Page:Studies in the Scriptures - Series I - The Plan of the Ages (1909).djvu/317

 first of the necessities, and secondly of the honors and luxu- ries bestowed by Mammon ? It is but the natural tendency of which Satan has taken great advantage.

During past ages, under various influences (among others, Ignorance, race prejudices, and national pride), the great wealth of the world has generally been in the hands of the f ew _the rulers to whom the masses rendered slavish obe- dience as to their national representatives, in whose wealth they felt a pride and an interest as their own representa- tively. But as the time drew near in which Jehovah de- signed to bless the world through a Restitution at the hands of Messiah, he began to lift up the vail of ignorance and superstition, through modern facilities and inventions ; and with these came the general elevation of the people and the decreasing power of earthly rulers* No longer is the wealth of the world in the hands of its kings, but chiefly among the people.

Though wealth brings many evils, it also brings some bless- ings: the wealthy obtain better educations but thus tfyey are lifted intellectually above the poorer people and become more or less associated with royalty. Hence an aristocracy exists which has both money and education to back it, and to assist in it$ avaricious struggle to get all it can and to keep self in the front rank at any cost.

But, as intelligence spreads, as the people take advantage of educational facilities, now so abundant, they begin to think for themselves; and with the self-esteem and selfish- ness in them led on by a little learning sometimes a dan- gerous thing they fancy that they see ways and means by which the interests and circumstances of all men, and espe- cially their own, can be promoted at the cost of the fewer numbers in whose hands the wealth now lies. Many of these, doubtless, honestly believe that the conflicting inter- ests of Mammon's worshipers (themselves on one side, and

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