vests for the best, interest in humanity. The present need of Birmingham In its panicl<y condition is not money In and of itself but men who are big enough. large enough and great enough to rightly use great possessions, The great sin, the crying evil of the day Is selfshness, cupidity and greed-too many petty men holding sway over great wealth. The ruin of the man in our text was his possessions. More often men of great wealth would he bigger men if they had fewer worldly possessions
 However. this young ruler had pos sessions, far greater than the fact of his money He recognized quality in Jesus Christ. who had not where to | lay his head and while he. from worldly standpoint. could outbid him | for corner lot in Jerusalem Christ was his superior In character. His home environment was the Al brand ne looked the Son of God in the eye and said. All these commandments have l kept from my youth" thing impos- l sible if he had been reared In a bad l home. With all these possessions, ma tor1al and moral, ne was snort on one l thing What was 1t he lacked? There may be many conJectures along this l line which are clothed with uncertainty l but I am sure we are agreed that the 1 lure of the queer rendered him short
 in one thing, loving loyalty to Jesus Christ. His purse had not been con | yerted. Pre- sentiment in all the teach | irgs of the Master, was the relation 1 between man and his fellow. He has very wisely ordained that the best evl- 1 dence of his love Is to love our neigh bor The parkway of duty never leads away from man. but through man to God"