The Danger of Prosperity

Did not some of you, at one time, the moment you awoke in the morning, begin communing with God? Were there not red-letter days, when, from morning light to evening shade, you were in fellowship with the Most High? You had your burdens, but you always carried them to Jesus; and you had your joys, but you always shared them with Him. You lived for Him; your heart was warm towards Him; you walked with Him in constant communion, but, now, can you really live without even thinking of Him? Can you be happy without thinking of your God? Have you a better house than you used to have, and more money, more friends, more of this world’s good things, and do you now forget your God, and go the whole livelong day without any communication between your soul and Him? Ah, then, you have indeed gone down in the world, and up; you are getting poorer and poorer; God help you! If you had come to me, and told me that you had lost everything, but that you loved Jesus better, I should have sympathized with you because of your trouble, but I should have congratulated you upon your grace. But now that you have got on so well in the world that you do not love your Lord as you once did, I can only pity you because of your dreadful prosperity, and mourn over the fearful loss which you have experienced.