Things to be Considered.
By Editor
THERE are not a few who have much of this world's goods, and who profess the present truth, who have yet to learn what it is to sacrifice for the cause of God. Such seem to think that if they barely pay the price of their own paper, and hand a few dollars to preachers, they have done all their duty, and are then at perfect liberty to heap up all that they can amass. Such may not be just their thoughts, but it is precisely what they do. They profess to believe that the day of God's wrath hasteth greatly, when the rich men will throw their gold and silver in the streets, and yet, instead of seeking to expend it in getting the truth before perishing men, they hoard it up against the day of wrath. It seems painful to speak on this point, yet we dare not refrain. Can such believe the present truth? How full of meaning was that expression of our Lord, "the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word and he becometh unfruitful." How can the spell which holds such be broken? We invite their attention to the following scriptures:— "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. For the love of money is the root of all evil." 1 Tim. vi, 9, 10. "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal." Matt. vi, 19, 20. "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." Matt. xix, 23, 24. "They shall cast their silver into the streets, and their gold shall not be removed; their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord." Eze. vii, 19. "In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; to go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory149of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.” Isa. ii, 20, 21. Shall not such pointed testimonies as the foregoing be heeded? Listen for a moment to some of their statements. They solemnly warn men of the snare of riches. And that in the day of God’s wrath men will cast the gold and silver that has been their ruin, into the streets. They point out also the remedy. Instead of heaping up a treasure which is never secure to you, and which on our Lord’s own testimony will, in all probability, be the ruin of your souls, these scriptures exhort you to lay up your treasure in heaven where it will be for ever secure to you. And what is more reasonable than this? If you expect to remove to the paradise of God will it not be a very natural thing for you to transfer your treasure thither that when you reach that place of blessedness you may find all your treasure there? You profess to believe that the day of wrath is at hand when the fearful scenes described in some of the above texts will transpire. You have the means to aid greatly in warning the world of its rapid approach. Now which course will you adopt; sacrifice of your means to aid in getting the truth before men, and thus lay up a treasure in the kingdom of God, or will you retain your grasp on all your worldly possessions until the day of God’s wrath causes you to cast your gold into the streets? Again there are others who have little of this world, who nevertheless can find means for many needless expenditures, while they are too poor to do anything for the cause of God. Such seem to forget that with self-denial they also would find it in their power to do something in behalf of the suffering cause of truth. We quote one or two texts on this point: "Then said Jesus, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." Matt. xvi, 24. "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever will lose his life for my sake the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?” Luke ix, 23–25.