Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-06-08

There was promise of harvest be-
yond facilities for caring for it. The
farmer decided to pull down his old
and build larger barns for the harvest
time. After 1t, he will say Soul, thou
hast much goods laid up for many
days; eat, drink and be merry
THUS far there is nothing repre-
hensible. There Is no hint of dishon-
esty, graft or speculation. A continu-
GUS and skilful toll alone makes for
large crops. The ground brought forth
plentifully. This man was evidently
q scientific and thoroughly competent
farmer. He was one of the worlds
producers. We do not read that he
aspired to corner the market He was,
however, provident and forehanded.
He prepared ahead for the emergency
of great crops. He was not grasping.
He did not intend to work on until he
dropped In his tracks. No! He looked
forward to retiring, enjoying what he
had made. Soul, thou hast much
goods laid up for many days; eat,
drink and be merry His lands would
go to others; enrich them as they had
him.
"The modern world sees no flaw. It
really does not appear in the nara
tive. 1t is implied In Gods verdict.
Thou fool, this night shall thy soul
be required of thee, and these things
which thou hast prepared whose shall
they be?' Here is the fatal flaw. The
farmer was thoroughly efficient in
head and hand. He had evidently paid
no attention to soul-culture. He was
not rich toward God. His life philoso-
ply had been that mans life con-
sisteth in the abundance of things
which he possesseth. God said Thou
fool SO is he that layeth up treasure
for himself and Is not rich toward God
For the Here and Now.
"This parable may not have had
much interest for us. We are not
prone. in this day. to think of death
and dying. And we have probably
! thought the reference here to be solely
! to future Judgment after death
There may be such reference. But
the parable is for the here and now
For soul culture Is.
Jesus, the great teacher, uttered
this parable. And he was far from
being other-worldly in all his thinking
or speaking. How very little he had
to say about death or dying! How
much he was concerned about life and
living! The life that now is was the
big, looming fact with Jesus. For 1t
was mans only day to do his part IN
caring for his SOUL Jesus was con.
cerned to make men see that soul cul-
ture was the supreme duty Did man
do for his soul here and now, the fu-
ture would care for itself. The parable
shows US man who was fool in this
life. With all his getting he had got
ten only skill of head and hand. He
had sacrificed soul.
Man Requires His Own Soul.
This night shall thy soul be re-
quired of thee Again, we may have
thought this at some judgment day,
and the act simply that of the Al
mighty seated upon the bench and
passing upon human life.
1T may be there Is something of this
In the picture But It is not of immedi-
ate concern. This is not, either, pic
ture of the Almighty alone requiring
the soul Of a man. Have we neglect
| ed our souls, there will come a mo-
ment in every one Of our lives when
we will require our souls Of ourselves.
| It will be moment OF night. With all
our skill Of head and hand, and goods
laid up for many years, we will look
about us and call ourselves fool Fol-
we shall see that life does not con
sist in the abundance of things man
possesseth.
This has intimate bearing upon the
matter Of education. For at this time
man will also require Of his education
what hast thou made Of my soul? He
will condemn it utterly IL it has only
crammed his head with facts, an6
taught his hands to work. He shall
condemn parents, teachers, II unpos
sessed OF soul culture themselves. OF
careless Of it. they do not start him
out in the unfolding and perfecting Of
his spirit. For he shall see it, What
doth IT. profit a man If he gain the
whole world and lose his own SOUL
| Lost and Saved Souls.
! "The terms, lost soul or saved
SOUL are familiar But | doubt not
we have not been altogether clear We
have thought of both In way of vague
theology. It is quite probable that the
terms have irritated us. 1t may even
have appeared that those who used
| tnem udu Appropriated LIS TiSHL vi
Judgment, and even become what
Christ said he came not to be, q
Judge and divider.' We may have had
some resentment over 'holier-than
thou and pious cant.
"The matter Of requiring our souls
of us is not a matter of God alone WI
require them of ourselves. And SOU
saving is not something merely Of
Gods doing, and done by an Almighty
decree at the last day. Soul saving is
identical with soul culture. We lose
our own souls when we train head and
hand but refuse to unfold and perfect
the spirit of us. God is not to blame
It is not his will. He 'willeth that ev
cry man should be saved and come
into the knowledge Of his truth MOI
is soul saving a matter of some here
after. It's biggest part is here and
now 1t Is bound up in right educa
ton. Souls are subject to the same
laws with the other departments Of
being. Fail to use the muscles and I,
becomes impossible to use them
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