The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-08-10
13 H9,Ej1C13E331il 1l;l9[;(S

fortune hunters is quite different and
carries with it both dangers and trans
gression. To be covetous of riches
violently antagonists the very spirit
/ Of the Word Of God and brings with
destructive to the very name Of true
religion and piety and makes the
Christian profession a bye word and
a ~reprOach. h is an age of money
seeking, and to be rich in the things
Of this world is regarded as the acme
and end of all that is desirable and
glorious. He is the rich man who
is invited and lauded and initiated.
But is that right? Is it a blessed
thing to pile up millions and to be
regarded as the chief thing Of this life?
Some Of the greatest ministers OF the
Gospel were content with but little
Of this worlds goods n worship.
The illustriCus Charles Surgeon
died leaving less than $4,000 when he
could a left $500, 0O0 or more if he
had SO desired. But he was a gen
uine disciple of the Great and Holy One
who inhabiteth eternity. The emf
nent Cardinal Canning, one Of the very
greatest OF Roman Catholic divines
and Of wide fame. died worth in
property or dollars and cents scarcely
anything. John Wesley, one Of the
greatest Englishmen in all English his
tory, made hundreds Of thousands Of
dollars and died worth a few silver
spoons and something else Of no mo-
ment or magnitude-all told not
amounting to twenty-five dollars.
But there have been 9TH
ers in the sacred ministry of God
who were very busy in making friends
unto themselves 'of the mammon of
unrighteousness". Verify these also
will receive their reward in due time
whatever that may be. A very emf
tent English poet and genius said
that eff a mar is not rising upward
to be an angel, depend upon it, he is
sinking downward to be a devil. He
cannot stop to be the Beast. Who
said that? An Englishman of the
last century-Samuel sTaylor Cole
ridge. Another English author not
so great but wise said: "Men will
wrangle for religion; write for it;
fight for it: die for it; anything but
live for it," Do not sell your soul
for riches. Do not play the fool.
SOME Of the critics in the past have
expended time in essaying to trace
some Of the sources Of the great
Tennyson's poetry. Seeing this some
time g I then mentioned tina 9TH
ers have sought to show how Shakes
peare, the supreme, and John Milton,
beyond doubt next to Shakespeare
among all English poets. and as I
hold the very greatest of all modern
poets, except perhaps Dante, and
Robert Burns, the trueSt of Scotch
poets, and many other truly inspired
poets were indebted to the ancients
as we'll as to poets OF a later time for
the suggestions and sources of in
spiration. In all ages h same kinds
Of criticism have more or less pre-
vailed. It was SO rel in the time
of h great Greek poets, when Aes-
chylus n Euripides, and Sophocles
and others Of the truest singers and
most highly inspired charmed with
the suberb finish and lofty inspira-
ton Of their wonderful verse. Such
criticism is not new but truly ancient.
1t is no new thing in any age OF coun-
try to meet with just such critical
deliverances in order to detract from
genius.
Probably no really great poet ever
escaped such jealous and unsound
dgmen It is certain tina no truly
great poetlcal genius ever borrowed
transmitting the thought into
finer and more precious gold. Tenny-
son did not escape and hence was no
to a widely extended rule
OF nsinuatio If you will read his
LIE written by his one surviving son,
the present Lord ~Tennyson, a schol-
ardy, careful critic and biographer
who has given the world a sample Oh
admirable and sympathetic work of
delightful taste, in the life Of his il
lustrious father, the great poet him
self, in some letters to friends. refer
red to the then passing criticism
his own supposed indebtedness
10 great poets, who had preceded him.