not able to pay what they owe.
Confession will not relieve them of their obligation, and they must
begin at once and make an effort to lessen the debts they owe in the
past and learn a lesson in economy and strive against contracting new
burdens. This will help us to clear off the old ones.

It is not edifying, nor is it conducive to good fellowship, nor does
it help to make our religion better known and better loved, to find
people, dressed in the finest, coming Sunday after Sunday to mass
while they are heavily in debt to their grocer or butcher or landlord,
who may be in the very same pew with them. This is certain, it
convinces such men in business that the debtor's religion is not very
sincere.

In a word, brethren, it is far better to live in less pretentious
dwellings, dress more soberly and eat more sparingly than to owe any
man anything. Pay what thou owest, and then you may walk honestly
among all men."

Freedom from debt is necessary to the independence of the man who does
right and answers only to God. Struggle as he may the man is not free
who is under obligations to others. He is hindered in his conduct; he
is not always conscious of it, but nevertheless there is a real
binding or fettering of his actions. It influences his gifts, for what
he holds is not his own and the owner may criticize his benevolence.

An easy conscience and sound sleep is the portion of the man who is
under no obligations to another. He looks the whole world in the face,
who owes no man a cent.

He is free from distracting business relations with his brethren and
brotherly love may abound. The exhortation of Paul is in connection
with brotherly love, and of all external relations, debt hinders the
free flow of sympathy among brethren.

The early disciples endeavored to avoid all debt. Much less did they
pay a premium for the privilege. They only borrowed in hard necessity;
but borrowing on usury to make a profit by it was as repellant to the
Christian conscience then as complicity with theft or fraud. It marked
a man as anxious to share in unrighteous gain. His own conscience
placed him among those who are discontented with their lawful estate
and guilty of that covetousness which is idolatry. I Tim. 6:6-11:
"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing
into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And
having food and raiment, let us be therewith content. But they that
will be rich fal