| Show ne BROWNS EVE NINfi SERN ON TEXT TAKEN FROM JEREMIAH 2229 22 29 covetousness was the theme treat ed cd by rev brown in an eloquent sermon covetousness vas the theme of an eloquent sermon preached by the rev alfred drown brown at the church of the good shepherd last evening the text was taken from jeremiah 2229 22 29 2 hear the word of the lord 0 earth and was the occasion of an able a and d unique address lie he said paid it appeared from tile the words of the prophet that israel was tit at the time lime with which his writings deala deal under the rule of a weak king neither was there anything extraordinary about this for a nation usually has a king exactly suited to its people in a ruler people have little to be thankful for since tile the aphorism m like people like king always holds hs true and coh consequently when peo people pie aro are weak and covetous they cannot expect acir king to be either better belter or worse than themselves jeremiah ho he said Is the prophet of nikl misfortune for ich keen vision lie he could see the hordes from the north moving in mighty phalanx upon his country still ho he would have had bad little fear had lie he been convinced that his people were living in accord with their ancient covenant with god no matter how much they might have been as a nation no matter how limited their numbers lie he knew that no harm could come to them it if only they were living upright lives but he saw their evil ways and knew what would be the result and since ho he dared to speak and upbraid those in high places for their licentiousness ho was by bt them thrown into a dungeon where he languished until took judah and israel captives and fulfilled his hia prophesies ho he was then iset free by this mighty ruler from the north who ho recognized in him a man of extraordinary tra ordinary qualities and instead of leading him captive to babylonia babelonia Baby lonia with his countrymen allowed him to remain in his native land the lamentation said ll 11 hi is a mournful pitiful cry over the wickedness and vie ahil of the prop prophets liets people ho he blames them for their covet their leaders no longer kept watch over the ii welfare elfare of the nation but through greed had become ap oppressive INI moses oses said he was the only leader who did not accept more from his people than was abs absolutely necessary even so it Is today said he when xie e look about and see those in power using ng all faculties to no better purpose than to increase their worldly wealth only i recently this wa was s elpha sized when it was learned that some of our most noted senators cilot contend conte nj with their their great power allowed their greed gleea to drag them into 11 u 4 Is grace I 1 attention ns ms called to russia as an example of what covetousness c cando ando can do to a nation for centuries the mases masses had been forced by the covetousness of the officials to live on the very minimum on which man inan can exist the class clasi of people on whom depended the safety of the nation had become so debased that russia could fit 66 withstand a nation which up tip to that hat time had not even commanded from the pow powers rs taking up the cot consideration of tile the hardships which h kings ings have imposed 11 upon p oil their subjects he stated that the day of kings had passed pass ed just when they as rulers would become ob so solete ete could not bo be foretold but r they h e hr had beeri been shorn of their power until only tho the name remains peasants Pe wants had possibly suffered most from this bourse of oppression he said and yet to go to the root of the matter the peasant had as much right to enjoyment as the king since both were guinn beings true time said lie he the ahe poor are always w y with us but that justifies no one in keeping them in that condition anthe contrary those who take advantage of the weak and unfortunate and keep them in destitute circumstances cum stances must heavy recompense before god covetousness according to christian teaching deac aing he said is idolatry the covetous man has haa his mind on what he covets and he where the mind is there is also the heart he becomes so blinded that lie he can not see the things that aro are above rev brown then appealed to his big congregation gre gation to put away covetousness and follow the teachings of chrysl who came to promote mans lovo love to god and to his fellow men |
