654 THE KING’S BUSINESS but this is not war; it is mere wanton murder, and the devil is the father of all murder. And what is the most recent triumph of chemistry ? Something to glorify God and bless man? Poisonous gases deliberately directed by men of high scientific attainments, university professors, to stifle, poison, tor ture and kill the flower of the youth oil another nation. The most cultured nations of the twentieth century are carrying on war today in a manner that for inhuman, devilish barbarism far exceeds anything the North American Indian or the cruel tyrants of Nineveh or other Eastern monsters, ever dreamed of. A godless culture with all its boasted advancement in science and philosophy has utterly failed. But our hearts need not fail nor fear: THE KING is coming. E ven so, come L ord J esu s .
All wealth belongs to God. Man cannot “create” wealth; he may “amass” it, but he cannot create it. Nor can man “own” wealth: “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord o f .hosts.” Man has
Wealth—Its Use and Abuse.
“rights of property” so far as his fellowman is concerned; he has no such “rights” towards God. God is absolute owner; man is but the steward. Even back of the “getting” is God: “Beware lest thou forget Jehovah thy God . . . when thy silver and thy gold is multiplied . . . lest thou say in thy heart, My power and the might of my hand hath gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember Jehovah thy God, for it is He that giveth thee power to get wealth.” A Christian may consistently “amass” wealth. The more wealth there is in the hands-of Christian men the better for every good cause. Care must be exercised, however, in the making, the holding, and the distribution of it. Two reasons are set forth in the Scriptures for making money: first, for the supply of one’s own needs and of those dependent upon us (1 Tim. 5:8); secondly, for benevolent purposes (Eph. 4:28). The first of these reasons is so clear as to need no comment; the second is not so well under stood, and needs some explanation, for it deals with what may be called the “surplus,” the “abundance of the things which a man possesseth,” the “super fluity,” that which he has over and above what is necessary for his necessi ties. And is it not in the use of this “surplus” that most of us, like the fool in the parable, begin to be foolish and go wrong? Luke’s gospel has been called “The gospel of wealth,” probably because it contains so much of our Lord’s teaching on the use and abuse of wealth. Three parables especially are worthy of attention: “The Rich Fool” (c. 12), “The Unjust Steward” (c. 16), and “The Rich Man and Lazarus” (c. 16). The first shows the utter folly of seeking soul-satisfaction in wealth and the utter imbecility of the hoarding of such treasure in view of the fact of speedy death. We cannot take our wealth with us; we must leave it to others, who, knowing not its value, not having earned it, will doubtless waste it (Eccles. 5:13-20; 6:1, 2). This is folly and vanity. The second, “The Unjust Steward,” shows the use and abuse of trust funds. Wealth is a trust committed to us by God for the use of which we must give account. The “abuse” here consisted of using wealth for selfish purposes, for oneself instead of the owner’s interests. The “use” commended
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