DON'T CURSE YOUR CHILDREN WITH MONEY by Dudley Marvin Canright

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 12, 1877

DON'T CURSE YOUR CHILDREN WITH MONEY.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

Who are the well-to-do men of this generation? Who are the industrious, useful citizens who have homes, and are out of debt? Who are the teachers and business men, and persons filling honorable offices in our nation to-day? With few exceptions, they are children of poor men of the former generation. Look around you a little, and see if this is not the truth. It will be seen that property changes families every succeeding generation. The sons and daughters of the wealthy men of the last generation have become the bankrupt, broken-down, ruined, and poverty-stricken old men of this generation, while the sons and daughters of the poor men of the last generation are now the intelligent, industrious, well-to-do, and even rich persons of this generation. There are a few exceptions, to be sure; but this is the general rule. Observe, and see if this is not so. I have noticed it myself, and have often heard others remark the same.

This is not astonishing. Indeed, it is a natural consequence from the conditions in the case. Here is a boy growing up. His parents are in easy circumstances, or, perhaps, wealthy. He is always provided with a good home, plenty to eat, good clothes, and lots of presents. He comes to look upon himself as a privileged character. He takes these blessings as a matter of course. As he grows up, he feels that he is not compelled to deny himself, to use strict economy, and to work hard, as poor boys have to do; hence he falls into the habit of always getting whatever he wants, spending money freely, and allowing himself to idle away much of his time. Moreover, he is constantly saying to himself that if he does not earn so much money himself, when he becomes of age his father will help him, and when father dies he will have a good property any way without working for it. Habits of idleness and luxury are formed, and he grows up without knowing how to economize closely. He does not learn to lean upon himself and make his own living.

Now it often happens in such cases that when a man comes into possession of property, he does not know how to take care of it. It slips through his fingers, here a little and there a little. Bad moves are made, poor trades are entered into, and the first he knows, he is a poor man, perhaps now in the middle of life. Now it is too late to form habits, and learn what he might have learned when he was a boy. The consequence is, he has to eat at a poor man's table the remainder of his life. But worse than this, how frequently it is the case that children of wealthy parents learn to look forward with some interest to the death of “the old man,” when they shall have the property for themselves! The sooner that event occurs the better they like it; and if there are several children, there is quite certain to be hard feelings, wrangling, and quarreling, over the property as soon as the father is dead. He cannot please them all, and often pleases none of them. They curse him in their hearts, and soon squander what he left them.

I can call up case after case which I have known myself where property left in this manner has been a very great curse to the children. Brethren, you know that this is so. You see many illustrations of it all around you. You talk about it yourself, and tell how foolish it is; yet a good many of you are doing this very thing.

I can go from church to church, and find brethren who already have more than enough to keep them comfortable the remainder of their lives, and yet these men are practicing the most rigid economy. They dress very plainly, cut down their expenses everywhere they can, and work very hard all the time. They are so anxious about their affairs that they cannot take proper time for the worship of God. They are so tired with the week's work, are so tied at home with worldly cares, that they can hardly get to the Sabbath meeting. As to the prayer-meetings, they cannot possibly find time to attend them; and often family worship is dropped because they are so hurried that they have not time to attend to it. Secret prayer is neglected almost entirely, the word of God is read but very little, and their thoughts are on these worldly things. They have children. For them they are saving their few thousand dollars. In many cases, these very children are growing up selfish, proud, and worldly, and even disobedient. By and by they will be anxious for their parents to die, that they may step into their shoes; and they will curse them then because they did not leave them more.

Are you acting wisely in this matter? If you stop and think soberly, your conscience and better judgment will convict you of taking a foolish course.

Of course, it is a man's duty to help his children to a reasonable extent. His first duty is to bring them up to be industrious and to work for themselves. Then give them a good, thorough education. His duty is then largely done, so far as the world is concerned. If you ever intend to help them, when they start in business or commence housekeeping is the best time to do it. While you are alive and with them, and can give them good advice and see how they practice it, is the time to do for them nearly all you ever expect to do. Don't calculate to leave a large sum for them when you are dead. Better leave it to the cause of God; or rather, and this is really the only safe and sensible plan, you had better donate to the cause of God, with your own hand, while alive, a good share of what you ever expect to do for it.

My brother, don't keep several thousand dollars, to be turned over to the cause, all in a lump, when you cannot hold it any longer. It may go where you want it to, and it may not; besides, you lose the satisfaction of seeing it do good while you live. How much better to slice off a little every year, and put it in now, while the cause needs it so badly. Suppose your property is cut down a little? Your years are also becoming very short. Is there any sense in a couple sixty-five or seventy years of age hoarding up from five to ten thousand dollars, to be kept until they die? They never will use all that, nor scarcely the interest on it. How much better it would be to wear it down a little every year by giving liberally to the cause!

Come, brethren and sisters, do not let the love of money blind your eyes in this matter. How can you read the solemn warnings in the Bible with regard to covetousness, and never take them to yourself? How can you read the solemn appeals for means to help the cause, and never have them move your benevolence? It is time that many in the State of New York awoke upon this point. I know of some in other States who need the same advice; but this is particularly applicable in New York. There is a large number of aged brethren and sisters here who are worth their thousands, from whom I see no contributions to any branch of the cause, or, at least, none to amount to anything. Perhaps five or ten dollars, here and there, three or four times a year, is about the extent of what they give, and even this comes like pulling teeth. Brethren, if the cause of God is to be revived in this Conference, you must do your duty. While you pray, season your prayers with your free-will offerings. Brother or sister, you who are reading this article, don't say that it does not mean me. All might say that, and then I should lose my labor. D. M. CANRIGHT.