The Washington herald., 1907-11-04

Right Rev Bishop Satterlee preached
on God or MammOn" at the Pro
Cathedral, the Church of the Ascension.
yesterday morning. The keynote through
out the discourse was ''Ye cannot serve
God and money"
Money robs us Of the feeling Of de-
pendence on God" said the bishop. This
IS the danger Of wealth; II Iulls us TO
rest with a sense Of security. In our
cares and our trials, our sicknesses and
dlsappointments. we don't look 10 God
for relief, but to material power Is il
any wonder that when this becomes "A
habit Of mind. religion becomes more and
more an unreality, and that the fame OF
faith smolders in our hearts? The very
repose and freedom from anxiety that
possesses the souls Of those who have
much goods laid up in store is an almost
irresistible temptation TO forget God.
For this reason also we find that, as
rule. the poor are much more open TO
religious influences. and more disposed TO
lie religious life, than the rich The
common saying is that they are COM
PEELED 70 face the trials Of life in a way
that the latter never know The truth IS.
they are compelled 70 face God, and lean
upon God, and exercise "A faith in God
in the commOnest events Of life. TO which
the latter are OfteRumes strangers.
False Sense of Duty.
Wealth also substitutes d false for a
true sense Of duty. It seems that money
is tho power 70 which we are exclusively
looking for security. II is right in the
sight Of God as Of man up TO a certain
point 10 realize the value Of wealth.
Christ taught US that there should be no
waste IN the Kingdom Of God, and money
as a power which may be changed into
almost al other kinds Of power should
be carefully and prudently used.
Danger of substitution Present.
But the danger is always present Of
substituting the means to the end
man becomes so impressed with the val,lc
or money that il loses its relationship IL
other values. The highest use. he thinks.
10 which he can put his gold is not 10
exchange it into those things that viii
keep the religious or intellectual or phys
ical condition Of his brother men. but TO
change IL into more gold. He does not
measure money by a spiritual standard.
but he measures spiritual things and all
otheT things by the money standard.
What is 1t all worth he silently asks
himself, this development Of character.
these charitable efforts, these missionary
ventures great pile OF gold has disap-
peared sustaining them2 What is there
20 show for it all? Is it not from begin
ming 10 end waste Of the substantial for
the Unsubstantial2
Thus the feeling IS engendered that
ones highest duty after all is 10 pro-
tect the power which is Of so much
greater value than any other power. In
place OF ones duty 10 God and 10 his
neighbor, a paramount duty is substi-
tuted, even the duty that one owes 10
money itself. until at last he actually
comes 70 regard II as waste Of time 10
enter into any spiritual exercise or
philanthropic work. 20 listen 10 any call
OF God or man whRh may interfere with
his pecuniary duties.
Wealth substitutes also a false for a
true love. You think as you start out
in life. after YOU have once acquired a
moderate fortune you will spend the
rest Of your days I'm doing good and
II YOU continued 10 be In those coming
days what you are now. but YOU leave
one thing out Of your calculation, and
that is the growing love Of money.
The Generous Giver.
There are. indeed. instances Of men
who have kept on giving out as they laid
UP. and who have thus preserved the
highest. most generous instincts of their
nature fresh and warm. but where. in
the whole course Of your experience, do
you find one who. after having devoted
his life exclusively to the accumulation
Of a fortune. becomes all at once Z. gen
erous giver?
You are saying 20 yourself my friend.
All, If / only had this or that ones
wealth. how much good I could accom-
plish with it But once become yourself
the posSessor Of wealth, and then mark
how all your ideas suddenly change We
can give away other peoples money for
them. but there is something in tie bare
fact of actual possession that alters all
our ideas of life. Not only does a new
sense Of responsibility, unconceived be-
fore, arise in the breast. not only do a
thousand calls for aid, Unheeded before.
greet the ears, but there stands that idea
Of possession. We all know, in one way
or another, its mysterious. startling. over
whelming force. We cannot help loving
we cannot bear 70 part with that which
we actually possess.
Tt Is high time to wake out Of sleep,
for this is an age blended by the spirit Of
cOvetousness- The power in which you
trust cannot purchase for you one spirit
ual blessing: it cannot secure for YOU
immunity from any Of the greater trials
Of life; it cannot buy the Christians faith
and hope and love; il cannot buy the
peace that passeth understanding; il can
not buy nobility of life, or Christ or the
Kingdom Of Heaven"