Again, though we profess to value every man by his integrity or moral worth, yet it is a fact, that in conduct we make a man’s reputation depend principally on his purse.  I yield the point without controversy that in books, in news-papers, in preaching and in words, we profess to esteem a man and rate his standing in society by his integrity.  But what do words and books, and news-papers and preaching amount to, while mankind in conduct practice right the contrary of all these ostentatious professions?  They amount to nothing but hypocrisy, or ridiculous nonsense.  Does a man’s standing, in these days, depend on his conduct!  By no means.  Let us introduce an example.  Suppose there were two individuals of equal talents, and both possessed an equal education.  Their moral characters are the same.  But one of them falls in possession of an immense fortune, while the other is poor indeed.  Now will public conduct place them on an equality?  No.  Will they both move in the same social circle?  No.  Will they both be treated with the same politeness and attention by their neighbors?  No.  Should they propose a public measure for the good of the town, would the one be listened to, with the same attention as the other?  No.  Would he possess so much influence in society?  No.  Well, what can be assigned as the reason, why this rich man stands so far above the other in the public opinion?  Ans.  It is because his character is measured by the length of his purse, and the weight of his influence is determined by the weight of his gold.

It is not a thing of rare occurrence, that the rich are thus distinguished from the poor, but it is a fact so notorious that it has long since passed into a proverb.  This being the course of conduct which men practice, the impression has therefore become general that reputation, influence and power depend on wealth.  Hence the great inquiry, uppermost in every mind, is “how shall I get rich, so that I may stand high in the estimation of men, and exert a powerful influence in society, and be numbered among those who move in the higher circles of life?” Concluded in our next.

SERMON XVI

“Be of the same mind one towards another.  Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate.”  Romans xii:12.

Even a man, who is in many things unprincipled, if he is at the same time wealthy, takes a station in the higher circles of life, where the poor, but honest man, would not be admitted.  This course of conduct is not only practised by what are called men of the world, but by professors of religion of about all denominations, by both preachers and people.