MONEY AND THE KINGDOM. 233 



comforts and luxuries of life ? Where shall we draw the 

 line between justifiable and unjustifiable expenditure ? 



The Christian has given himself to God, or, rather, has 

 recognized and accepted the divine ownership in him. 

 He is under obligations to apply every power, whether 

 of mind, body, or possessions, to God's service. He is 

 bound to make that service as effective as possible. 

 Certain expenditures upon himself are necessary to his 

 highest growth and greatest usefulness, and are, there- 

 fore, not only permissible, but obligatory. All the 

 money which will yield a larger return of usefulness in 

 the world, of greater good to the Kingdom, by being 

 spent on ourselves or families than by being applied 

 otherwise, is used for the glory of God, and is better 

 spent than it would have been if given to missions. 

 And whatever money is spent on self that would have 

 yielded larger returns of usefulness, if applied otherwise, 

 is misapplied ; and, if it has been done intelligently, it is 

 a case of embezzlement. 



A narrow view at this point is likely to lead us into 

 fanaticism. We must look at life in its wide relations, 

 and remember that character is its supreme end. Char- 

 acter is the one thing in the universe, so far as we know, 

 which is of absolute worth, and therefore beyond all 

 price. The glory of the Infinite is all of it the glory of 

 character. Every expenditure Avhich serves to broaden 

 and beautify and upbuild character is worthy. The one 

 question ever to be kept in mind is whether it is the 

 wisest application of means to the desired end. Will 

 this particular application of power in money produce 

 the largest results in character ! 



But what of the beautiful ? How far may we gratify 

 our love of it ? A delicate and difficult question to 

 answer, especially to the satisfaction of those living in 

 the midst of a luxurious civilization. Our guiding prin- 

 ciple holds here as everywhere, only its application is 

 difficult. It is difficult to (determine how useful the 

 beautiful may be. Doubtless, at times, as Victor Hugo 

 has said, ' ' The beautiful is as useful as the useful ; per- 



