The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-11-17
MAMMON OR COVETEOUSNESS
SIN OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH

depravity; every sin is a modification OF
it. Avarice is selfishness grasplng and
boarding; prodigality, selfshness dec
Grating and INDUCING itself; sloth is
that god asleep; idolatry. that goa en-
shrined; sensuality is selfishness graft
flying itself without restraint; egotism
is selhshness speaking; crime is selfish
ness without its mask, in earnest and
acting 1t must be obvious, then, that
the great want Of fallen humanity is a
specific against selfishness. The remedy
that would leave this want unprovided
for, whatever might be its other recon-
mendations, would be leaving the seat
and core of our disease untouched. 1t
would be easy to show that the gospel
treats it as the very root of-our deprav-
ity, and addresses itself directly to the
task of its destruction.
1T is the glory Of the gospel that it
was calculated and arranged on the
principal of restoring to the world the
lost spirit of benevolence. God so loved
the world that he gave his only begot-
ten Son. Jesus Christ came into the
world as the embodied love of God. He
went about doing good. Opening his
arms, he invited all to come to Him.
The whole of His course was history
Of pure and disinterested benevolence.
When first the gospel commenced its
career, it triumphed in every place. No
form of selhshness could stand before
1t. And all believed were together, and
had all things in common, and sold
their possessions and goods, and parted
them to all men, as every man had
need. The love Of Christ constrained
them. His last command was constant
ly sounding in their ears. They felt the
dignity and glory of their position. The
world was taken by surprise. Never be-
fore it had beheld such men; everything
gave way before them, city after city,
and province after province capitulated.
Yet the whole secret of their power was
love. A fire had been kindled in the
earth, which consumed the selhshness
of men wherever it came.
I'VE lift our eyes from the picture,
the pleasing vision has fed, selfshness
is everywhere rife and rampant. We
contemplate things as they are, and the
contrast appals us. More than 1900
years have elapsed since the gospel was
first brought into operation; has its de-
sign succeeded? Succeeded Alas! the
Question seems taunt, a mockery; and
we ask the question slowly and solemn
ly, What has prevented the gospel from
fulfilling its first promise, and from
completely taking effect? The only ad
equate explanation of this appalling
fact is, that selfishDess has become the
prevailing sin of the church. From the
ardor of its first love, by an awful
transition, il has become a monstrous
personificatiOn of an all-grasping sell
fishness. from which the world itself
might derive hints and lessons on the
art of f-aggrandisement. Selhshness
like Satan takes all shapes that serve
It dark designs; one Of the most fire.
quent is that Of party spirit, or the sell
fishness Of the sect. The points of diff
| ference between the sects. FOR the most
part, are Of much less Importance than
those in which they agree. There is ey-
erything In their principles of agree
ment to produce and perpetuate sub