The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-12-04
LOVE OF M0NEY..
Rev. John Barbour Talked to a
Large Congregation in rho
Presbyterian Church, ON
The Influences of
Money.
He Said That 1t is Seldom That Rich
Christians are Very Pious.

1
large and appreciative congregation,
Sunday morning. After the interest
ing opening exercises, consisting of
singing, prayer, scriptural lessons and
weekly offering, the preacher selected
for his text the 10th verse of the VI
chapter of the first epistle of Paul to
Timothy. "For the love of money is
the root of all evil; which while some
coveted after have erred from the
faith, and pierced themselves through
with many sorrows"
'The sermon this morning is not a
TRADE against money getting" said
Mr. Barbour, in his opening remarks.
'Money getting and money having
bring higher comforts and refine
| ments on the march of civilization
than any one thing, and hence is an
important factor. Dean Swift once
said; You may judge of what God
thinks of people by the way He gives
them money God gave to Abraham,
Boaz, Isaac, David and others, and in
his time, Washington was considered
rich man." Turning his thoughts
again to the text, the preacher said
that the words as found in Timothy's
letter from the great Apostle were in
reference to the passion and love of
money, and then he went on to say
that money, many times, has been a
safeguard in the hour of need. You
may get along without books, wine,
real estate, but every one must have
money. Moreover it buys great
many things it never ought to buy.
1t buys friends, wives, politicians,
preachers-such as they are: What
wonder it comes to have Fictitious
value. There are certain special dan
gers connected with money. 1t tends
to pass beyond it's uses and be loved
for itself. Other passions are for
present enjoyment, but money is loved
for itself. Who ever heard of men
storing corn and grain to look at? In
the hands of a money lover they are
speedily turned into the greatest
money value, and the money stored
away to grow upon itself. This is no
less than idolatry. 1t comes to COM
pete with God for our affections.
Men come to trust in that and so con-
sciously or not to deny Gods provi-.
dence. Because of this it is seldom
that very rich christians are very pious
christians. There are notable excep-
tions, as has been mentioned. The
rule is the other way 1t is not true
as general thing that as christians
are prospered their piety grows. There
must be special dangers in prosperity.
An invidious independence of ones
fellows often supervenes. Sometimes
men adopt the despictable belief in
the universal purchasability of men
and women. This is the end: for
when virtue, and honor, and heroism,
and disinterested friendship are blot
ted out what better is the world than
a stable, and how can one continue to
believe in a God presiding over such
world? Moreover it is the most indy
ing of human passions. Others wane
to their death! this wakes greater and
greater until it may consume the soul
itself. / need not enlarge upon the
crimes that money begets. What is
back of the saloons, the brothels, the
infamous play houses and gambling
bells but greed of money! 1t should
alarm us that it tends to destroy fine
ideals. The tendency of the mass is
to become satisfied with money itself,
or it's lowest uses. Why is it that SO
few of our young men of means are
training themselves for intellectual
pursuits? They are not buying the
best things with their money. A
writer in the current North Anera-
can Reuieao denies that Americans
are money-lovers. They may not be
misery: but the mad rush after money
whether to keep or spend, is covetous-
ness according to the scriptures. So
insidious is it that few are aware of
the passion. Xarier testifies that of
the thousands who had confessed to
him not one had owned to covetous-
ness
| warn you then against the most
universal passion of the age. The
very excellencies of money, it's neces-
sity, its connection with commerce
and art, its furtherance of refinement
and even of religion, make it pecul-
lar snare. They that aUill be. rich fall
into temptation and snare and into
many foolish and hurtful lusts which
drown men in destruction and perdi-
tion. Let us not be deceived; it is not
matter Of amount. Many man
sells his soul for few hundreds. 1t
is not the rich alone who are in dan
ger. 1t is the money-lover. We must
then guard against this passion by
developing the things that are more
excellent. The money passion with
all allowances is among the lowest of
tastes. Nobody owns upto it,. Keep
1890 a y, Il n MI ,.;<rl, ",