The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-10-09
Are Riches Desirable?
Wesleyan Christian Atl0Ocdte.

q Us ulSlflDullOll q SCiitS VI lSttSAo I"
Young men upon the subject oil "Suc
cess aud Failure; Making and Say
ing"
AS the issue of three thousand cop
les is nearly exhausted, l have cohclu--
ded while resting Ill my Nacoochee
home to revise and republish ti'c
letters, adding few chapters I'll OH
$"Riches" and upon 'Human Lie,
I am frequently asked the question,
"Are Riches Desirable ," Also Us
Life Failure ?'
These are question of momentous
import, as they treat on the life lhat
now Is and on life eielnal. 1ne oeslf-
ableness of anything depends not onl y
upon the value it is to this lie, Dut
more particularly To the lille that Is
to come. Ii we admit that riches Will
really prevent q mans securing etern-
al lie, then wealth is not desirable.
But is a rich mans money Il greater
hindrance to his being u Christian
than poverty Is a hindrance TO the
poor man.
These are questions forus to consider
seriously. Oi course nearly every lillhs
depends upon the use that IS made Vi
ricnes. whether they Shall prove a
blessing or 4 curse. Ihe SAME Is true
of the use we make of life. In lhVes-
tigating every question ahectlhS our
spiritual, as well Us our temporal wei
Iare, we must rely upon the scriptures
for our only true guidance, for they
touch upon every phase or human
character and the human heart.
We find in the narrative 0f the man
who inquired of Christ how he might
obtain eternal life, that everything
went smoothly with him until lie Was
told he must sell his possessions ana
distribute the money to the poor, anu
follow Christ. -.
:. The young man flattered himself
that as he had kept all the command
ments, he was ready for the klngdonl
of heaven, but when he found TO gam
eternal life that he must part with his
riches, he went away 'sorroWtul lor
he had "great possessions" This
Young man must have been OF excel
lent character, for Christ loved hln.
w hen our Saviour saw how 10th he
was to part with his riches, Christ salu
to his disciples: "How hardly snail
they that have riches enter iuto the
kingdom of heaven" He further
said, "It is easier for camel TO go
though the eye of needle than lof
a rich man to enter into the King
dom of God" Well might the disc!-
pies exclaim, "Who, can be sayed",,
The answer Of Christ was, with God
all things are possible" DO not
MANY of the difficulties of the rich
arise from the fact that they make an
idol of their money instead OF max
ing proper use of it? Many persons
worship mammon more than they DO
their God. 1t is written, ye cannot
serve God and mammon. have long
been convinced that all inordlnate
love fmoney leads multitudes to ruin.
Covetousness is original sin, and IS
consequently the prevailing form OF sell
fishness in The hearts of the entire
human family, rich and poor. Noth-
ing but the grace of Cod can save
them from its banesul effects. IL IS
a fact that the poor mans heart Is as
much filled with covetousness as lhe
rich mans
Tf the possessions of even the best
men could talk we would learn of tolls
stuqe les, anxieties, and frequently OF
I, guiIt in procuring them.
Our PRAYER should be like that OF
Ayers asking for "neither poverty
nor riches,n lest riches might ma Ike him
deny his God, or poverty make him
steal. ;,
Ifpeople would but lessen their de-
sires. their wants would be less. One
means of overcoming covetousnesS
and of making money desirable ANA
useful is willingness to share our
wealth with the poor anu needy.
This requires an entire change OF the
heart. 1t is not enough for Il man 10
strive to keep the commandment IL he.
hoards his money. 1t is Us important
f,r2parents to train their children 10
habits of Christian DenevoicEce as IL is
! to teach them the art of saving ana
making money. A great draWnacH 20
wealth is the harm that it is liable 70
6 do the children ofthose who possess II.
1t isa common belief, but not entirely
correct, that rich mems sons are per-
mitted to grow up i'll idleness, luxury,
gprofaueness and intemperance, which
makes them worthless. This is too
often the fault of the parents and evil
associates, and not of riches.
Wealth, when properly used is a
good thing, and should be diligently
sought after. There is no wrong in
the possession Of wealth, but money
should not be boarded or used for sell
indulgence, but for the good that can
be done with it. We should be frugal
but not parsimonious, generous, but not
extravagant. All should work for sue
cess, and success means wealth.
Wealth brings with it power, and at
the same time cares and esponsibilities
that few can realize. 1t is more diff
cult to use money wisely and humanely
than it is to make it.
Money is important in every rela-
ton of life, and cannot be dispensed
with.
Without money or riches the world
would relapse into barbarism; our COM
forts and independence would be gone.
1t is the love of money and trust
ing in riches" that is so wrong anu
so much condemned in the Bible,
Mans daily wants require him to work
TO his bread and clothes. If he expect
to make money desirable, he must have
a higher ambition than to merely work
for his own food: he must have an am
bition to accumulate property for the
purpose of doing good with it,, Money
should be used so as to produce the.
greatest happiness to our families and
to others.
this can be done in thousand ways
and it is therefore desirable and hon
orable to accumulate money for its in
trinsic value. Gold and silver, how
ever, in the possessions ofa miser is