The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-03-14

| religious coxcombs are wont to pirate, IL Is q
part of it, and, according to the apostles direc-
tory. our worship is not complete without the
But who has not heard the pew.holder of modern
times whining and cantiDg because his rector made
? special appeal or sent round the plate Tor some
| missionary purpose!
be sufficiently orthodox, but his practice is that Of
| an atheist.
The giving of our substance is q religious duty !;
and the apostle has wisely connected this duty
with our public worship. He chooses the time
when we are most likely to be in the spirit of per.
| forming sacred duty. II, when we are told Of
| the mercies of God and the redseming love, we
have no heart to give, we will hardly perform the
duty when left to ourselves. How much better Is
it to trust to the steady work Of q principle that
has its foundation in loving sense OF duty than
TO depend upon excitement and stirring appeals? !
How much easier to give one dollar per week
than TO give twenty-six dollars at the end Of six
months; and how much easier for the humble,
willing heart to give its dime (Which will prove
as acceptable to God as the widows two mites.
il given with her devotion and faith, on each
returning Lords day, than to give five dol.
lars and twenty cents at the close OF the year
How much surer are we to I'LL the ohurch's tres.
sury and how much safer is it to remember the
duty week by week?
Having spoken of the time Of giving let Us now
inquire who are the persons upon whom the duty
falls Let every one of your That is, every one
whom the Gospel is preached, and every one for
whom Christ died.
Say not, then, ye poor in purse, but rich in
faith, that your mite will make no difference.
Think not your offering too small to be accepted
by the Lord of the whole earth"
As well might the dew.drop refuse to fall, be-
cause 1t does not perceptiby swell the river, or
the drops Of rain remain In the clouds, because
they do not at once fill the sea.
That is the very reason why every one should
give.
''The everlasting hills" were piled. grain upon
grain and the ocean is filed by the little rills that
trickle down their sides. II each individual will do
his part, the church in Louisiana and throughout
the South will have enough and not only enough
to rebuild our churches and support in decency
our clergy but be able to send the Gospel to such
as know not the Lord instead Of being the I'm.
worthy recipients of missionary money, doled out
by people who do not understand us and never
will understand rs until the spirit of the Gospel
shall bring Us to keep the "unity Of the spirit in
the bond of peace"
Let that miserable, unreliable, demoraliznp mis-.
sionary crutch be thrown away. and let the men of
the South rescue the church out of the hands of
the few pous females that now have il in charge
in the large cities and one important step towards
primitive efficiency will have been taken.
But above all, let the clergy rise to q sense Of
the dignity and responsibility of their ofice and
instead Of doing the bidding of some narrow.
minded individual or clique, as is too frequently
the case. instruct the people in their duty, and
success
She has all the elements of success within her,
if her sons will but lay hold OF and make use of
them. She Is able TO absorb the sects and circum.
scribe Rome In this country, within o compare
lively short time. il her people go to work with
me earnest, simple, systematic faith that made
glorious her early history.
But In order TO do this II is absolutely necessary
that our people should have something more than
the perfunctory Sunday service that now charac-
te1izes most OF our wealthy congregations.
al m tha lafa IN "A l.
New England sheet, is almost too true descrip-
ton of some of the church's clergy to be much
relished by them.
One sentimental young lady, in writing to an.
othei. described the new clergyman as "magnif-
cent" and the qualities that made him SO were,
that he "parted his hair in the middle, slept late
talked horse and could play billiards splendidly.n
These are not the shepherds, as a rule that will
hazard their lives for the sheep. have not yet
spoken OF the proportion that each should give
But the apostle has fixed this also, as clearly as
the time for giving, and the persons upon whom
the duty falls. la
He says: Let every one Of you lay by him in
store as God has prospered him." Lest some
who were able too little, he kindly states the
measure by which we are to give, and it is as God
has prospered us; How simple the rule. and how
easily deufmined! 1t is tender Of the necessities
of the poor, while, at the same time, 1t opens the
door for the rich. How wise is the spirit OF God
Let not our hearts raise difficulties where there
are none nor make objections against the simpli.
cities of the people. You may have the wealth of
the Indies, or be compelled to live by your daily
toll, II makes no difference, the rule is the same
II bids you add up at the end of the week how
much God has prospered you, and then having
fixed upon the proportion which it is your duty to
give, to devote itcheerfully and conscientiousy to
Him. 1t is systematic as everything pertaining TO
the kingdom of God is. 1t works by rule as every.
thing should work. Is is founded upon principle |
as every good action should be. It takes MS lust
as we are. II comes down to our daily life and /
applies itself readily to the mechanic as to the
merchant, and stands by us from youth to hoary /
age, lest mammon should gain possession of our /
hearts and worldliness grow upon them as we /
grow in age and grow in wealth.
1t will stand in the way of self.indulgence. But
blessed be the man who walks by this rule. He /
will know the blessedness of giving; he will be /
delivered in the time of trouble and what he laysth
,ut shall be paid him again.
NEW IBERIA, st. Matthias day, 1869.