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Cause in Vermont
581
with them entirely contrary to all this. His curse should rest upon
them in place of His blessing. He would break their pride of power
and would make the heavens over them as iron and the earth as brass.
“Your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield
her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits. And
if ye walk contrary unto Me,” “then will I also walk contrary unto
you.”
Those who are selfishly withholding their means need not be
surprised if God’s hand scatters. That which should have been
devoted to the advancement of the work and cause of God, but
which has been withheld, may be entrusted to a reckless son, and
he may squander it. A fine horse, the pride of a vain heart, may be
found dead in the stable. Occasionally a cow may die. Losses of
fruit or other crops may come. God can scatter the means He has
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lent to His stewards, if they refuse to use it to His glory. Some, I saw,
may have none of these losses to remind them of their remissness in
duty, but their cases may be the more hopeless.
Jesus warned the people: “Take heed, and beware of covetous-
ness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things
which he possesseth. And He spake a parable unto them, saying,
The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: and he
thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no
room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will
pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all
my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast
much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and
be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall
be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou
hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not
rich toward God.” He then addressed His disciples: “Therefore I say
unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither
for the body, what ye shall put on. The life is more than meat, and
the body is more than raiment.”
These warnings are given for the benefit of all. Will they improve
the warnings given? Will they be benefited? Will they regard these
striking illustrations of our Saviour and shun the example of the
foolish rich man? He had an abundance; so have many who profess
to believe the truth, and they are acting over the case of the poor,