acres of diamonds-第4部分

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es。　　And　yet　there　are　some　people　who　think　in　order　to　be　pious　you　must　be　awfully　poor　and　awfully　dirty。　　That　does　not　follow　at　all。　　While　we　sympathize　with　the　poor；　let　us　not　teach　a　doctrine　like　that。

Yet　the　age　is　prejudiced　against　advising　a　Christian　man　（or；　as　a　Jew　would　say；　a　godly　man）　from　attaining　unto　wealth。　　The　prejudice　is　so　universal　and　the　years　are　far　enough　back；　I　think；　for　me　to　safely　mention　that　years　ago　up　at　Temple　University　there　was　a　young　man　in　our　theological　school　who　thought　he　was　the　only　pious　student　in　that　department。　　He　came　into　my　office　one　evening　and　sat　down　by　my　desk；　and　said　to　me：　　‘‘Mr。　President；　I　think　it　is　my　duty　sir；　to　come　in　and　labor　with　you。''　　‘‘What　has　happened　now？''　　Said　he；　‘‘I　heard　you　say　at　the　Academy；　at　the　Peirce　School　commencement；　that　you　thought　it　was　an　honorable　ambition　for　a　young　man　to　desire　to　have　wealth；　and　that　you　thought　it　made　him　temperate；　made　him　anxious　to　have　a　good　name；　and　made　him　industrious。　　You　spoke　about　man's　ambition　to　have　money　helping　to　make　him　a　good　man。　　Sir；　I　have　come　to　tell　you　the　Holy　Bible　says　that　‘money　is　the　root　of　all　evil。'　''

I　told　him　I　had　never　seen　it　in　the　Bible；　and　advised　him　to　go　out　into　the　chapel　and　get　the　Bible；　and　show　me　the　place。　　So　out　he　went　for　the　Bible；　and　soon　he　stalked　into　my　office　with　the　Bible　open；　with　all　the　bigoted　pride　of　the　narrow　sectarian；　or　of　one　who　founds　his　Christianity　on　some　misinterpretation　of　Scripture。　　He　flung　the　Bible　down　on　my　desk；　and　fairly　squealed　into　my　ear：　　‘‘There　it　is；　Mr。　President；　you　can　read　it　for　yourself。''　　I　said　to　him：　　‘‘Well；　young　man；　you　will　learn　when　you　get　a　little　older　that　you　cannot　trust　another　denomination　to　read　the　Bible　for　you。　　You　belong　to　another　denomination。　　You　are　taught　in　the　theological　school；　however；　that　emphasis　is　exegesis。　　Now；　will　you　take　that　Bible　and　read　it　yourself；　and　give　the　proper　emphasis　to　it？''

He　took　the　Bible；　and　proudly　read；　‘‘　‘The　love　of　money　is　the　root　of　all　evil。'　''

Then　he　had　it　right；　and　when　one　does　quote　aright　from　that　same　old　Book　he　quotes　the　absolute　truth。　　I　have　lived　through　fifty　years　of　the　mightiest　battle　that　old　Book　has　ever　fought；　and　I　have　lived　to　see　its　banners　flying　free；　for　never　in　the　history　of　this　world　did　the　great　minds　of　earth　so　universally　agree　that　the　Bible　is　trueall　trueas　they　do　at　this　very　hour。

So　I　say　that　when　he　quoted　right；　of　course　he　quoted　the　absolute　truth。　　‘‘The　love　of　money　is　the　root　of　all　evil。''　　He　who　tries　to　attain　unto　it　too　quickly；　or　dishonestly；　will　fall　into　many　snares；　no　doubt　about　that。　　The　love　of　money。　　What　is　that？　　It　is　making　an　idol　of　money；　and　idolatry　pure　and　simple　everywhere　is　condemned　by　the　Holy　Scriptures　and　by　man's　common　sense。　　The　man　that　worships　the　dollar　instead　of　thinking　of　the　purposes　for　which　it　ought　to　be　used；　the　man　who　idolizes　simply　money；　the　miser　that　hordes　his　money　in　the　cellar；　or　hides　it　in　his　stocking；　or　refuses　to　invest　it　where　it　will　do　the　world　good；　that　man　who　hugs　the　dollar　until　the　eagle　squeals　has　in　him　the　root　of　all　evil。

I　think　I　will　leave　that　behind　me　now　and　answer　the　question　of　nearly　all　of　you　who　are　asking；　‘‘Is　there　opportunity　to　get　rich　in　Philadelphia？''　　Well；　now；　how　simple　a　thing　it　is　to　see　where　it　is；　and　the　instant　you　see　where　it　is　it　is　yours。　　Some　old　gentleman　gets　up　back　there　and　says；　‘‘Mr。　Conwell；　have　you　lived　in　Philadelphia　for　thirty…one　years　and　don't　know　that　the　time　has　gone　by　when　you　can　make　anything　in　this　city？''　　‘‘No；　I　don't　think　it　is。''　　‘‘Yes；　it　is；　I　have　tried　it。''　　‘‘What　business　are　you　in？''　　‘‘I　kept　a　store　here　for　twenty　years；　and　never　made　over　a　thousand　dollars　in　the　whole　twenty　years。''

‘‘Well；　then；　you　can　measure　the　good　you　have　been　to　this　city　by　what　this　city　has　paid　you；　because　a　man　can　judge　very　well　what　he　is　worth　by　what　he　receives；　that　is；　in　what　he　is　to　the　world　at　this　time。　　If　you　have　not　made　over　a　thousand　dollars　in　twenty　years　in　Philadelphia；　it　would　have　been　better　for　Philadelphia　if　they　had　kicked　you　out　of　the　city　nineteen　years　and　nine　months　ago。　　A　man　has　no　right　to　keep　a　store　in　Philadelphia　twenty　years　and　not　make　at　least　five　hundred　thousand　dollars　even　though　it　be　a　corner　grocery　up…town。'　　You　say；　‘‘You　cannot　make　five　thousand　dollars　in　a　store　now。''　　Oh；　my　friends；　if　you　will　just　take　only　four　blocks　around　you；　and　find　out　what　the　people　want　and　what　you　ought　to　supply　and　set　them　down　with　your　pencil　and　figure　up　the　profits　you　would　make　if　you　did　supply　them；　you　would　very　soon　see　it。　　There　is　wealth　right　within　the　sound　of　your　voice。

Some　one　says：　　‘‘You　don't　know　anything　about　business。　　A　preacher　never　knows　a　thing　about　business。''　　Well；　then；　I　will　have　to　prove　that　I　am　an　expert。　　I　don't　like　to　do　this；　but　I　have　to　do　it　because　my　testimony　will　not　be　taken　if　I　am　not　an　expert。　　My　father　kept　a　country　store；　and　if　there　is　any　place　under　the　stars　where　a　man　gets　all　sorts　of　experience　in　every　kind　of　mercantile　transactions；　it　is　in　the　country　store。　　I　am　not　proud　of　my　experience；　but　sometimes　when　my　father　was　away　he　would　leave　me　in　charge　of　the　store；　though　fortunately　for　him　that　was　not　very　often。　　But　this　did　occur　many　times；　friends：　　A　man　would　come　in　the　store；　and　say　to　me；　‘‘Do　you　keep　jack　knives？''　　‘‘No；　we　don't　keep　jack…knives；''　and　I　went　off　whistling　a　tune。　　What　did　I　care　about　that　man；　anyhow？　　Then　another　farmer　would　come　in　and　say；　‘‘Do　you　keep　jack　knives？''　　‘‘No；　we　don't　keep　jack…knives。''　　Then　I　went　away　and　whistled　another　tune。　　Then　a　third　man　came　right　in　the　same　door　and　said；　‘‘Do　you　keep　jack…knives？''　　‘‘No。　　Why　is　every　one　around　here　asking　for　jack…knives？　　Do　you　suppose　we　are　keeping　this　store　to　supply　the　whole　neighborhood　with　jack…knives？''　　Do　you　carry　on　your　store　like　that　in　Philadelphia？　　The　difficulty　was　I　had　not　then　learned　that　the　foundation　of　godliness　and　the　foundation　principle　of　success　in　business　are　both　the　same　precisely。　　The　man　who　says；　‘‘I　cannot　carry　my　religion　into　business''　advertises　himself　either　as　being　an　imbecile　in　business；　or　on　the　road　to　bankruptcy；　or　a　thief；　one　of　the　three；　sure。　　He　will　fail　within　a　very　few　years。　　He　certainly　will　if　he　doesn't　carry　his　religion　into　business。　　If　I　had　been　carrying　on　my　father's　store　on　a　Christian　plan；　godly　plan；　I　would　have　had　a　jack…knife　for　the　third　man　when　he　called　for　it。　　Then　I　would　have　actually　done　him　a　kindness；　and　I　would　have　received　a　reward　myself；　which　it　would　have　been　my　duty　to　take。

There　are　some　over…pious　Christian　people　who　think　if　you　take　any　profit　on　anything　you　sell　that　you　are　an　unrighteous　man。　　On　the　contrary；　you　would　be　a　criminal　to　sell　goods　for　less　than　they　cost。　　You　have　no　right　to　do　that。　　You　cannot　trust　a　man　with　your　money　who　cannot　take　care　of　his　own。　　You　cannot　trust　a　man　in　your　family　that　is　not　true　to　his　own　wife。　　You　cannot　trust　a　man　in　the　world　that　does　not　begin　with　his　own　heart；　his　own　character；　and　his　own　life。　　It　would　have　been　my　duty　to　have　furnished　a　jack…knife　to　the　third　man；　or　the　second；　and　to　have　sold　it　to　him　and　actually　profited　myself。　　I　have　no　more　right　to　sell　goods　without　making　a　profit　on　them　than　I　have　to　overcharge　him　dishonestly　beyond　what　they　are　worth。　　But　I　should　so　sell　each　bill　of　goods　that　the　person　to　whom　I　sell　shall　make　as　much　as　I　make。

To　live　and　let　live　is　the　principle　of　the　gospel；　and　the　principle　of　every…day　common　sense。　　Oh；　young　man；　hear　me；　live　as　you　go　along。　　Do　not　wait　until　you　have　reached　my　years　before　you　begin　to　enjoy　anything　of　this　life。　　If　I　had　the　millions　back；　or　fifty　cents　of　it；　which　I　have　tried　to　earn　in　these　years；　it　would　not　do　me　anything　like　the　good　that　it　does　me　now　in　this　almost　sacred　presence　to…　night。　　Oh；　yes；　I　am　paid　over　and　over　a　hundredfold　to…night　for　dividing　as　I　have　tried　to　do　in　some　measure　as　I　went　along　through　the　years。　　I　ought　not　speak　that　way；　it　sounds　egotistic；　but　I　am　old　enough　now　to　be　excused　for　that。　　I　should　have　helped　my　fellow…men；　which　I　have　tried　to　do；　and　every　one　should　try　to　do；　and　get　the　happiness　of　it。　　The　man　who　goes　home　with　the　sense　that　he　has　stolen　a　dollar　that　day；　that　he　has　robbed　a　man　of　what　was　his　honest　due；　is　not　going　to　sweet　rest。　　He　arises　tired　in　the　morning；　and　goes　with　an　unclean　conscience　to　his　work　the　next　day。　　He　is　not　a　successful　man　at　all；　although　he　may　have　laid　up　millions。　　But　the　man　who　has　gone　through　life　dividing　always　with　his　fellow…men；　making　and　demanding　his　own　rights　and　his　own　profits；　and　giving　to　every　other　man　his　rights　and　profits；　lives　every　day；　and　not　only　that；　but　it　is　the　royal　road　to　great　wealth。　　The　history　of　the　thousands　of　millionaires　shows　that　to　be　the　case。

The　man　over　there　who　said　he　could　not　make　anything　in　a　store　in　Philadelphia　has　been　carrying　on　his　store　on　the　wrong　principle。　　Suppose　I　go　into　your　store　to…morrow　morning　and　ask；　‘‘Do　you　know　neighbor　A；　who　lives　one　square　away；　at　house　No。　1240？''　　‘‘Oh　yes；　I　have　met　him。　　He　deals　here　at　the　corner　store。''　　‘‘Where　did　he　come　from？''　　‘‘I　don't　know。''　　‘‘How　many　does　he　have　in　his　family？''　　‘‘I　don't　know。''　　‘‘What　ticket　does　he　vote？''　　‘‘I　don't　know。''　　‘‘What　church　does　he　go　to？''　　‘‘I　don't　know；　and　don't　care。　　What　are　you　asking　all　these　questions　for？''

If　you　had　a　store　in　Philadelphia　would　you　answer　me　like　that？　　If　so；　then　you　are　conducting　your　business　just　as　I　carried　on　my　father's　business　in　Worthington；　Massachusetts。　　You　don't　know　where　your　neighbor　came　from　when　he　moved　to　Philadelphia；　and　you　don't　care。　　If　you　had　cared　you　would　be　a　rich　man　now。　　If　you　had　cared　enough　about　him　to　take　an　interest　in