The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1873-03-26
For THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
a
THE DUTY OF CHRISTIANS IN REGARD
TO GIVING.
No. Is.


Having shown that the best Christian
ought to consecrate to God is one-tenth Of
his annual income, we come to the New
Testament ordinance as to the mode in which
the duty is to be DONE The rule is definite,
the directions explicit. "UpOn the first day
Of the sceek, let every one Of y0u lay By him
IN store as God has prOspered him, that there
be no gatherings opAen leone" Il Cor. xvi:
2)
1. Let erery one of yOu. Addressed to
all, rich and poor, male and female. The
only possible exemptions, minors who have
no income and inmates of poor houses. =
2. Lay By him an store. a. That is, you
are not to wait to be asked, but to treasure
up beforehand, SO as to be ready to meet
any call. Things done without premedita-
ton are generally ill-done. If there is no
settled purSdse as to giving aud no previous
preparation for it, the amount will be left to
chance, and will depend upon what one may
happen to have in his pocket. And if he
happens to have nothing, he may lone Christ
very much, and yet give Him nothing.
a. The money is not to be mentally, but
actually set apart, either by passing it to
the credit of your "benevolent fund" on
your Ledger, or by putting it in separate
box or purse. The best plan is to do both
to set it apart on the Ledger, and then
put it away in charity purse, where you
will find it when you want it.
3. son the first day of the aOeek." This
shows that the Lords day is the time for
carrying out the injunction. 1t is this that
stamps it as an act of worship. The prin-
ciple taught is that the practice of storing
up for future distribution should be adopted
as often as person receives his wages, or
rents, or dividends, &c., be it weekly, or
monthly, or quarterly, or yearly. This is
the great proof-text which establishes the
duty of Systematic Giving. Of its effects
on Christian character, We shall write in q
future article.
What we desire especially to emphasize
now, is the apparent ignorance of our Gen.
eral Assembly in regard to the "Apostolic
plan," as it is called in the "PastOral Let.
ter" of 1871. "We suggest" says this let
ter, "that aUsekly collections be taken up in
all our churches Vhen practicable in accor-
dance with the Apostolic plan" (Minutes
page 38) The plan is good one, but 1t is
not Pauls lie says not a a0ord about week-
y collections IN tile churches. This plan was
often as impracticabIe among the Apostolic
churches as in the churches of Virginia.
Paulnever ordered the churches in Galatia
or Corinth to do any such thing, Paul was
divinely inspired, and the General Assembly
evidently was not. Paul foresaw that there
would be churches that would have preach
ing only once or twice month, or that there
would be rainy Sundays when the churches
would be almost empty. He therefore de-
vised plan that would be practicable in any
and all the churches on earth, and that would
work in bad aCeather as we'll as in good
"Let every one of you'-the rheumatics
who can't come to church and the "honorary
members" who only come on communion
Sunday-"lay by him IN stOre," literally,
treasure up at home. The Greek is para
cauto, the common expression for at home,
corresponding with the French chez sOi, and
with the German bel sich selbst; wide Rob
inson, Lex. on para; and Wner's Greek
Gramr. Part 8, sec. 48
The injunction is to lay the proportion
up at home whether the Christian goes to
church or not, and keep it there, until the
demand shall be made for it; which in this
case was not made, as we learn from Cor.
viii: 10, until at least six months after. Not
hint of any collection in the churches.
Our Assembly makes its suggestion with
bated breath, meekly, as if it feared lest it
might offend somebody, or lest some timid
church session should say, Our people will
never stand that" The Apostles plan was
much better; and he did not fear to "order"
the Galatians and Corinthians to adopt it.
Il Cor. xvi: 1.
Our comments on the rest of the verse
will need another article. j. W. 2.