The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1915-03-19

men VI 1SNNA
illustrate a large
l.z==z ---z.las-I number of people
today. They are those whose under
lying principle might be termed liV'
ing for self alone. They do not care
for real religion, but are occupied en-
tirely with the things OF time ana
sense. What they will eat today OF
what they will wear tomorrow is 10
them vastly more important than how
they will stand before God IN the
future Their effort is concerned with
this life alone, and they live and work
and play as though there wele no such
thing as eternity and no such person
as God. They come to the end ike
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 it is 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 the religion that
Lot had was not very insistent. When
1t would threaten to interfere with
business or with pleasure 1t must not
be heard. II was time then to laugh 1t
out of court as a sort Of fable, and
when it became personal Lot was to
Living for Self and God.
The second picture is that of Lot, in
whom the half-and-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 to serve two masters, and, fall
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 to have, the very thing that
was best for him. But, as God saw.
1t was the very thing he ought not TO
have, the thing that was worst for
him. He hazarded everything he had
or 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.
He 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, bis 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 II
: Abram. The underlying principle O.
his life seems to be that he had made
up his mind TO serve God alone. HI
was far from being perfect man. HI
made many mistakes and ever com
mitted some sins. But underneath b.
was living for God. He had learne'
thou shalt have no other God befor'
2 me" and his life was governed B.
this principle. He recognized that b
could serve only one master with an.
hope of success and he chose TO hay
" the Lord as that one Master. Wha
' he was and had and hoped 10 be b
I longed TO that Master to do with a
. the Master desired. Where be wa
to be and 60 depended on that Mas
Q ter's direction. He would not lean {
!. his own understanding nor Judge b
Q the sight Of his eyes nor walk by hi
own wisdom He would gladly tax
Z the seeming second best from God D.
d lieving that whatever appearance
q might say, they could not tell d
a whole truth.
e The men Of Sodom lived for Sc
n alone and lost themselves and all the
/. had: Lot lived for self and God an
lost all be had OF peace or power g
property: Abram lived for God alon
and. while he was not perfect mai
there was given to him the peace :
. Cod and power FOR God and posse
y sions from God. Choose ye this de
whom ye viii serve"
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