A Pertinent Sermonet

Improvement Era

Vol. XIX APRIL, 1916 No. 6

A Pertinent Sermonet

BY FRANK B. MATHESON

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; andall these things [the temporalities of life] shall be added unto you"(Matt. 6:33).

Could more be expressed in fewer words ? In the greatestof all inspired sermons, the great Teacher solemnly outlined to hisdisciples a multiplicity of sacred promises predicated upon that alldetermining- principle of obedience, admonishing them to refrainfrom the evils of hypocrisy and deceit, affirming that "there isnothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid that shallnot be known." Moreover, by example as well as precept, hetaught his hearers to lay up for themselves "treasures in heaven,where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves donot break through nor steal;" and to take no thought for the mor-row, saying, "What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or,Wherewithal shall we be clothed?"

Let us not conclude from the Master's admonition that hewas not mindful of the temporal requirements of this existence,for we read: "Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need ofall these things." The Savior desired his disciples to realize andcomprehend, in a measure, at least, that this life is not the end butrather the means toward the end. He strove to indelibly impressupon their minds that they could "not serve two masters," theycould "not serve God and mammon ;" or, in other words, they couldnot devote the days of their earthly probation in unprofitably accu-mulating unto themselves the wealth and refinery of the age, and atthe same time be diligently laboring in the service of their fellowmen, complying with such divine statutes as would ultimately gainfor their souls salvation, with its attendant gifts and blessings inthe presence of their God.

Conditions, socially speaking, were not essentially different

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in the Meridian of Time than in the present age. There weresome who, so assiduously enwrapped in the problems and perplex-ities of their temporal affairs, gave little or no moment to theirsouls' salvation, and only in the instance of calamity or distresswere they perhaps brought to a forceful realization of the existenceof an Omnipotent Power. Their days were spent in gratifyingtheir carnal lusts and desires, and in perhaps heaping to them-selves, through covetousness, the spoils of graft, or illegal gain.There were many who gave ear to the whisperings of Satan,whose purpose it is to thwart the work of the Eternal Father inbringing "to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." Moneywas just as much the ideal of men in those days as now. In fact.the possession of wealth very materially determined a man's popu-larity in the eyes of the community, and social and civic distinctionwas sought after as much by the contemporaries of the Savior asby the multitudes today.

We would be safe in stating, however, that the social evils oftoday have developed proportionated with the wide expanse ofhuman habitation, and are perhaps of a more universal character.The scale of operation in this era, in all branches of social enter-prise, has assumed such prodigious proportions, that the sins ofmany professed Christians are left unexposed.

The salvation of one's soul today is, in reality, given butpassing and secondarv consideration. There are millions ofhonest souls who desire virtually to "seek the kingdom of God,"having become decidedlv diseased and disgusted with "modernChristianity." Yet are they so priest-ridden and deceived by thehalf-truths and misleading statements of those from whom theyseek divine counsel, that the way of truth is darkened to theirvision. The religion of today is often a means of deception, andthe religious worship is given to amusement. Little wonder thatmen become skeptical, even questioning, in the dark hour of gloomand despair, if the Christian God of years gone by was not thesubject of but mere superstition.

Little wonder that the philosophers and deep thinkers of theage conclude that Christianity has utterly failed. They see in thechurches a "form of godliness" but the power thereof is denied;the "shepherds" are divining- for hire, and the ears of the congre-gations are turned unto fables. Now do men seek first the tem-i oralities of life, and then, after years of toil and struggle, reclinein ease and worldly splendor, greatly dismayed and disappointedin that God does not whisper sweet rest and contentment in theireager and now attentive ears. And having wasted the days oftheir probation in laving up for themselves "treasures on earth,"thev spend the remaining vears of their lives in sorrow and regret,realizing full well that instead of "seeking the Lord" while hecould have been found, they procrastinated the day of their re-

A PERTINENT SERMONET 483

ptntance, and now as the inevitable hour of their departure is athand they cannot say, as did the servant of the Lord:

"I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have keptthe faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteous-ness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at thatday * * * "

As Latter-day Saints, we have felt the divine care and pa-rental protection of the Omnipotent in all our wanderings ; wehave been blessed on every hand ; the barren and unfruitful landof the desert has been made to yield to our needs; and with theaid of our Heavenly Father we have prospered and become amighty people in this the Land of Promise. I affirm that all thislias come through obedience and submission to the will of God,and because we have sought "first the kingdom of God and hisrighteousness."

Let us guard our future steps and not be found going theway of the world which leadeth to destruction and death, for weare warned by the Master: "My kingdom is not of this world."Let us remember the parable of the Savior, uttered at the instanceof a certain man who, even after hearing the plea of the greatShepherd to rely more faithfully on his sure promises, asked di-vine aid in securing from his brother a portion of the inheritance:

"And He said unto him, man, who made me a judge or a dividerover you?

"And He said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousnessfor a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things whichbe possesseth.

"And He spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of acertain rich man hrought forth plentifully. * * *

"And he said, This will I do, I will pull down my barns, and buildgreater; and there will T hestow all my fruits and my goods.

"And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid upfor many years; take thine ease, eat, drink and be merry.

• "But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall berequired of thee: then whose shall these things be, which (lion hastprovided?"

CHAMPAIGN, ILL.