The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1870-04-20

And then blame heaven for the tangled ends
And sit and grieve and wonder
FoR rHE CENrs PRESBYTERIAN.
WEEKLY COLLECT S-The Shady Side.
[cONC D.]
Now, Mr.. Editor, nit me to make the
earnest request that you or some of your
correspondents Will give the people light on
some points which viii now present.
And first, that often quoted but badly un-
derstOOd text, Cor. xvi: 2; "Upon the
first day of the week, &c. Is the direction
to clay by in store as God hath prospered, "
complied with by laying up money for many
weeks, or even months, and drawing from it
every Sabbath, as some of your cOrrespOn-
dents recommend? or does the apostle direct
to give, or lay by in store when there is no
opportunity to give, from soeek to 'ceek, as
God has prOspered for that 'Oeek ? as un-
derstand to be your view.
To the rule, "as God hath prospered
him" there are more interpretations given
than there are words used to expressit. Some
think the rule is complied with by giving,
when called on, such portion of the loose
change they happen to have, as they can
conveniently spare. Others suppose a
stricter reference should be had to the meas
ure of their temporal prosperity, but still to
give only what they can conveniently spare.
Others acknowledging themselves, though in
an imperfect sense, as stewards" of Christ,
suppose they are required to use economy
and even self denial to provide means to.
contribute to the cause of Christ. Others
adopt the ''tithe" system as Scriptural
rule; but some give only the tithe of their
clear profits, others tithe of the income
from what they sell, others think they ought
to give (but very few do it,, a tithe of all
their productions, and still others, IA very
small class, hold that the question is not
how much they ought to give, but how much
they have right to keep and use, to meet
their temporal wants, of their Lords means,
regarding all they have as belonging to
Christ.
A difficulty in the minds of many en-
braceG in several of the above classes, is
whether a mans ability to give is to be meas
ured by the amount of money he receives in
his ordinary business. They say, if they
are to give in money, they must give in pro-
portion to the mOney they can command
This point has been already alluded to, and
now call special attention to it, believing
that the vague and erroneous views enter
tanned on this point are keeping many con-
sciences asleep.
In the passage Of Ssril ture under cOnsid-
Grafton it is evident at contributions in
money only were ii ed, for the apostle
expected to carry to distant place.
But do not otherp of the New Testa-
ment, especially tho at refer to the Jew,
ism system of suppo religion, teach that
the measure of prosperity and therefore Oi
hberahty, is not the amount of available
money, but embraces every everything thai
comes from Gods bountiful hand e. g.,
when Paul says: 1t is accepted according
to that a man hath" that he does not mean
merely what man hath in money, but in
cludes all Gods bounties. See Cor. tx
la: , Cor. viii: 12-15. Gal. vi: 6.
If the many who frequently fail to con
tribute in the weekly collections and excuse
themselves because they have no money
were to be told. "You are not excusable, yoU
are robbing God and your own soul; if yol
have no money yOu something else tina
God has given yor ing your offerings o
what YOU hare to eacOns or elders, o.
pastor, and it vii ecepted as your ac
of worship and contribution to tn
cause of Christ" t, peration of this plal
would be, first to der lish the refuge unde
which their conscienc s have been repOsing
second, 20 increase the number ana OF cOurs
the aggregate amount of offerings; an
third, to stimulate those who had been re
miss, to more diligent effort to convert thei
produce into money as more convenien
mode of making their contributions.
"B. says, depend upon it if the hear
IS right, the Christian will so utilize his good
as to be able to contribute 'as the Lord hat
prOspered him'-in money" A "righ
heart" is unquestionably indispensable, an
is the chief want of money, but it is not tn
only requisite. There must be an intellig
bic rule of duty, both to set the heart rigt
and to guide its action.
VIII the brother tell US what it is for
Christian to utilize, make good use of h
goods, as a ''steward" of Christ what it