The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1903-06-12
CHRISTI ENDEAvoR.

Topic For the Week Beginning June
14--Comment by Rev. s. III. Doyle.
Topic.-Gold or God.--Luke xviii $780,
In the sermon on the mount Jesus
said, mo man can serve two masters
for either he will hate the one and
love the other or else he will hold to the
one and despise the other Ye cannot
serve God and Mammon" In these
words the Master clearly lays down the
principle that it is absolutely impossi-
Bile for any one to have two supreme
aims in life. This principle is one the
force of which is easily recognized
First place in the heart and life cannot
be given to two objects. Only one thing
can be supreme, and all else will re-
volve around it. This principle applies
to God and money. 1t is absolutely
impossible to give the supreme place
to both God and money. Many would
like to do it, and many have tried to do
it, but it cannot be done. Of this fact
we have an illustration in the rich
young ruler who came to Christ "God
and gold" had been the desire of his
life, but Christ soon convinced him
that it must be God or gold. Both can
not have the supreme place, and all
must therefore choose between them.
Since it cannot be God and gold, but
must be God or gold, there should be
no question as to which should be Civ
en- the first place. Money is not to be
despised. Its possession is not to be
lightly esteemed. Honestly obtained
and properly used. it is and can be a
great blessing, but to make money SUI
preme and everything else secondary,
to make it the master and everything
else the servant, is a false and disas-
trous basis of life. God should always
be given the first place and everything
else in life made secondary to Him.
Yet, alas, how many turn from God
and worship the golden calf, as the Is
raelites in the wilderness! To how
many money is everything, although
they may not realize it! 1t was so with
the rich young ruler. Little did he i'm
agine perhaps what hold his riches
had upon him until Christ put him to
luS I6SI. 1Iu6, Ac lCLl ShlAoL SOlIOW-
full" and yet he left Him. He had tried
to keep the commandments and had
been unusually successful, and yet at
one stroke Christ had revealed the fact
that deep down in his heart the su-
preme place was given not to God,
but to gold. And, although it is sor-
rowful, yet it is true, that with thou
sands of people this is still the case to-
day.
"Gold is king today as never before.
An insatiate desire for riches and an
inordinate love of money have existed
in the past, with blighting conse-
quences, but never perhaps in the
worlds history has money been such a
supreme master as today. To get rich
seems to be the chief end of mans ex-
istence. And to do so quickly all
scruples are laid aside, honor, justice
and integrity are swept aside and
money possessed is used for the most
dishonorable and debauching purposes.
God Himself seems to be lost sight of
in the wild pursuit for gold, and when
possessed money and not God is wor-
SHIPPED. How truly therefore Christ
spoke when he said: "How hardly shall
they that have riches enter into the
kingdom of God. For it is easier for
a camel to go through a needles eye
than for a rich man to enter into the
kingdom of God" A camel cannot &c
through a needles eye. No more can
one who gives money the supreme
place enter into the kingdom of God
First his heart must be changed, and
this is possible to God. Nor do the
rich include simply those who possess
wealth. We may love money supreme
ly though we do not possess it, and il
is the love of money that displaces God
in the heart and becomes the root of
evil. Let us carefully guard ourselves
against the tendency of our age to
defy gold. Let us give God the first
and supreme place in heart and life
and make money as we'll as everything
else subject to His will.
BIBLE READINGS.
Josh. vii, 1926; II Kings V, 20-27;
Prov i, 9-19; XIV, 27; xii, Il xviii, 20;
Matt vi. 25-34; XVI, 14-16; Acts iv,
32-37; V, Ill; | Tim. vi, o, 10.
Pen Points.