Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1858-02-12
Rev. HEsRY WARD BRECHER ON MONEY

Brooklyn, N. Y, on Sunday morning, on
Money and its Uses. AS usual, his audience
was very large, and the attention through
out profound and earnest. He said that
ours is the age of wealth. The world has
had its age of war, its age of art, its age of
chivalry, and its age when political economy
was the controlling idea, but ours is the age
of commerce. Money is the worlds power
to-day. It rules in the state and settles
political questions. 1t is stronger than
religion--stronger than aLy principle of
morality or political economy-stronger
than all combined. For money, the worlds
spirit would adopt any government or any
religion.
If the Pope of Rome could convince the
world that his religion was money making
religion, he could send his golden bulls from
pole TO pole; and there is not native that
would not carry them. 1! the Gar of Rus
q sia could convince the world that czarism
was the government most profitable, czarism
would be the worlds government; and there
is no power on earth that could prevent it.
For money, the worlds spirit would cruelty
Christ in whatsoever form he might appear.
There is no such thing as meeting this de-
sire for money in a successful conflict. 1t
would be thankless and unsuccessful task,
to urge upon the world any principle which
il believed TO be opposed to its pecuniary in
teresis; and they who do thus stand out are
few, and their task is hard one. Happily,
there is no occasion for warning with de-
sire for wealth.
The desire to be rich is not evil of itself.
II il nonsense for man to stand up and
d;.-i,;.,, ff,o do~ra f,r Nth Droo nm
OF, the world the idea that it should be poor.
Money is neither an evil nor good of ITSELF;
il has not moral character. 1t is simply
an agent, and whether j. be good or evil,
depends upon the manner in which it is
used Il is like a sword. Whether sword
be in the hands of Benedict Arnold, bathed
in his eountry's blood, or in the hands OF
Washington, welded for justice and liberty,
il is sword only, and has not character.
Whether it be an instrument for good or
evil, depeads upon the character OF him who
holds the hilt, aud not upon the sword itself.
So it is with money. II is an ngent: it is
gigantic motive power that thunders
around the world. II the Devil stands en-
gineer, il thunders on, freighted with untold
mischief, scattering oppression, and wrong.
But if ii is guided by the spirit of love and
truth, II is like the sun, shedding light and
summer upon the world. 1t is an angel oi
mercy and love, when directed by the spirit
OF Christ.
tits the duty of the pulpit, then, to direc
and instruct in the use of wealth, and no
preach against it. 1t has grown to be {
great power in the church, and it must be
preached to- He doubted whether, in thi:
al Of ,uoalth could hf
found among any other equal number o
men as among our church members. Nam
mon has joined the church: but he is no
converted, and it is the duty of the pulpit tt
urge upon the church the true uses o
wealth In primitive days, mems usefulness
in the church was measured by their char
acter and their piety. Now, unfortunately
piety has become fashionable, and we ar
more accustomed to measure their useful
ness by the amount of their money.
Suppose. said he, that twenty poor, bu
very pious and good men, were to come her
and should apply to our examining commit
tee for admission to this church. The com
mittee would tell it to our memqers, an
they would say" Oh, well, that is very well
we are glad of it, Suppose that they wer
TO hear that twenty men, worth half mil
lion each. had been TO all the congregation
Il in the city, and had concluded to join tn
one oh" (said the speaker, putting h
thumbs behind his vest, and assuming
most pompous attitude,) oh, we are d.
LIGHTED to hear it 20 We should all examin
ourselves to see if we have not more or lei
of this spirit. If minister receives a ca
from an obscure village, and one from
great city, is he not very likely, perhaps III
consciously, to think he can do no more go'
where the large church and salary are l.
Gated