Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1912-08-31

large and attentive
audience. He spoke twice. We report
his discourse from St Luke xii. 81:
$50 is he that layeth up treasure for
himself, and is not rich toward God"
After calling attention to the fact
that there never was such day Al
ours for the accumulation OF wealth.
Pastor Russell declared that the wealth
itself was not condemned by our Lord,
but the love of it: 1.-THE love OF money
Is a root of all evil" Nor should He
be understood to be a denouncer OF
wealth and the wealthy. The outpour
of Divine favor in the multiplying in
ventions of our day had poured wealth
into the lap OF some out of all proper
ton to their covetousness. Indeed,
some of the most covetous people the
Pastor knew were poor people who
seemed anxious to get rich that
their overstraining led them into nu-
-merous financial pitfalls and kept them
poor The happiest people In the
world. he said. are those who have
..godIiness with contentment-great
gain" These are rich toward God. for
they possess what money cannot pur-
chase-contentment and the peace or
God.
Many such people. with heavily mort
gagged properties. come to me under the
supposition that l am rich. Indeed,
am told that | have the reputation OF
being fabulously rich When at Corinth
1 learned that the report was current
that | was reputed to be a multi
millionaire and that my library alone
was worth millions Servants and por-
ters, of course, expected tips to CORE
spond with that reputation and I was
compelled to seem ungenerous.
Indeed. l learned that even in Amer
lea l am credited with being very rich.
If other peoples books sell for one or
two dollars per volume and mine are
sold by the Bible Students Society for
one-sixth the price, In order to put
them into the hands of the people, it is
surmised that l must reap a royalty
of millions, whereas receive nothing.
1 do not mind telling you, my fellow
Bib.e-Students. that long years ago |
took the advice that Jesus gave in our
context l recognized the trif1e of
wealth in my possession as steward
ship, the proper use of which In Gods
service might make me rich toward
God l invested all that 1 had in His
service and spent it all long ago. l be-
came spender instead of an accumu-
Iator of money. Others, perceiving my
ability as a spender. have since been
putting into my hands for similar use
such of their consecrated means as
they desired SO to use.
In proportion as the money has come
in it has gone out in the service of
Gods Word. in the service of those
hungering and thirsting after the
hn fc fc fvn rtr
In every direction. We never lack. We
never solicit Our experience is more
or less contagious. Many others are
learning to be rich toward God by not
holding too tightly to earthly riches.
$50 to, Now, We Rich Men,"
st. James. by Divine inspiration. Mt
tered a word of warning to the rich of
our day. No longer do the rich add
barn to barn That is too slow way.
Now they add bond to bond and bank
to bank. With many of them, money
grabbing has become a disease They
are to be pitied Accustomed to the
battlings of trade they have no other
pleasure in life. few of them turn
pleasure-hunters. but, alas. they rare
" are pleasure-fnders. for he who
seeks to please himself rarely succeeds.
shall not address this audience as
wealthy and urge you to spend all sur
plus wealth and spend it rapidly in
the service of God. in the service of hui
manity. before 1T takes wings, before
it becomes a canker.
Why not? Because I shall assume
that as true Bible Students you have
not great wealth to dispose of. I
would assume that either like myself
you have disposed of your steward
ship. or that you were perhaps blessed
by never possessing more than a COM
potency. I would. however, urge upon
you the general principle of our Lords
teaching. that the possession OF money
IN any amount mere than meets our
necessities is stewardship, and that
each has a responsibility toward the.
Lord for the use of such talent,
whether large or small.
To each one Of the Lords covenant
ed Household found faithful He will
say. well done. good and faithful
servant: thou hast been faithful over
a few things. I VIII make thee ruler
over many things: enter thou into the
Joy OF thy Lord"-fnto the Kingdom |
which shortly Is to bless and uplift the
world Of mankind