The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-07-03

Brother Number Two said. with my
seconds consent / viii withdraw my
motion" The second consented, the
motion was Withdrawn, and Aunt
Polly never knew how near she came
TO being sent to the poor house. She
lived several years longer to be a
blessing to the church One Sunday
morning. not long after that stewards
meeting, Aunt Polly found a nice
cushioned rocking chair in the place
Of the one she had occupied so long.
II was worth a whole weeks protract-
ed meeting to that congregation to
witness the expression of delight on
her face when told that the chair was
a gift from the board of Stewards
that each one had paid a dollar to
secure it. And | should not fail to say
that from that morning the preach
err dated a new and better condition
of things in his church. The question
was settled, with every thinking mem
Der of that congregation, that happi-
ness is the result of loving the neigh
Dor, and being willing to divide bread
With the poor.
No, ii does not take much of this
worlds goods to make one happy, but
it is true, as Paul states it: They
that will be rich fall into temptation
and q snare, and into many foolish
and hurtful lusts, which drown men
in destruction and perdition.''
And what is truer than PauPs com
ment on that statement, to-Wit: For
the love of money is the root of all
evil which while some coveted after,
they have erred from the faith and
pierced themselves through with many
sorrows."
Yes, the love of money will make
men err from the faith, every time. No
exceptions to that rule. No man can
serve two masters. Yc cannot serve
Gcd and mammon. AS soon as man
begins to make a god of money he be-
gins to backslide. / know men, Ct
might truthfuily say scores of men),
who once enjoyed religion, felt an in
terest in the welfare of the church,
gave literally to the support of the
ministry, loved to hear preaching and
took delight in the worship of God, on
the Sabbath. who, today, are skeptics,
and, seemingly, care nothing for the
church or for God. They have in the
language of Paul. erred from the
faith and instead of being ham,
they have pierced themselves through
with many sorrows" When men
swap off their religion, their faith in
God, for the pleasures of wealth. they
make q mistake that is far-reaching;
for the Apostle says: ''T1ey fall into
many foolish and hurtful lusts which
drown men in destruction and perdi-
ton
Millionaires, doubtless, get some
pleasure out of the fact that they can
do as they please with politicians;
shape legislation, control prices, mani
pulate stocks, wreck railroads and
other corporations, and lord it, gener-
ally, over the toiling masses; but, it is
true all the same-that God will
aVenge the oppressed, as he did
Naboth whose vineyard was taken
from him by Ahab. The sin Of this
day is the love of money Some Will
forfeit the good opinion of men, prove
traitors to their own people, and OPP
press those who trusted and honored
them, and even betray into the hands
Of enemies their blood kin, for the
sake of making themselves rich
l will not assume to say that such
men will lose their souls; but | have
scripture for saying that. at is easier
for q camel to go through the eye of
a needle than for a rich man to enter
into the Kingdom of Heaven Jesus
said that; therefore, it's authoritative.
| don't blame millionaires, who have
made their money by depressing the
poor for giving to colleges, Libraries,
asylumS and other enterprises. They
had better unload. Pulled uD as they
are, it will be impossible for them to
get in at the gate. / am glad mill
lionaires can't monopoliZe heaven l
am glad that when they leave this
world their money will give them
no advantage over the poor; that be-
fore the throne there viii be no class
es nor distinctions. because Of what
men had in this world: but. forgetting
the vanities of time, the blood washed
throng will forever adore the Lamb
of God who died to redGcm a world
from under the curse of broken law.
Yes, if you have flowers to give, let
the living have some of them, rather
than keep them all for the dead who
cannot appreciate them; and, if you
can say anything good of a man, say
it while he is living, so that he may
enjoy it, and be stimulated to the
performance of still nobler needs.