Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-27
Qngoolp Riches.
Gilbert Secretary Of the Am
Society Of Religious Education


INTO TEMPTATION.-I Tim, vie.
is daily diminishing In all the nobler ele.
ments and increasing in those elements
that are prejudicial to his highest welfare
Of this he is not aware. The degenera.
ton goes on SO slowly that he is not con.
some event may disclose to him the fact
that he is impoverished, untitled to live on
the better side with reference to the high.
est interests of life.
8. The man who is determined to be
rich falls into another temptation, result
ing from the last, but more serious-he
forgets and neglects God and lives conse-
quently without God. This comes by a
twofold process: the injury sustained by
the higher powers, as already mentioned,
renders him incapable of thoughts and
aspirations for the divine. for those very
powers are intended to bring him into re-
lation with the divine. If the eyes were
put out a man could not see. So if the
spiritual vision is enfeebled divine things
cannot be seen. Furthermore, by the all
absorbing pursuit of gain one contracts a
habit that is unfavorable to any pursuit
that regards God and divine things.
4. He who is determined to be rich OBJ
tans diminished regard for men. He
is disposed to think of them only as serv-
ants to do his will, as instruments in
the prosecution of his business. He esti-
mates them by their earning capacity, the
earning being for him. The whole sub
ject of wages is likely to rest on the same
basis. He pays only so much as ! Jst.
He buys labor as he buys raw /. al.
Now all this reacts upon the man seeking
riches. He who has killed the Godward
instincts is now destroying the MAYNARD
tendencies, severing the ties that bind him
to other men, drying up the fountains Of
sympathetic regard for men.
5. 1t must appear to all that what has
been thus far enumerated-the exaltation
of the material over the spiritual, the I'M
due development of the lower nature and
regard of God and the low estimate Of
man-these influences working all at one
time, will draw after them many evils
even beyond the power of human speech
to describe. The man will sink constantly
in the scale of being and lose the regard
of his fellow men. 1t may transpire that
he will be considered an enemy of the
public welfare, and that he will be treated
with contempt by some. If such results
follow he may know that he has received
the just reward of his endeavor to get rich
ness or usefulness. He reaps only what
he has sown.
Increasing emphasis may be laid upon
the foregoing by the fact that the get
rich craze now so widespread in this coun-
try has produced a class of individuals
who associate together and develop still
further the ruinous spirit described here
in. The individuals of that class tempt
others from the humber and gentler
walks of life into the same destructive
methods. There has come in this way
general public scramble for money, to the
injury of the public morals and peace
The power to purchase luxuries and make
a display has been sought as the chief
good.
There is but one corrective for these
evils. Men must think themselves more
important than their property. They must
not sacrifice themselves for property. In
all their efforts for gain they must be
governed by those motives that make
lofty character. mans life CONSISTENT
not in the abundance of the things he
possesseth," but in the inward qualities
of truth, justice and love. He who wills
to be rich becomes spiritually poor. He
who wills to be spiritually rich cannot
be poor