The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-12-10
MAMMoN's SERVANTS.

4 "NWiWSN y oEnNNNtSs
A Toilsome and Ignoble Service, Which
Multitudes Voluntarily Take Upon Them
selves-A Hard Master and an Unsatis-
factory Reward.
God calls all men to His service. But
multitudes refuse and serve MamEon
instead. They are his willing servants.
They voluntarily take his yoke upon
them, and they serve him all their lives
long with great fidelity. And, though
they seem to realize it not, he is hard
master. There are few greater slaves
than those that serve him, as they them
selves would see and confess were they
seriously to consider how he treats
them. His is toilsome service. 1t
calls for the cxertion of all their ener-
gies, both of body and of mind. Early
and late, day after day, and year after
year, all their lives long, he lays tax
on these. Few and brief are the respites
with which they are indulged. They
are urged on and on continually. Their
nights are short, and their days long,
and if their Sabbaths are not days of
toll they are filed with worry and care,
so that the burden is ever upon them.
In such service they become prema-
turely broken down, both in body and
in mind. Their oppressive tolls and
cares seriously tell upon them, so that
If they do not die before their time, their
old age is an age of "labor and sor-
row." in which they find but little pleas
ure. And oftentimes the service Of
Mammon is mean service. He calls
his servants to low and unworthy
offices. The grand object and end of
this service is to get the world. 1t is TO
get all of ii that is possible. And low
as this object is in itself Mammon cares
not with what unworthy method it is
accomplished. His injunction is: ''Get
the world; honestly If you can, but get
it," And get it many of his servants do
by low and unworthy methods. They
scruple not at these. They make no
account Of truth and honesty and just
dealing, if these stand in their way.
"The love of money is the root Of all
evils" and all evils do they practice in
their mad pursuit of it. And thus do
they debase themselves and pollutc their
souls. 1t Is an ignoble and degrading
service. q.
And, after all, what are its rewardsl
They are paltry and unsatisfactory.
Such tolls, drudgery and care ought to
have a corresponding compensation.
But in no case Is It so. In numberless
instances those who have faithfully
served Mammon all their lives, from
youth up to old age, have found them
selves no better off at the end than al
the beginning. They have had their
success and their reverses, and theiI
reverses equaling their successes, SC
: that in their old age they found them
: selves poor and friendless, dependent
for their daily bread. Disappointment
has attended them all along, and it /.
disappointment in the end. But sup
pose hat they have succeeded. Sup
pose that they have gained and kept
their thousands or their millions, rs has
been the case with some, what has II
: amounted to, after allp They have
found that they have grasped but q
phantom. 1t has been their experience
that they have secured but an unsatis.
fying good. They have found that they
, have labored all their days for that
which satisfeth not. They are com
PEELED TO add their testimony to that ol
, Solomon, that "All is vanity and vexa-
ton of spirit" They are compelled ia
say: Is this ALP Does all this toiiing
and striving amount to nothing more?"
Yes, all. 1t amounts to nothing more
The Scripture declaration is true: "HC
that loveth silver shall not be satisfied
, with silver, nor he that loveth abun
, dance with increase" The truly wise
man will serve his Master. His is a no
BILE and an ennobling service. 1t call,
to noble deeds, and rich and satisfy
ing are its rewards. Christian a
Work,