THE LOVE OF MONEY by W. N. G.

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jul 24, 1901

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 27, No. 30.

THE LOVE OF MONEY.

By W. N. G.

The Scripture says, “The love of money is the ‘root of all evil.’” It does not say that money is evil, or that having money is evil, or that the love of much money is evil; but the “love of money.” The love of money is not only evil, but it is the root of evil, and roots always produce more of their kind. The love of money is not only the root of evil, but it is the root of all evil. A literal rendering: “For the love of money is a root of all the ‘evils.’” How can this be? The solution is not far to seek; for the love of money is covetousness, and covetousness is idolatry. Col. 3:5. Idolatry is ignoring the law of the true God, and the transgression of the law is sin. 1 John 3:4. Money is the representative of the wealth of this world, so the love of money is the love of the world; and “if any man ‘love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.’”

It is for this reason that “they that will be rich ‘fall into temptation and a snare, and into many ‘foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.’” 1 Tim. 6:9. The danger here pointed out is not confined to those who are rich, those who have succeeded in becoming rich. The Word expressly says, “They that will be rich,” or, as in the Revised Version, “desire to be rich.” The love of money, or the desire to be rich, is not a sentiment of the rich alone. Many very poor people are as fully imbued with the ambition to be wealthy as are those who are the most successful. In fact, many have been beggared through an inordinate desire to add a great fortune to a reasonable competence. Their desire to be rich has tempted them to invest a moderate fortune in speculative ventures which utterly failed.

The writer has in mind an acquaintance who, in the early mining days of California, dug from the mines sufficient gold to make him comfortable for life. Starting for his home in the East, he came to San Francisco, where he was obliged to wait several days for a vessel bound for New York. In San Francisco were many temptations and snares in the line of gambling-dens, and speculations of various kinds. The miner looked on the games, and saw some men winning large sums. He was seized with an ardent desire to add to his store of gold. Altho he saw some lose all, he felt sure that he could win. But before the steamer sailed which was to take him home in good financial circumstances, he had lost all. Returning to the mines, he went to work again with pick and shovel. In course of time he was fairly well-to-do once more, and once more he went to San Francisco intending to go home. Again he had to wait some days for a steamer, and again the temptations and snares were set for him. This time he was more than ever certain that he could win a large addition to his wealth. But he failed again, and returned to the mines again to lay the foundation of a worldly competence. Being a third time successful, he started for home; but in San Francisco he simply repeated his former effort to add to his fortune by the short, speculative process, and went down to poverty. Then he lost courage, and never again rose above a mere subsistence, and a very poor one at that. He fell into “many foolish and hurtful lusts” through a love of money.

The love of money is the mother of all the “dens of vice and haunts of crime” that beset the unwary throughout this sin-cursed earth. The love of money is the incentive to all the robbery, all the embezzlement, and every effort to secure more than one’s share of this world’s products. Because one has not the faculty to accumulate money is not evidence that his love of it is any the less. The miser may not love money any more than the spendthrift. Men love money for the pleasure they can get out of it. One finds his pleasure in making a display, another in gratifying his appetite, and another in contemplating his hoardings; yet in each case it is sought for the purpose of consuming it upon the lust.

The love of money is the cause of all the hatred of the rich as well as of all the oppression of the poor and helpless. The rich are not the only oppressors of the poor. Many an innocent child or infirm old person, or easy person of middle age, is made to suffer through the covetousness of others who are far from being rich. It is also true that the love of money is the cause of all the conflicts between capital and labor, between employers and employees; nor is this manifestation by any means confined to either class. The greed of wealthy men often leads them

to adopt means for further gains regardless of the rights of employees or the true interests of customers.

On the other hand, many an employer has been robbed of legitimate profits by the unjust demands of combined employees. To-day many employers are compelled to spend their time and use their capital with less profits than the wages per capita that they are compelled to pay to confederated employees; this, too, when to raise prices would work oppression upon many patrons.

There is a prevailing tendency to censure the great monopolist, the man or corporation that gains sole control of any great enterprise, or particular line of business, thereby taking undue advantage of those who have to use the articles produced or controlled. No doubt the spirit of monopoly is selfish, covetous, extortionate; but the fleshly man is by nature a monopolist, if there be the opportunity. The peanut vendor will as quickly double the price of a bag of peanuts, if perchance he may secure all that are to be had for the time, as the armor-plate maker will raise on his product on securing a monopoly. The consequences of the two transactions differ only in magnitude; the spirit is the same.

The heart is not set right before God by either poverty or riches in the things of this world. Wealth is not merit, neither is poverty a virtue. “The carnal mind is enmity against God,” whether the individual be deemed rich or poor by his fellow-men. When the sinner has given his heart to God, his treasure, be it much or little, is included in the transaction. The love of the world is gone; whatever of its riches is in his hands he holds as a steward of the Master. From that time forth there is equality between the rich and poor. The rich man is “made low,” and the poor man is “exalted.” Both are rich toward God as long as the Spirit of Jesus rules the heart. “Godliness with contentment is great gain.” I Tim. 6:6. “He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” Rom. 8:32.

W. N. G.