Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1837-06-28

You See then, that the second part OF the
scriptural direction concerning the accu-
mutation of property is as valuable as the
first part: and this is as necessary to our
PROSPERITY to limit our desire as to possess
the desire itself You see that, in this
case, where you least suspected l., and
! where perhaps you were least inclined to
believe it, the Bible knew more about
YOUR own business than you did YOURSELF.
And that | do not overrate the practical
wisdom of the principles of the Gospel,
NAV think be shown from a well known
and illustrative example The advice of
the elder Rothschild, the most celebrated
6nancier of modern times, to his sons, ad-
vice which has been the foundation OF
their subsequent prosperity, was all CON-
prised in two very simple maxims. The
first was, to undertake no important OPP
Grafton without counsel and agreement
with each other the second was, always
be contented with moderate profits, but to
place every investment, in so far as posi-
ble without the reach of accident You
see then, that the unparalleled prosperity
Of this family has been owing to the aban-
donment of that very desire for excessive
and rapid accumulation, which the Bible
every where rebukes They have be-
come more opulent than princes, not be-
cause they hasted, but because they hasted
not to be rich.
And still more, l would remark that
the tempers which the religion Of the
Gospel cultivates leads to precisely this
practical result. The scriptures teach US
to act always as though conscious Of the
presence Of the alI-seeing Cop; to Danish
from our minds every desire Of gain of
which he would not approve; to think
not every man on his own things, but
every man also on the things of others :
to set our affections on things above, and
not on things on the earth; and to be
careful for nothing, but in every thing, by
prayer and supplication, to make our re-
quests known unto COP. Now, every
one must see that he who is actuated by
these tempers must be delivered from all
over-anxious desire for accumulation, and
that his prospect Of success for this world
| is at least as good as that of any other
man, 10 say nothing of his hope for the
world that is to come.
And, here, cannot forbear suggesting
that men Of this world labor under griev-
Gus error, when they excuse themselves
from submitting to the requirements of
religion, on the ground that religion
would interfere with the prosecution of
their lawful occupations. | will ask any
one capable Of estimating the course Of
events. for the last two years, whether, in
his deliberate opinion, a pious and devout
temper of mind would have been really
detrimental to any mans commercial pros
perity. Nay, l will ask whether such
temper of mind would not have been his
surest and best safeguard. And if such
be the fact, at such time as this, such
must it be always. Goodness is really
profitable for all things, having the pro-
mise Of the life that now is, and also of
that which is to come. l ask, then, what
reason can a man of business offer why
ne should not love and serve God?
9. think that the events now trans
p'rlng teach US that we have erred, very
generally, in the estimate which we have
placed upon the value of wealth.
! 10 the delusiveness of the hopes ofac-
QUESTION | have already alluded. But
few months since, and every one believed
himself to be growing rich with rapid
ty to which no former times afforded
parallel. Now, every one, upon the ret
respect, finds that he was at this very ne
Rod growing poor, and that he was i'm
poverlshIng himself the fastest who SEEM
ed the surest of attaining to princelv opu-
!!ence: He who seemed the special favor
tie of fortune is now the most sadly in
voIved in inextricable bankruptcy.
Nor is this all. Suppose a man to be
really opdIent, in hat productive manner
shall he invest his properly so as to rem
der it certainl v available in future either
for himself or for his children2 Ask the
most experienced 6nancier, and l think
he will confess his utter inability to an.
swer your question. Every one isbrought
to the conclusion that our surest, nav, I
may almost add, our only sure possess
ions are skill, and industry, and character
and talent Possessed of these, no one
need fear want Without them, nothing
can insure either ourselves or our chill,
dren against penurv.
Now, ifthis be so, l think that we have
unduly valued wealth as means of ac-
curing other wealth. Future acouisi-
ton is uncertain, and our power ofretain-
ing what we have acquired is extremely
limited. | ask, would it not be wiser to
appropriate large portion of our proper
tty' tor the uses of the present day, and be
less soIlcitous about large accumulations
for the future?
Again, since all that we can in this
world render permanently our own is in
teIIeclual and mora acquisition, would it
not be wiser to devote more of our wealth
to the intellectual a nd moral cultivation Of
ourselves and Of our ch;ldra7 r.