THE COMMERCIAL SYSTEM, AND THE GOD OF THIS WORLD
[p. 252] THE COMMERCIAL SYSTEM, AND THE GOD OF THIS WORLD
It becomes very solemn to consider that the commercial system heads up in the king of Tyre, who is a type of Satan himself. It is right that the people of God, having necessarily to do directly or indirectly with commerce, should be warned as to progressing in it beyond what is necessary. If we aim at anything beyond that, we place ourselves within the range of the god of this world. In handling the creatures of God commercially for a livelihood, you can give God thanks, but going beyond that into the spirit of Tyre in competition and ambition is dangerous; it means we are brought under the influence of the god of this world ... ... If I can supply, through commerce, the means of helping the people of God, as Hiram did in David’s and Solomon’s day, that is a justifiable thing; but when I go beyond that, and amass the means of living in affluence and leave God out, I put myself within the range of the god of this world ... . It is a time of great cities ... . In many respects cities have acquired a greater place than ever before, because of the world of commerce. Those of us who live in these large centres do well to be warned, because opportunities are great, and the god of this world is not slow to afford them to us, you know. He took the Lord to an exceeding high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; these were available to him, and he would give them to the Lord, and would give a slice of them to any christian now.