The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-02-08
NOWHERE DOES GOD
CONDEMN RICHES
Men Who Do Are Among Those
Who Have Failed to Obtain 1t,
Says the Rev. r. M. West.


"You can't find anything in Gods
word, from beginning to end in con-
demnation of riches, as riches.
I'VE may say what we please, the
desire for riches is a common human
desire, and it is no" altogether repre-
hensible. THERE'S scarcely a man in
any walk of life who has not the de-
sire for riches. Many of the men who
condemn wealth in the most uncom-
promising terms are among those who
have failed In their efforts to obtain
it, and if they could have their own
way they would be multi millionaires.
This declaration was made by
Rev. r. NJ. West, pastor of the First
Baptist church, in his lecture yester-
day afternoon at the Y. NJ. C. A.; but
it was qualified by the following:
But there is much in condemnation
of many of the uses to which wealth
is put and many of the methods by
which it is obtained"
The subject of DR.. Vests sermon
was "The Noblest- Of rA1i- Human De-
sires," by (which title he designated
the desire to be right. - He said in
part: -S ~----
IF it possible to obliterate all
desire, there would be absolutely
nothing left to human life. Desire
has great, almost a boundless realm;
and there are many different kinds of
desire.
Then there is the desire for pleas
ure, the desire for learning, and the
desire to be iIlustrious and in favor
with our fellow men. The desire to be
in favor is, 1 may say, universal; l
cannot conceive a man so Indifferent
to public opinion that he does not
want to be in favor.
"But the noblest OF aH-~human de-
sires-and- it is also common to man
kinds the desire to be right. Every
one of us, deep down IN" his heart, has
the desire to do the right thing. 1t is
this desire which we should give the
right of way over all others, and when
we find that the others would clash
with it We should abandon them. He
who has nothing but clean con-
science is in a nobler state than he
who has everything else but a clean
conscience.
Il do not say to you that you should
resolve never to acquire riches, never
to have any pleasures, never to
achieve distinguished position among
your fellow men, or never to be pop
ular. [ will say to you frankly that
if you We're to adopt that policy you
would make utter failures of your
lives. That is not Christianity; it is
not Christ. What I do counsel you to
do is to put the desire to be right be-
fore all else, and when you are moved
to do anything that will bring you
profit or will give you pleasure or in
crease your popularity, ask yourself
first if it is right and then govern
yourself accordingly"
Seek God With Single Mind.
In his sermon at the Church of St.
John the Evangelist yesterday morn
ing the Rev. Theodore SedgWick said:
This is the eye of the mind and the
eye of the heart by which men see and
measure the world With the eye of the
mind they are able to follow In the pres
ent day, the hidden processes of life; to
kill dreaded and wasting disease; to tame
and train savage peoples; to construct
vast industries and by the interchange Of
products to create trade which gives en-
ployment and life to millions.
But side by side with the eye of the
mind there is the seyes0f the heart, which
if we are frank and honest, we shall admit
has the clearer XiSionssIt Is the first
sight that IS given to us. 1t IS in human
life what instinct is In animal life. The
eye of the heart is quick to see the values
of human life; with it the poet sees, the
painter paints and genius IS produced.
In the business world the eye of the mind
sees the law of trade supreme; it is the
law of competition. But the eye of the
heart will not let the strong push the
weak to the wall. It reads Gods law
Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself;" ''Thou
Art Thy Brothers Keeper" 1t is this eye
that sees Jesus; with his love, his COM
passion. his mercy. his pity. He says,
let thine eye be single. Seek God with
a single mind, a single heart. God must
come first or he is nowhere.
If We complain that this service is too
limited it shows our limitation of the
God idea. He contains everything in
Himself, who is the whole sum of being.
For the man with the single eye all things
are his, if he is Christ's, as Christ is
Gods.
Mans Advocate at the Throne.