The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1870-03-23
The PerYersiOn of Wealth.

Wealth is a gift of Divine benefcence.-
1t is. bestowed for noble ends, and is suscep-
tible of high and holy uses. Devoted to the
purposes for which it is given, it accomplish
es those forms of good which no other agency
can. Legitimately used, its increase is
"more precious than rubies, and the gain
thereof than fine gold, and it is sad to re-
feet, that having thus within itself the germ
of so many blessings, the fruitage of so lit
tie of it should be harmonious with or wOr
thy of its design and nature. And it is sim
gularly strange, that the men of the world
who have it in their possession, do not feel
that it is a talent too sacred for the low and
common uses to which it is ordinarily sub
jected oarding it with misery
greed, with reckless prodigal-
ity upon objects at the dictates of
fancy, or consuming it upon their lusts in
luxurious and riotous living, why does not
the incongruity between the GOd-given ma.
ture of the object, and the unworthy ends
to which they are devoting it, startle them
into consistency in this respect? Why do
not its wondrous possibilities rise before their
vision in such grand proportions, as to charm
them into an outlay of it in more rational
directions? But it is not our purpose at
this time to speak of the misrepresentation of
unconsecrated wealth but rather of that
which is professedly consecrated to the cause
of Christ.
In respect of their wealth, Christian men
are guilty of two errors, either of which is
fatal. The first, as iD the case of the irreli-
gious, is the misrepresentation of it. How
much of their worldly possessions is devoted
to vanity and display; to pomp and show;
to enlarge and solidify foundations upon
which to rest that augmented wealth, by
which they hope to realize those ambitious
dreams of reputation and position which are
ever floating before the human vision, and
to the indulgence of all those natural ten
denotes which are as yet only partially re
strained by grace, ard which if INDUCED
gather strength not only to throttle all spir
ituality of heart and life, but to help swell
that fearful tide of worldliness which is food
ing society and threatening even to submerge
the Church of God? When we seriously
contemplate it, how astounding is the spec
tacle presented by Christian men and wO-
men, within hearing distance of the pitiful
cry of so many interests connected with the
cause of Christ, pining and perishing for the
want of that which have to give-within full
view of the outstretched hands of two con-
tinents and the islands of the sea reckoning
the Church for those tidings of hope and
heaven which she has been commissioned to
spread-and yet in the midst of such sounds,
and in view of such scenes coolly abandon
ing their profession of deafness to the world
and of heavenly mindedness, and literally
thronging the ways that lead to the temples
of fashion and mammOn? How painful to
witness them as in the heated glare of the
goddess world they unblushingly enter the
lists as fierce competitors for such grOveling
prizes, and prostitute this great boon which
God has conferred upon them for the worlds
highest good to such uuhallowed strife
How sad, that from such sources the specta-
Gle should be presented to the world of the
peryersion of an instrumentality with such
rich blessings for humanity.-BgfalO Chris
tan Advocate