The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-11-04
Systematic Benevolenee on the Euphrates

Systematic Benevolence on the Euphrates
Away near the head waters of the
Euphrates, in Turkey in Asia, are seve-
raj native Protestant Churches, organ
ised within few years by American
missionaries. One of these missionaries
has lately published work entitled
Ten Years upon the Euphrates," from
which we gather the following instructive
facts: "Most of the natives cultivate the
soil, the owner of which exacts half the
crop for rent, and the Government takes
tenth of the remainder for taxes. -
They are far poorer people than are
our impoverished Southern people. Their
example, then, in worshipping God with
their substance, ought to have peculiar
force with US. One of their native
preachers, blind man, proclaimed the
duty and privilege of setting apart at
least tenth of their earnings for God.
He enforced the duty not as a Mosaic
rule of action, but as sOmething enjoined
from the earliest times, and of preemi-
nently binding force upon Christians
Did not even Abraham pay tithes2 he
inquired. And if the Jews, with only
their own home work to care for, besides
expanding so much for sacrifices and in
travelling to and from the temple, were
obliged to pay one-tenth into the Lords
treasury, Christians surely should do no
less. Does not Jesus say that the Phar-
isees ought not to leave undone the tith-
ing of their herbs? And does not the
apostle say, upon the first day of the
week, let every one of you lay by in
store as God hath prospered him." He
thus called to mind that cit is more
blessed to give than to receive. =
Going on still further, he dwelt upon the
sin of Christians sitting still, and
waiting for the collector to come and dun
him for the amount due the Lords treas
ury. Don't you see" said he, "the
command is, Bring we all the tithes ?
Why not bring your offerings of money
to God as much as those of prayer and
praise?' Says the missionary: "The
blind man had seen the pith of matter
better than We who had eyes, and his
fifty chosen words produced the desired
result. The native Christians of that
church all gave tenth to the Lords |
'storehouse, room which they set apart |
to receive the tithes. Thither they bore
one-tenth of all that came into their
hands. He who went to the city to la
Dor for twenty cents per day, brought
two cents for the Lords portion. The
man who caught fish from the neighbor-
ing stream sold one in ten for the Lord, |
etc. After the blind preacher flock had |
set the example, in September, 1866, an
Evangelical Union, composed of seven
native churches in that region, adopted |
the following resolutions, having fully
discussed the matter: RESOLVED, That |
we exhort our people to give tenth or
more of all their earnings for the Lords |
work, not as bound by the Mosaic law,
but from the duty of Christian iberality,
and because they and all they have are
consecrated to God, and, when necessa.
ry, they are to give all their possessions
and their lives also for his glory" A
wonderful revival followed in several Of
the churches not long after they came
up to the duty set forth in the resolu
ton. GA full account of the precious
revival in HarpOOt city and several other
places, in which many persons were
brought to Christ, and the members of
the churches lifted up into higher plane
of spirituality, would fill chapters, in
stead of pages"
The deep poverty of these native
Christians, their being led to give a 1.-THE
of their little incomes to the Lord by
the expositiOns of Scripture given them,
not by the missionaries, but by native
preachers, who had not the example of
other churches to guide or blind them,
the glorious OutpOurings of blessing upon
these native churches when they entered
upon bringing an actual 1.-THE into the
stOrehouse-these are eloquent facts for
the whole Christian world. Shall we
not do likewise, and receive likewise from
Him whom is faithful and true ?-South
er@ Presbyterian
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