The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1869-03-31
From the Free Christian Commonwealth.
MONEY.


MONEY.
Reader, do you love money? If so, why?
VIII it make you happy? Did it ever Sc
cure the happiness of any one? Go back
the long line of human history, search the
records of time, so far as written, from be-
ginning to end,-aye, call up the money.
loving dead, and let them pass in grim pro-
cession before you; and then inquire of
each individual, as he goes by, "Did money,
or the love OF it, make you happy in life,
or remove the shadows when you passed
through the cold valley, and across the dark
stream2" What do you think would be the
response, reader? What would Dives say?
What would be the reply of the men who
stole the wedges of gold? How old was
Solomon, and what amount of experience
did he bring to bear upon this subject when,
from the depths of his inspired heart, he
cried out, "Vanity of vanities-all is van
ity"
Are you looking for happiness from this
source? If so, upon what reasonable ground
do you base your expectations? "Ah,"
you say, Il love money only for its uses.
Take care, take carel my good brother, or
sister, those are dangerous words, and like
edged tools, should be handled cautiously,
lest you wound yourself Many, doubtless,
have used them with probably as much sin
cerity as you now do, who have died miser-
able misers at last.
Now this money-loving is dangerous
thing; and all the more so because of its
insidiousness-Oh it creeps into the heart,
and stains and pollutes everything before
we are aware of its presence at all. And
it is most hateful thing too, and therefore
the Lords word most positively declares
that it sis the root of all evil" Of course
we do not mean, nor do the Scriptures in
tend gold, silver, precious stones, dollars
and cents, bank bills, &C.; but property,
possessions, this worlds goods-all these
are money in one sense. Now, my dear
reader, do look into your heart and answer
me this question, honestly and candidly be
fore your Maker, "Do you love money!"
Let me give you few hints that will pro,
badly aid you in the inquiry.
The love of money enables minister to
look around for pleasant fields, and good
fat salaries, to the neglect of his own con,
gregation, and prompts him to smile pleas
antly, and to speak politely to the rich and
influential in the Church, while the Lords
poor are left to starve for "the bread of
life.
And what does the love of money do for
the Ruling Elder?" Why it makes him a
cheat. How so? Why he cheats himself
out of a great deal of spiritual enjoyment.
How is this? Just so: he stays at home,
attending to his farm, his merchandise,
measuring his lands, proving his oxen, and
all that and never discovers how pleasant
it is to visit his people, to pray with them
enter into sympathy with their joys and Sor
rows, and thus give play to the purest and
best emotions of his own soul.
Poor man! poor man. he has name to
live while he is dead, and the worst of all
is, he is the last one to discover it. He
thinks if he maintains his position in the
Church, "pays the preacher" and cries out
" discipline, disciplined" when some poor
weak lamb of Christ's flock, whom he has
never prayed with, or even visited, goes
astray, that he has "ruled well, and doubt,
less expects, in a coming day, to "be
crowned with double honor" when, alas
the spirit of mammon is whitening and dry
ing up his poor heart into barren waste of
burning sands.
The love of money makes the Deacon
such busy man, that he finds no time to
spare from his own affairs to collect debt
that is justly due the faithful pastor; and
stops his ears to the plaintive cries of the
widows and orphans of his congregation,
notwithstanding he has taken solemn VOW
before God, and pledged himself to the
Church, in his very act of acceptance of
his Office, that he will most saeredly perform
these duties.
But how does the love of money effect
the brethren, " generally? Go to prayer
meeting on some week day, and notice the
attendance. Or make it convenient to drop
in on the pastor, about the time he is asking
blessing at the dinner-table;-after din
ner, take look at things about the place;
and then go and repeat the process in every
p u IL,