_THE MESMERISM OF THE WORLD_
MATTHEW xix. 23-30.
Material possessions multiply our spiritual difficulties. It is hard for a
rich man "_to enter into the kingdom of heaven_." For what is the kingdom?
It is "righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." It is easy
for a rich man to appear respectable, but how hard is it to be holy! He
may surround himself with comforts, but how hard to get into peace! He may
move in the cold gleam of a glittering happiness, but how hard to get into
the rich, warm quietness of an abiding joy! Yes, our material possessions
so easily range themselves as ramparts between us and our destined
spiritual wealth.
And if we find that any material thing so mesmerizes us that we are held
in fatal bondage, we are to sacrifice it. "If thine eye offend thee, pluck
it out, and cast it from thee!" Whatever interposes itself between us and
our Lord must go! It is a hard way, but it leads to a sound and boisterous
health. We verily "receive an hundredfold!" We lose "a thing," and gain a
grace. We lose fickle sensations and gain abounding inspiration. We lose
the world, and gain the Lord!