Wealth and workmen...

Front matter

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Preface

Being impressed that the books on the Christian method of getting and using money are abstract, or involved in style, I set myself to try to write something that the people would ponder, and the rich would read. The mission of money and men is herein described. To judge the book by a critical, literary standard would be unjust to the Author, who has purposely used the proverbial style, and sometimes adopted privincial phrases. The book was written in the midst of onerous pastoral duties, and pressing and distracting family cares and afflictions. If it contributes to the consecration of money for man-helping, the Author will have earned his reward.

Cincinnati, Ohio, 1891

CHAPTER I. Divine Ownership and Human Stewardship

Original fee in God, 9— M^n stewards by occupation, 9 — Tithe in kind superseded by obligation in Christ, 9 — Trust, the measure of responsibility, 10 — Ability the measure of giving, 10 — Talents include wealth and work, 11 — Mites and millions on the same footing, 11 — Miseries allowed that benevolence may be cultivated, 12 — Poverty not dishonoring, 12 — The scales of equity weigh merit, 13 — Labor a blessing, 13 — Rich must respect and help the poor, 14 — Deed-blessing, 14 — The curse of the love of money, and the good of the money of love, 15— The folly of the self-complacency of the Rich Man of the parable, 16 — Selfish wealth merits its doom, 17 — Riches, rightly gotten and used, a means of grace, 17— The blessing of the poor at the Judgment, 18 — The relieved. Cnrist's proxies, 18.

CHAPTER II. The Worship of the Golden Calf

Covetousness idolatry, 19 — Illustrated by Aaron's Golden Calf, 19 — The Stock Exchange may be made an idolatrous temple, 20 — Moral identity preserved by three Hebrews and Daniel, at Babylon, 21 — The infatuated Miser an idolator, 21 — Modern Ananiascs and Achans, 22 — The idolatry of riches in this age, appalling, 23— Ill-gotten wealth a despoiling of the poor, 23— Moloch worship now, 24 — Danger and Deg- ■ radation of the Gold hunter and Miser— a poem, 24 — The treachery and bribery caused by love of money, 25 — Shylock masquerading as Christian, 25 — Massacre of the Needle, 26— Robbery disguised by gifts to Hospitals and Colleges, 26. Heaven's Saving Bank, 26 — Marchioness of Salisbury and Dr. Parkman identified by jewels and goldfillings, 27 — Juggernaut on Fifth Avenue and in Central Park, 28 — Ahab and his arrest by Nathan, 28— Cicero to Mareellu*, 28— A poetic antithesis, 28. (1)

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CHAPTER III. Motive Principle

The motive determining the moral quality of giving, 29— The Christ-motive, 32— The three heroes that brought David water from the well of Bethlehem, 32 — Abu Taher's martyrs, 33 — Low ambition of Christians, 33 — The inspiring generosity of the Macedonian Churches, 34 — Paul making tents, 34 — Love of Christ tested by self-denying work, 34 — Mites and Shekels — widow and Pharisees, 34 — Self-denial of a Factory Girl, 35 — Consecration of John Howard, 35— Christ's test of discipleship for the rich young man, 36 — The Camel and the Needle, 36 — Trusting in and trusted with riches, differentiated, 37 — Consecration promoting Civilization, 38 — Jesus glad in our joys, 39 — Righteous uses of wealth in cultivating the beautiful and patronizing labor, 40 — Danger of luxury, 41 — Conservation of surplus materials, 42 — Loss by idleness, strikes and dissipation, 42 — Cheap work reprehensible, 42 — Presents to friends allowable, 42— Ostentatious funerals reprobated, 43— Cemeteries at public cost, 45 — The anointing woman commended, 45, 50, 55 — Judas-like fault-finders, 47 — Beautiful Church-architecture approved, 47 — The recoil of Puritanism, 49— Sunday School rooms made attractive, 50 — The best should be given to God, 50, 77 — Dr. Hall and fine churches, 51 — Taste a sign of thrift, 54— Costly offerings of the Magi, 55— Christ in the poor, 56.

CHAPTER IV. Devotional Giving

An Elder worthy of double honor — Henry K. Clark, 57 — Paying and praying pairs, 57 — Unostentatious alms-giving, 57 — Dean Swift and atheism, 58 — Giving taken for granted, 58— Principles and Eules, 59— Giving, an act of worship, 59— Money-worship and the worship of money differentiated, 60 — How to take a collection, 60 — Means and meanness, 61— "Bench 'em"— Bishop Waugh, 61— A dead Church— Laodecea, 63— Success not always proof of merit, 63, 67 —

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Work the children and women, 64 — and committees, 65— Cromwell at Dunbar, 65 — Miserly men unfit for steward.?, 66— Virtues born of suffering, 67 — Best not excelled— illusstration, 67— Charity enriching, 68 — Dr. McFerrin and the beggar, 68— Alms Memorial, 69 — Preacher an example — exhorted, 70 — Gordon abandoned, 71 — Cash-down prayers for heathen, 72 — Cribbing nubbins — Bishop Marvin, 72— Young brethren instructed, 72 — Pay-roll not a roster, 73 — Armor in Tower, 73 — Endowed Churches failures, 74 — A collection at sea, 75— Salvation if purchasable, 76 — Collections historically, 76 — The altar sanctifying the gift, 79 — Luxury of giving, 79.

CHAPTER V. The Gospel of Good Will

Fruits the test of Benevolence, 80— Nature on the plan of giving—Bishop Thomson and Dr. Morrison, 80, 81 — Money latent force, 82— The Cross a magnet, 83— Electric bell in morgues, 83— Correlation and transmutation of forces, 83 — Giving a putting of self into powers, 83— Chnrch constituted to convert the world, 84— All rank alike, 85 — Grace Missionary, 86 — The triple bond, 87 — Giving promotes prosperity, 90.

CHAPTER VI. The Support of the Ministry

Ground of, 91 — Jews and tithes, 93 —All should share in, 94 — The rich paying, the poor praying, 95— No cost, no value, 96 — Mites collected for good of givers, 97 — Reap as you sow, 97 — Excuses: Ministry not to be lucrative, 97 — Has other resources ; lives better than I, 99 —Little to do, 100 — Must be kept humble, 101 — Pioneers poor, 102 — Are elsewhere paid no better, 102 — Not wanted, 103— Words to ministers, 103.

CHAPTER VII. The Conquest of the World

Christianity a propaganda, 107 — Church thrives by Missions, 108, 111 — Some to go, others to send, 110 — The gospel must

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go — the Bible, the tract, 1 15 — Education, 116 — "Our Brother in Black," 117— A debt to freedmen, 120 — The South and negro, 120 — Africans a trust, 121 — North and the slave-trade, 121 — Perils, 123— Self-protection, 124— Drummond and hermit crab, 126 — Hermit monks, 126 — Mammoth Cave and sightless fish, 127— Hermit nations, 127 — Methodism spreading, 128— Ezekicl's vision, 128 — How to quell mutiny, 129— Pctral, 129— Timidity rebuked, 130— Antigonus, 130 — Cortez, Warwick and Henry of Navarre, 131 — Grant and his resolve, 132— Demosthenes' Phillipics, 132— "Hold the Fort," 133— "Storm the Fort," 134— Chapultepec, 135— Fra Angelica, 135 — Prophecy History, 135 — The St. Nicholas chime-player, 135 — Lighting the World, 137 — Dynamics, 138— Deep-sea dredging, 139 — Age of benefactors, of rapid transit, 139 — Apocalyptic thunders, 140 — The Conquering Sign, 140 — Daybreak, 141.

CHAPTER VIII. The Measure oe Duty

Ability the measure— a tithe the minimum, 142 — Wesley's prescript, 142— The tithe among Pagans, 143— and Jews, 144— Gospel enlarging, 144 — Church Assessments, 145 — The Cheerful Giver, 147, 157— State charities, 148— Raphael's Transfiguration, 150 — Pagan inhumanity, 151 — Christianity transforming and humanizing, 153 — Emancipated woman and exalted childhood, 154 — Negro resolutions, 157. Cross measure of debt, 158 — Dr. Wm. Arthur on "the duty of giving a stated part of income," 159 — Giving essential, 171 — Faith-soaring, 161 — Saving for children, 163 — A quaint epitaph, 164 — Poor not exempt from giving, 165.

CHAPTER IX. Systematic Benevolence

The Plan (weekly), the principle, ability, the blessing, 167— Dr. W. M". Taylor's view, 16S— Who must, and when to give, 169 -Rusty hinges, 170 -The Spirit, 170— The Reward, 171— Means of grace, 171 — No dead-heads, 175— Crab and palm-

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trees, 175 — Impulsive compared with the systematic, 176 — Weekly, promotes church-going, 177 — and effective, 178 — Poor, deterred by banters, 179 — Examples, 179 — An assurance and particular principles, 180.

CHAPTER X. Wrong Methods of Money Raising

Entertainments for, 182 — Business men object, 182 — Giving and buying back, 183 — Jealousies, 183 — Lottery, 183— Sells, theatres and pulpit advertising, 184 — Corrupt children, 185 — The Mammon of unrighteousness, 186 — Two gospel methods, 186 — Conscience debilitated, 186 — Ministers showmen, 187 — Social entertainments commended, 187 — The one principle of gospel support, 187.

CHAPTER XL Missions Pay.

The meek inheriting, 188 — Apoll > transcended, 188 — The transfiguration of the earth, 189 — Markets opened, liberty promoted, Christian nations enriched, 190— Earl Cairns' auditing, 192— Testimony of Mr. Randall, Mr. Howland, and Sir Arthur Gordon, 193 — Fruits, 194 — Literature enriched, 195— Missionaries as scientific reporters, 196— Darwin's testimony, 197— Christian David, 198-202— Exhibit heroism, 199— Dr. Pierson's "Fingers of God," 203— The epitaph of Aeschylus, 203 — Japan coming, 206 — Peace promoted, 206 — College recruits, 206— Anglo-Saxon civilization debtor, 207 — Cost in starting, 210 — Cost of war, 211— Suez Canal, Keely Motor, Hurl-gate, 212 — Dredging the Mississippi, 213 — Infant Church and Modern Missions, 213— Dr. John M. Reed figuring, 214 — Worth of emigrants, 215 — Gen. B. R. Co wen's Tenth Crusade, 215 — Mission miracles, 217 — Bible translations, 217-219 — Scientists witnessing, 219. Stanley, 220 — Livingstone's tomb, 220 — Missions, the Pacific Coast and the Civil war, 220— Humanitarianism impotent, 221— Christlieb, 222.

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CHAPTER XII. Mission Methods and Motives

Open Doors, 224— An army of occupation, 224— Multiplied agencies, 228— Moravian zeal, 229— and emulated, 232— Ideals and exemplars, 232 — Bishop Hannington and the Uganda martyrs, 233, 237 — Sacrificial inspirations, 235 — Plato and Paul, 236 — Africa redeemed, monumental, 237. Majesty of the redemptive scheme, 238- Weighted wings, 239.

CHAPTER XIII. Religious Limits of Accumulation

Ague's Trayer, 240 — Ten talents buried, 241 — Making money for God, 242 — May business be given up, 242 — Danger and guilt of apostasy, 242 — Retiring ministers, 243 — Healthbreaking haste and snares, 245 — Defeating habits, 246. Diary of suicide and mark-missing, 247 — The Christ-devoted successful business man blessed, 248— Religion not a refuge, 249 — Selfish aggrandizement sinful, 250 — Vast fortunes reprobated, 250 — Risk and responsibility for, 251 — Despairing masses, breed anarchy 253— March of Monopoly, 252 — Fraud the malaria of business, 254 — Credit abused, 254 — Preferring creditors, 256 — Gain of Godliness, 256 — Safe-guard of employment, 257 — Health promoted by labor, 258 — Inherited wealth the bane of children, 258 — Riches rationally used and perverted by the Christless, 259 — "The unearned increment," 260 — Money-making skill, a divine gift, 261— Giving while getting, 262— Eventide light, 267 — Indiscriminate Charity, 267 — Business a divine trust, 268.

CHAPTER XIV. The Cry and Call

The curse of tenements, 271 — The slaughter of the Innocents, 271— Land Monopoly, 272— The Augean stable, 273— The British Briareus, 273 — Children congenitally cursed, 273— Deteriorating environment, 274 — Rescue the perishing, 274. Prevention and Suppression, 275 — Burden of Dumah,

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276 — The moan from the slums, 270— The Jukes, 276— Pauper Emigration, 277 — Romanism Entrenching, 277 — The debauched vote, 278— The Black Cloud over the South, 27 3 Briberv of legislatures, of juries; defalcation and "Boodleism," 278— The Niobe of the Nations, 279— Remedies, 279. Morning, 280— The cry of the Eagle, 280— Cities, "storm centers," 280 — The Augurs prophesying, 283 — Dynamite menacing, 283 — Antiseptics and brooms called for, 284 The Gospel as a Reformer, 285 — Brotherhood, Condescension and patronage not, 285 — Children unto Abraham from stones — pardoned Magdalenes and thieves, 286 — The Master's example, 286 — The banner of Hope — Dr. Storrs, 287. The Macedonian call, 287 — God marching on, 288 — The five thousand students waiting on miserly Money, 289. Croninshield's satire, 289 — The game started; let loose the hounds, 289.

CHAPTER XV. The Answer of Conscience

Musts and must nots, 290 — Hospitality refused Christ, 293 — Poem — Montgomery, 294 — A word to women, 297 — Work of women, 298 — Books to read, 299.

CHAPTER XVI. Heart and Hand Help

Blessed in the deed, 300 — Retrospective pleasures, 301 — A Golden Autumn, 302— Bculah land, 303— Sympathy welcomed, 304— Fry, Nightingale, and the Purest Pearl, 304— "Prayers full," 305 — Indiscriminate Charity, 306 — An army of tramps, 306— Distrust of City Charities, 307— "Little Sisters of the Poor," 307— Gregory, the Great, 308— The 400— McAllister and Most, 309— Quiz, the Sphinx, 309— City riots, 309— The Huntingtons, 310— Perils, 310— Charity f tudents, 310 — Men compared to turtles and cats, 310 — Visiting committees, 311 — Expulsive power of a new affection, 312— Tact, 312— Centers of light, 313— After the Eclipse 313 — Second Advent pessimism, 313 — World brightening

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314 — Pearl-closed wounds, 314 — Ostentation and lieing, 315. Apoplexy and Paralysis parked with God's Artillery, 315. The day of need coming, 316.

CHAPTER XVII. The Morning Cometh

The Age we live in, 318 — The Sphinx — Argus — The Laocoon, 319— Art of printing, 319— Elements of progress, 320-323. Man's ^onquest and sovereignty, 323 — America an asylum, 324 — Survival of the fittest, 325 — Mormons, Indians, Chinese, reformed, exterminated or assasinated, 325 — Hope restored, 326 — God's lever and fulcrum, 327 — Clearing storms, 328 — War ended, 329 — Optimism of Isaiah and John, 330.

CHAPTER XVIII. The Free-Seat Church

All equal in church, 333 — Mites and millions on a par, 334. Power of a pew-renter, 334 — A pastor's rebuke, 335 — St. James, 335 — Cathedrals and Methodist Churches free, 337. Church support, 338 — Padded plates, 340 — Bright churches and services for poor, 341 — Free churches first step in reaching the masses, 343 — Seats reserved where no money condition, 344 — Firing at long range, 345 — Wiser Catholics, 345.

CHAPTER XIX. Precious Promises

Moses and reward — Crawling on Ice, 346 — Premiums to sin — Thrift of Righteousness, 347 — The men who succeed — Living Skeletons — Dead Sea and Nile men, 348— The successful merchant, 349— The living church, aggressive, 349. Hard-cash prayer*, 350 — Abiding principles based on Divine precepts and promises, 351 — Sure foundations, 351.

WEALTH AND WORKMEN.

Chapter I. Divine Ownership And Human Stewardship

The original fief by which men hold property is in God. "The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof." Men are stewards, and "occupy" until the Lord comes to require an account. Man forfeited Eden by transgression, and was expelled to a thorn-cursed earth, and bidden to win back his primal heritage by industry and virtue. To remind him of his stewardship, he was required to pay to his Lord's cause one-tenth of all his earnings. As his conquest of the world advanced, his responsibility increased. As Providence blessed, the Divine command expanded, and ability became the measure of obligation. Redeemed, his debt of love found its standard of value Christ's blood. The tithe in kind, the sacrificial offering were no longer required by the demand of the altar, or the necessities of the Levite ; but, the Cross made a demand as wide as the necessities of the race. As the sacrifice of Christ is of inestimable value, and the meter of man's duty, all limits, save ability, were removed.

God is the proprietor of the earth. Men are his tenants at will, and must give an account as to how they have discharged their trust. To whom little is given only little will be required — it will be required. The parable of the talents distributes the degrees of trust, but the moral responsibility is the same in the ten, five and one talent case. It was the man who buried his one talent who was cast ' 'into outer darkness. " Mechanic and merchant, laborer and millionaire, all are alike under one law of moral responsibility as to the use made of that which Providence allots to each. The minister is not more bound to preach and the missionary to go, with the Gospel message abroad, than the craftsman in his shop, the farmer in his field, the tradesman in his store, the laborer under his burden is to discharge his duty faithfully. Wealth is fearfully derelict in giving of its abundance, but none the less are the poor in giving of their poverty. Nothing is too small to give, if it be required. A withheld penny carries with the deed as much moral weight as the withholding of a pound. Ananias migh. just as well have given nothing as to have fraudulently held back a part. Divine service must be with the whole heart. To "offend one of these little ones" is to incur heavy guilt. The Gospel commands Christians to be ' 'lights of the world, " to love their enemies, to "preach the Gospel to every creature." Whatever is the cost of compassing these commands is to be incurred, within the limits of ability.

No ratio is given, whether a tenth or a half of our revenue. W T ealth is a Divine trust and is ability to do good, as opportunity will permit. It embraces the idea of capacity for work and disposition to industry. Only disability for labor, and to get, or destitution of means, exempt from giving. St. Paul laid it down as the obligation of a converted thief ■ ' to labor, working with his hands, that he mayhave to give to him that needeth." (Eph. iv, 28.) As we have ability, as God prospereth us, as a duty and as a means of grace, we are to give willingly, cheerfully, co-operatively. The benevolent disposition is made, by St. John, the touch-stone of a God-loving heart. " But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion, how dwelleth the love of God in him?" (I John iii, 17.) The holding of the means to help, carries with it the obligation of contributing to the relief of necessity. The ability to give is of God. "The riches of our liberality" may be measured by a mite or millions. One is as acceptable to God as the other, if it only be according to the ability we have. God is the giver of all good, and in giving we but return to him his own. He gives fertility to the earth, the germ to the seed, sends the earlier and the latter rain, rotates the seasons, and the day and the night, gives to man intelligence, skill and strength. No matter who plants or waters, God gives the increase. It is, therefore, basal to Christian benevolence that we reverence the Father of Lights from whom cometh every good and perfect gift, and with whose mercy there is no variableness nor shadow of turning ; that we faithfully accredit his goodness daily, and confess our utter dependence upon him for ali the mercies of Life.

He is the "Father of our mercies." We should beseech His blessing upon all our enterprises and toils, with a steadfast purpose to employ the surplus fruit thereof as He hath prescribed. We are to look on wealth, therefore, as a divine endowment to enable us to cultivate the best graces in ourselves by ministering to the* wants of others. The ''Lord makethrich." (I Sam. ii, 7.) But not to the end of our self-gratification. God never designed furnishing us with the means of hurting or destroying ourselves. He permits the miseries of others that the virtue of benevolence, so elevating to character, so comforting to those who practice it, may have subjects for its exercise. "Ye have the poor always with you ; " and instead of being dishonored by their poverty, they are made the representatives of Christ, so that service to them is ministration unto Him. That the multitude of poor might not feel humiliation at poverty, Christ came as a poor man, having not a roof to shelter his head, or money to pay his taxes. He made his home with the lowly, and chose his disciples from the weak and despised. He died between two outlaws and was buried at the hand of charity. All along his pathway, from the cradle to the cross, friendship contributed to his daily wants, and on one occasion grateful love anointed his body with costly ointment. If poverty in itself were a brand of dishonor, then it was placed on Jesus, the Carpenter's son, as much as on the most abject of earth. Jesus at his birth, in the manger, in fellowship with the kine, touched the bottom of pauper circumstances, that no garret lodger beneath smoked rafters and a dripping roof, that no wasted woman tossing on a pallet of straw, might ever have it to say that Jesus was not as poor as they. To be the universal sympathizer and heart-helper he must and did get beneath the suffering masses, honoring their poverty by suffering it himself. Let no man,having done his best to get ahead, having chosen to live honestly poor rather than improve his circumstances by fraud or overreaching, feel ashamed of his poverty. Doing his duty according to the ability given, he will stand the peer of millionaires when God weighs the merits of men in the scales of infinite equity.

God has not peopled the world with the rich that they may feed and fatten upon his free bounty. Rather has he filled the world with the poor whomust work for their daily bread. As a good Providence designs the best for his creatures, the necessity of toil must be for the benefit of men. Observation proves to us that the field of labor is the sphere of progress, the grand theatre of human elevation. Would it be well for all men to be so conditioned that there would be no need for them to labor? Has not the world been brought to its present estate, and will it not be re-Edenized through the ministration of human labor? Is not idleness, now, the prolific parent of many of the ills that afflict society? Nothing is so friendly to virtue as employment. The indolent poor and the idle rich are the extremes of society in which dissipation drains existence and vice riots and revels to destroy.

The obligation rests on the rich to respect the virtuous poor and to help the worthy needy from their abundance. "Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy ; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. " (I Tim-, vi, 17-19.) To be "rich in good works" is better than bonds and gold. How inexpressibly gratifying to the heart of Job must have been "the blessing of him that was ready to perish," and the song of the widow relieved by his bounty! (Jobxxix, 13.) The alms of Cornelius, alike with the incense of prayer, ascended as a memorial before God. There is such a thing as being "blessed in the deed" — of proving a principle by an act. ' 'Whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." (Jas. i, 25.) Deed-blessing is faith-ratification. Faith and works are hemispheres of the globe of religion, the equator of which is love.

Generous action, the product of good-will, grows the herb heart-ease in the garden of the soul. All noble life is the blossoming of love.

"We live in deeds, not years; in thoughts, not breaths;

In feelings, not in figures on a dial. We should count time by heart-throbs. He most lives,

Who thinks most, feels the noblest, acts the best."

(Bailey- Festus.)

Every good deed is treasure laid up in heaven. All money expended in charity is an eternal investment. It yields large dividends in time and eternity. What is given is saved ; what is saved is lost. Death" parts a man from his earthly fortune, and, then, what he is worth is what he has sent before to Heaven by performing deeds of love. By benevolence "he has laid up in store" where calamity can never overtake the treasure. The epitaph carved on the tomb of a generous giver was, "Here rests Etella, who transported a great fortune to Heaven in acts of charity; and has gone there to enjoy it forever."

When Christ (Matt, vi, 19-21) enjoined the laying up of treasure in heaven rather than on earth, He did not prohibit a wise forecast of the future — an honest accumulation of property ; for, the right use of money can be made vastly instrumental in making a man "rich toward God" and in "good works." If it be hard for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God it is only because of the deceitfulness of riches. ' 'They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil." (I Tim. vi, 9-10) But the money of love is the root of much good. It is bread to the hungry, raiment to the naked, shelter to the homeless, light to the blind, limbs to the lame, medicine to the sick, education to the ignorant, rest to the weary, hope to the despairing. It tunnels the mountains, levels up the plains, threads the valleys with pathways of iron, strings the telegraphic harp, bridges the rivers and ferries the seas. It is the overweening lust for money that is the corrupting root. The rich man of the parable retired out of view the Author of his good, and contemplated only the secondary agencies of nature, and his own shrewdness and strength. He could buy all the delignts he sensuously craved. He could command the viands of various climes to crown his board, the costly fabrics of oriental looms to clothe his body, the sparkling wines to fill his decanters. He could bring around him scented courtiers, fulsome flatterers, praetorian guards.

He could purchase place and power. He felt the vigor of life and counted on a long lease of years. His scheme of life was selfish and sensuous. God was not in all his thoughts. "Eat, drink and be merry" was his motto. Eternity was not in his view. Life, as the opportunity for usefulness, for co-working with God, for helping humanity, was not apprehended. He was self-centered and self-contained. He was a solitary and selfish unit of being, a godless, graceless animal. "So is he that layeth up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God." Upon the self-complacent sensuality of such a rich man how, like a knell of doom, would toll the startling sentence — "Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee." His mind would run rapidly in review over his fortune and bankrupted life, while the voice of retribution would ring in his ear the answerless question, "Then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided ? " No pocket in the shroud, no treasure box in the grave. Without anything to his credit in the bank of Heaven, without the ability to borrow, with no chance to retrieve what he has forfeited, baffled in his plans, defeated in his desires, there remaineth nothing "but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation." Such a man merits his doom. Loving money for its power to yield self-gratification, regardless of the claims of God on the bounty He bestows, callous to the cries of human suffering, indifferent to the elevation of his race — he bargains for his good in his life-time, and gets the wages of sin. Why should such a one expect to live in the memories of his fellow-men, or hope to share in the mercies of God, whose tender bounty he hath abused? "Be not deceived : neither idolaters . . . nor covetous] nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God." (I Cor. vi, 9-10.) It is hard for such a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. He has no fitness "for an inheritance with the saints in life." Luring as riches are when covetously desired, yet, when honestly obtained and rightly used, they can be made a means of grace. A rich man consecrated to God — soul, body and money — can brighten and bless while in this world and at death receive an "abundant entrance" into the kingdom of glory. If he is not "high-minded" — supercilious to the poor and vain of his wealth ; if he does not trust in "uncertain riches," but in the living God ; if he does good to the souls and bodies of men as he has opportunity, "is rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate," then, as the promised reward of such a use of his wealth, he ' 'lays up in store for himself a good foundation against the time to come, and lays hold on eternal life."

Let every rich man listen to the Apostolic ' 'charge;'' and if he would find the gates of glory wide open when he dies, regard the means entrusted to him, when properly used, as an agency through which he can make his ' 'calling and election sure."