The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-10-21


of Gods word, it is his duty to do so
and to accept the truth, and the rejec.
tion Of the truth will involve him in
controversy with his God You say that
there have always been rich men So
say there have in every age and nation
been bad men, wicked men, thieves.
etc. You say Abraham was rich, and he
was good man, 1.-THE father of the
faithful" So Abraham had more than
one wife. Is polygamy right? You say,
Solomon was rich, and he was good
man.. Hold Solomon went astray aft
er strange gods. He had vast mum ber
of wives and concubines. and in the end
his sun of life set behind dark, fearful
clouds.
But Job certainly was q good man
and was richer than any of the "kings
OF the east" answer that there is no
evidence that Job ever saw a piece of
coined money in his life. He had flocks
and herds. and as he was chief or
king and had \ vast number of servants
and subjects to provide for. he needed
his wealth for this purpose. He was
rich just in the same sense as "Uncle
Sam is rich. and by referring to the
thirtieth chapter of the Book of Job,
the reader will see that he used it to
supply the wants Of the needy The
Bible is a true history 1t gives facts
1t doesn t whitewash any of it's heroes,
either living or dead If they happened
to be rich, 1t gives the fact. If they
committed adultery or murder or acts
OF idolatry or any other crime, it
was recorded as fact of history impair
tally But the Bible is also book con
tanning laws for the government of men
God is no respecter of persons One man
as much as another is under obligation
to obey Go'i's laws Some great and
perhaps good men in that dark low state
OF civilization and knowledge had more
wives than one. but Gods law, enunci.
ated by Moses. was, thou shalt not
multiply to thyself wives The man
that had one wife and took another vio-
lated this law So. in studying to find
out what the law of God is, we must
not confound history with or for law.
and we must make Il note of the time
or amount Of light in the world The
human race bad to be educated from
the A 3 & Of knowledge, through long
ages up to the time when life and im-
mortality were brought to light in the
gospel We are informed by Paul that
God "winked at" some tbiugs-tbat is,
he made allowance for them III conse
Gu"nce OF the tines of ignorance So, if
some good men were slavchul,lers and
polvgamists aud got drunk at that bar.
tarous age Of the world aud were rich.
too, 1t Gees not necessarily follow that
good men can do any one or ell If these
things new. under tie tull blaze of
Chrl :tiaultv
What. then, is the law OF pronerty or
wealth? The Great Teas IL salt "l.ay
net up treasures on earth Can any
man become rich without v,.lat,n?
these plain words CT the Master: ii yon
tE1Lk 20, please tell me how The Mas
ter SAID. lit is "a.ler fer Il cuuul to 20
through the eye Of IL needle THAN for a
rich nGn to enter into tie kluudcn If
heaven ard lhe disciples we're aston
lshtn and said. 'Who. then. can tt
saHed: Cle evangelist says "Inty
"ele esceeCln' ly amazed - But ycu
Say tile neeule' 8 eye was ltlle cate
by he side Cf the large gate thrnrpn
which Il came! could squeeze himself lv
b2ru pushing WHEN bis lnad was take,
Dir l think DR. Adam Clark says this
tut, unfortunately for TIE doctor :
tbcory, the little gate was uIl made /, r
over 3CO years after tLese wcrGs were
spoken
But what did 7he Master mean? He
meant exactly what he sald-viz, il il
I'M mpossltle, as much Impossible for a
'lch man to enter the kingdom Ct Leav
eh Is for camel to 60 through the eve
u tie camblic needle that a lady uses
II her fingers when she sews That is
exactly wLat is meant. If he had meant
little gate th0re familiar to the disci-
oles. through which they had seen cam
sls squeeze, would they have Teen sex
'eedlngly amazed or astonished beyond
MEASURE" No, they would not But
When he said, 1T is in. possible for
'lch man to enter into the kingdom Of
'eaven, their astonishment was great
md they said. "Who. then, can be-
aveG?''
But the Master said, with God all
hlnes '~e possible" Did be contradict
what he bad said? Certainly not Eut
ou say he meant all those "who trust
u r1ches-whose hearts or affections
re placed on riches" Very we'll, / &C.
ept the amendment But if a man
olds unto and keeps his riches in this
!orld' where there are so much poverty,
1stress. suffering and want, it is GER
ain that his heart is set on bis wealth.
nd thas he does not Glove his neigh
or AS himself, " Whose having this