The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1870-01-05

In these hard times people are looking
around to see what retrenchments can be
made in their expenses. This leak and that
must be stopped; every unnecessary expen-
diture must be cut off, and the whole house
hold put upon a footing of economy. This
is we'll; few families can afford to live just
as bountifully as they once did.
But the question must be carefully set
tied" What is true economy in this ar
rangement? ?" Where shall the business Of
curtailing begin, and where shall it end? 1t
is grievous to know that any one protesting
respect for religion, or any sense of Its
priceless blessings, should conclude that its
privileges are first to be cast over board.
Yet it is true-and to the shame of such be
it spoken-tbat just there the work begins.
Now if these lines should meet the eye Of
any one who has entered upon this opera
h0n, OF who eOntemplates it, will such pause,
AMI reflect moment? You say religion
costs good deal Very true: it costs
money to educate and support ministers of
the gospel, to send out and sustain mission
aries, to print and distribute Bibles and
tracts and books, to keepup Sabbath Schools,
to feed the poor, and many ike things
That is one side: now look at the other.
Does not religion have great deal to do
in putting into your hands the means of do
ing all this? Does it not help to create this
revenue, and great deal besides? Does it
not hand in what you hand out? Has reli-
gion nothing to do in promoting industry,
frugahty, and every virtue that tends to
make community prosperous? Has it moth
ing to do in keeping people from the grOg-
shop, the horse race, the card table, the
theatre, and other haunts of vice and ruin
Gus expense? Has it no power to quench
avarice and make men content with sucf
things as they have? No man can deny tht
incalculable effect of the precious gospel II
all these things.
Then if religion brings these savings, are
they not far greater than its expenses. 1
is not true of it, that it costs more than i
comes to. If the converts at Ephesus haC
received the gospel sooner, it would have
saved them '.fty thousand pieces Of silger,
which they laid out in vile books, fit only t.
be burned What would real estate in So
dom be worth to a decent man? The mil
lions of dollars spent every year through in
temperance, gambling hOrse-racing, hcen
tiousness and luxurious living, in needless
and foolish dress, in costly parties, in thea
tres, in the punishment Of crime, and il
other ways, would be enough to extinguisE
in few years our whole enormous nationa
debt Tf true religion were in the hearts o.
an. O. would be saved This amount, with
the fruits Of increased health, industry, fru
gaIty ana honesty especially in public
oficers) would enable US soon to FIJI the worlC
with the gospel.
Now, then, has religion done nothing fol
you, directly or indirectly? Is not you
family, in one way or another, deeply on tn,
debtor side? Are not its sayiRgs far greater
than its expenses After answering thes,
questions fairly, then sit down and begin tn,
work of rerenchment. VIII the first strOkr
of the pen be across the sum you have giyer
for the support of your pastor? VIII tn,
second be on what you have given to sustain
and extend the Institutions of religion owe
the earth? VIII the third be to cut off tn
three or four dollars you pay for religion
newspaper-almost the only fresh religion
reading, it may be, that your family have
Do you think this course likely to comfor
your conscience, to build you and you
household up in their most holy faith, an,
prepare them for better world Are 20,
even sure it will end best, so far as savin
money is concerned?
How much better it would be to sit dow
and examine carefully into the expenses Q
sin, Of folly, Of fashion Let the retrenoh
ing knife fall there first. Let all injuriOu;
and useless things be first discarded. lie