Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from evil, that it not be to my sorrow! God granted him that which he requested.
So universal is the desire to gain wealth, that we could almost say it is a natural instinct. How many have thought that if they only possessed wealth that they would be very blessed! But there are ten thousand proofs that happiness does not consist in the abundance of man’s possessions. So many instances are so well known to all of us, that I need not quote any to show that riches are not a true blessing. They only appear to be a blessing, and in reality are not. Therefore, it has been well said, that when we see how much a man has we envy him; but if we could only see how little he enjoys that wealth we would pity him. Some that have had the easiest circumstances in life also have had the most troubled minds. Those who have acquired all they could ever wish for have been led by the possession of what they had to be discontented because they didn’t have more.
