Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1838-04-11


fought 10 be the most benevolent and liberia
man in the church. His hand ought u
open oftenest and easiest to relieve the dis.
dresses Of his fellow-men, because it would
greatly, increase his influence and useful
4 ness. He is often called on to plead the
cause Of the poor and suffering, and bis
appeals would be set home with double
force il he could "suit the action to the
word -. but il the church will not enable
him to give, or if by his former training he
has acquired settled habits of penurious-
mess, he will not, he cannot be liberia. He
will be calculating all of the time, as he
has always been obliged to do, either how
be can save cent, or how he can make a
cent, and money will seem so precious to
him that he would find it exceedingly diff
cult for him TO urge people to give il away,
ESPECIALLY il he Ieels under obligation to set
them an example. The principle of benev-
Eolence is an active principle, and it must be
exercised, or it will sicken and die. A
church, therefore, which only thinks about
giving but never gires, will soon find that
they have no feelings prompting them to
give: There may indeed occasionally be
some upbraidings of conscience, and to ST.
lence these, individuals may sometimes
give, but they take no satisfaction in il; it
is extorted from them; they do not give
with a willing mind. have no doubt that
many christians look upon all they give in
the cause Of Christ as one Of the sel(-deni-
ais required by religion-as hard thing
bat yet one which To some extent must be
endured for the sake Of maintaining a hope
Of heaven, such cannot give heartily as
unto the Lord. When one has never been
in the habit Of giving to benevolent objects,
he greatly undertakes his ability to give,
or what amounts to the same thing, he
greatly -oyerrates The value Of his conlrlbu-
lion. A distinguished man in a church not
more than thousand miles from here, after
making an animated speech in favor of the
cause Of missions, and urging his brethren
10 come forward and give, contributed, as
the whole amount for himself and family
for year, twenty-five cents! And il seems
that he thought himself to be eievaiing the
standard or benevolence. Where such no
lions prevail, what vigor can be given to an
enterprize2 And is It not TO be feared that
there are. those who think his exhortation
uncalled for, aud his contribution extTava-
CANT that is, that there are those who say
less and give less than he? Ii is not in
tended by these remarks TO censure any
one, much less the pious poor, who weep
and pray for the prosperity Of Zion, but
have no money to give. Their prayers be-
dewed with tears, will arise 10 God as a
SAVIOR Of a sweet smell, and will do more tow
ards converting the hearhen world, than
large contributions Of money without prayer.
But both are needed. 1t is time that the
church were consecrated, soul and body, to
the Lord. Ii is time that, according to their
early vows, they were entirely his. II is
high time for all who love the Lord and his
cause in the earth, to feel that all they are,
and all Lhey have, belongs to the Lord.
These remarks leave no room for the COM
mon complaint, that ave are poor, we can't
do much, for, it is required OF one, only
according 10 that which he has. Still, i,
would be well for such to consider that
withholding more than is meet lendeth TO
poverty" -and that "the liberal soul shall
be made fat" The churches then need not
fear 10 give,-for they will surely 6ud their
own advantage in it, provided they do il
with suitable dependence on God. They
have but to resolve il, and act in unison, to
be able very soon to enjoy the advantages
Of an educated ministry.
While we plead for an educated minis
try, and think its advantages to the church
and the world to be positive and very great,
let j, be borne in mind that we intend to
cast no reflections upon those who have not
been able 10 avail themselves Of the advan-
tsges Of an education. We are glad that
they are willing to do what they can. We
think them seriously devoted TO their call
ing, and rejoice in the hope thai their crowns
of glory in hesv.n will be studded with
maay sparkling gems, whose lustre vii
exceed that Of the brightest stars, and vii
radiale forever and ever. But this doe'
not argue anything against an education
while al the same time, il shows that maj
OF warn-hearsed piety, with limited advan
tages, may do much good. .,--.s-.-
Much more might be said on this subject