l. TlrE PA.a:111uTiow OP 'rRE l!:61"t oP oott>. • Thill Mlpe h&s e Wide: Influence b'ver men. It. \11 not by 11.ny me11.ns confi'fted t~ 'the owners of ~lth. The poor m11.'k:e too much of the hope of gold which they covet, while the rich. overvalul! the,t which ii within tbtlir -gnuip. 'l'he p11.ssion for gold goes mad at the dlgitinge,;. but It is found in !!Ober wRlks of busineB!l life. Let us consider ills ~ources. I. Wide pm-chasing power, Gold is not sought for its glitter. The old miser who dived his bend intll his bage of coios with wild fclec is extinct. The modern gold-worshipper is too wiee,to hoard hi& money uselessly. But whether the money ie s~nt or not it is held •as ·11 potential good. It buys nil vfaible commodities. People ct}me to think that whatever they lrnnt can :i,e had for gold. 2. Materidi,sm, The habit of engrossing one's self witb. earthly tbmgs appears to enlarge the value of gold by bl"t'ting-out of view everything that i~ above the earth. The heavens are lost sight of, and the universe sbriuks into th<' circle oft.he objects th11.t can be procured for money. .i , : . 11. THE FATALlTY OF THE ROPE OF GOLD. The fascination is fatal; it lures to ruin. 1. It lowers the soul,. The worshipper is always being ~simil&ted to his idol. He who adore~ ~old comes to have a h11art that is es hard and 811.rthly as the metal he is enslaved to. Thus ell the finer fo'J)iritual qualities· are erushed and quenched, and a sordid appetite for money dominates the inner man. 2. It encourages selfishness. The hope is for one's self. We see this in the frightfully prevalent vice of gamblingl The infatuated gambler is intoxicated with an excitement the root of which is pUN ;::reed, heartless selfishness. His gains are not productions, adding to the wealth of the world, but simply and solely what ca.n be got out ·of other people's, possessions: His whole proiit is made by the loss of other peopl1l. Gambling: is :the most antis social vice. 3. It leads to crime. Gold is thought m.ore of than truth, ofduty~: or the rights of one's neighbour. 4. It i,s dishonauring to God. God is the true·Hope of his children. When men tum from him to gold they tum to an idol, and are unfeithfu:t to their Lord. 5. It ends ·in disappointment. Gold cannot buy the best things2 peace of mind, purity, love, heaven. Midas is a failure in the end.. We must learn to see the limits of the utility of money, and look beyond them for our true hope and confidence in what is better than gold-the unsearchable riches ofChrist.-W. F. A.· l •) • 1'
Vers. 33, 34.-17.e shame ef public exposure. Job asks whether he has hidden'.hie sin, and shrunk from public exposure for fear of the multitude? On the ,contrary, he has been frank und fearless, daring to face the world because he is true and ·honest. ;! I. THE GUILTY llliN IS AFRAID OF PUBLIC EXPOSURE. ' This is B c6mmon feelingl It is " after the manner of men." It was seen in Adam hiding in the garden. Shame follows sin. Guilt creates cowardice. He who held his bead elbft in his innocence dares not look on his fellows when he has committed e crime. Every eye seems to follow him with suspicion. His imagination transforms the most; unconcerned passer~ by into a. detective. Fear magnifies the importance of trifles, till the. smallest events seem to be links in a cha.in that is dragging the miserable criminal down to ruin. He feels himself caught in a net, and he knows not which way to tum for release. II. THERE IS NO HORAL WORTH IN THE FEAR OF PUBLIC EXPOSURE. 'The sinner is not conscious of inward unworthiness, or at least this is not hie strongest feeling. All he dreads is public exposure. He is not repentant of his sin; he is only ashamed of its disgrace. Moreover, though he is so fearful of discovery by man, ·he has no thought that God's eye is on him, and no concern that God disapproves of him. Hie one thought is of his fellow-men, the opinion of the world. '!'his fear is altogether low and selfish. It does not spring from conscience; it only concerns itself with the consequences of wickedness~ not with the wickedness itself. It bas n9. regard for the outraged law; it only thinks of the threatening punishment. That· punishment may come ip. visible penalties. The criminal may have to go to prison or tbe··gallowe, br when the mob seizes its victim it may "lynch" him. The terror of B miserable creature who is hiding from the expected vengeance of the people must be en awful agony. Nevertheless, ~(!re is nothing to touch the higher nature in this. Possibly, however, the fear is only· of a socia,l stigma.. The man who had been m e position of honour finds himaelf au object of 1miversal contempt. 'l'he disgrace ,fa unbearable. He hides his head for very shame:· He.is miserably selfish in his 'degradation. ·' UJ. IT lS A HAPPY THING TO HAVE NO OCCASIOlll Jl'OR THE 8HAHE' OP PUBLIO l!tt. X:lXI. 1-4t'J.] THE BOOK- O'F JOB. 619