This article is taken from A Book of Gems: Choice Selections from the Writings of Benjamin Franklin
First. This matter of gaining wealth does not depend altogether nor chiefly on loving money. If it depended altogether or chiefly on loving money, many more would gain wealth than do, for no doubt more love money as ardently as those that obtain it. Men who love money devote themselves to schemes of money-making, or what they consider such, and, in some instances, break at it, and come out bankrupt. A. Campbell never did devote himself to making money. But he was right in two respects: 1. He was a good manager in temporal things. 2. He was an economist. He knew the use of money and never wasted it. He built no fine houses, rode in no fine carriages and drove no fine horses. He was a plain man. He had everything necessary for comfort and nothing for show. We think he lived in the same house in which he was married, adding considerable, but plain buildings to it, affording accommodations for his numerous guests, but nothing costly or fine, in any part of it. In this he was a noble example. On the one hand not an indication of parsimoniousness, and on the other, not an item of extravagance. The same was true of the entire outfit, furniture, table and all. There was an abundance for all, and nothing wasteful or extravagant.
Second. This thing of gaining wealth is not fully to be explained. It is not to be ascribed entirely to the art of man, to his great business capacity, his industry or energy, for we find plenty of men that have these qualities, but accumulate but little. Wealth gathers round some men as naturally as it departs from others, when no man can see the reason. Some call it fortune, others luck, and, in other cases we say, they know how to make it. True, there must be the industry, the energy, the management and economy; there must be the good judgment, sagacity, etc. These are main articles in running the world, but wealth bears no just proportion to these. We speak not of a fortuity, which brings an estate at once, but of the growing up of an estate. There is something lying back of all industry, economy, management, foreseeing sagacity, etc., call it fate, luck, fortune or providence, or what we may, that no philosophy or reason can fully explain. Men accumulate a vast estate without struggling for it, aiming at it, or seeming to think about it. Alex. Campbell was of this class. We can see that he managed well, that he wasted nothing, that he saw that business was in shape, etc., but this does not account for the amount that accumulated around him. Much of it came in a way that he knew not, and certainly never planned.
Third. Alex. Campbell did not raise himself up. God raised him, not for himself, nor for us to glory in him, but for his own glorious purpose, and he did not leave him without the means to accomplish that great purpose. He always provides a way for a man to do the work for which he has raised him up. Alex. Campbell could not have gone, as he did, at his own charges, traveling thousands of miles, and for many long months at a time, and through immense districts of country, where he had no kind brethren to entertain him and support him, if the means had not been provided. Nor could he have started, maintained and sent forth a publication, coming in collision with all the religious publications in the world without the means to sustain him. God provided him the means, so that he never lacked. No man ever had the power to stop his mouth by cutting off his support. He stood independent, except upon God, who was with and prospered him. How could he have founded a seminary first and then a magnificent college and prosecuted his great work without means? How could he have supplied his extension table, always extended in his long dining hall, along which the vast numbers that visited him at all seasons, but specially on commencement occasions, sat, were fed and satisfied, and went away admiring their noble host, of whose munificence they had partaken, had not the Lord prospered him? God enabled him to give examples in generosity, hospitality, and to push on his great work. It was of the highest importance that he should be free from all pecuniary pressure and embarrassment, and the Lord kept him in that condition all the time—made “all grace abound” to him. Growing rich and money making from the love of money, or money’s sake, were ideas that occupied no place in his great mind or heart. He made and used money, as God intended it, as a means for doing the work of God, and means that the work could not have been done without.
Fourth. But how did so large an estate accumulate if he did not love money, or love “filthy lucre?” We answer that a large amount of his estate came to him as he explained to us, when we visited him, in the only conversation we ever had with him about his temporal affairs, and that a very brief one. We can not remember the particulars, but we do remember distinctly all that is of any interest here. Several large items—items that would have changed the amount largely—came to him without the most distant idea of ever making money. This occurred in his listening to the importunities of friends to loan them money, and securing it by mortgaging lands then cheap, and these lands thus finally falling into his hands, by the failure of his friends, to whom he had loaned the money, to pay. These lands remained in his hands many years, and he was not necessitated to sell them. As the country improved and railroads were constructed, these lands proved to be in important places, where in many years they grew up in into heavy amounts in value. In this there was no far seeing nor reaching for “filthy lucre,” nor any thought of obtaining it. He simply listened to the requests of his friends to help them, and in many long years it turned out to yield him a heavy amount.
Fifth. His talents put forth in Bethany, the works he issued from there and the establishment of the college, made employment for many persons, called a number of these as educators and students, established the church there, and resulted in building up quite a village. This enhanced the value of the fine tract of land owned by him there, and certainly without his foreseeing and working to that end, made a considerable item in the estate he left behind him.
Sixth. The sale of his various works toward the latter part of his life brought a considerable income. This could not have been foreseen and planned to make money. In the early part of his life, and the time he put forth his most vigorous efforts, he had no assurance that such works as he issued would ever be a source of profit. Men who start out to make money do not start out against the main current of mankind. We have some now whose business is making money, but they do not start out nor travel the road trod by Alex. Campbell. They do not make a square issue with the religious world, nor war upon the men in power. They do not generally think that is the way to the gold mines. Had he been starting with money in his eye, his keen perception would have seen something of more promise than a square fight with the popular clergy of the world; the creeds, councils, conferences, assemblies, etc. It, however, turned out that his productions found a sale that resulted in an income. There was no close management or calculating on his part, nor careful looking after the matter.
But the pen of Alex. Campbell was a terror to men who did not love “the right way of the Lord,” and his words were burning; but the idea that he was morose and unamiable is entirely an erroneous one. His very nature was amiable and lovely; and, in his devotions, he was as humble as a child. We never heard any man who could pray like he could. His terms, in addressing our heavenly Father, were characterized with a sense of the absolute dependence, profound awe and reverence of us, the creatures of mercy, and the simplicity of a child. All was easy and utterly without affectation.
The reader may think we have occupied too much space with this matter. We think not. There are great lessons in these matters.
–Benjamin Franklin