Prosperity and Intellectuality

Prosperity and Intellectuality

Prosperity and Intellectuality.—The prosperous ages of the world, the ages when commerce flourished most, when greed filled its granaries with gold, have not developed the strong characters. Some of the greatest the world has known have been of men and women who have been forced to dig and do. There are but few who will voluntarily deny self, and abjure wealth and ease, sufficiently to form the basis of a strong character. It is much easier to drift with the current. A guide pointed out Chief Justice Fuller to a party he was showing through Washington. “Why, he does not look great,” remarked one. “How small he is,” said another. “How did he get to be so high?” asked another. “Because he went deep,” responded the guide. There was a wonderful truth in the remark. The character that lays its foundation deep can go high. Truly Jesus said that those who heard and did His words were like a man who, in building his house, “digged deep” and laid his “foundation on the rock.” That house could withstand flood and storm and wind. Luke 6:47, 48. God can exalt the man who is humble. He who properly denies the lower propensities of his nature has a good foundation for building the higher. Fullness of material things fosters stagnation, sloth, and brutality.