The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1873-04-23
For THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
THE DUTY OF CHRISTIANS IN REGARD
TO GIVING.
No. 18.

No. 18.
| AS God hath prospered him. l Cor xvi: ..
The question about the tenth having been
definitely settled, the Corinthian convert
would inquire, SIS the tenth the proper pro
portion for me under the gospel? The law
says, at least TENTH; is that enough for
me ?"
His first impulse, as warm-hearted Chris
tian, would be to err on the other side to
make the very mistake which the saints al
Jerusalem had made, and Which made them
objects Of charity at this time. In the
warmth of their early love for Christ, they
had practised sort of sacred agrariansm
and pauperized themselves. "The mother
church had been impoverished in part by the
community of goods soon after Pentecost. "
christian F. Kling) Taking warning from
the noble error of those he was now called
on to relieve, he would sit down to sober
calculation of the proportion he ought to
consecrate to God.
Let US suppose the case of Corinthian
in the common walks of life whose wages
were paid every Saturday night. For the
sake of clearness, suppose that his wages
were 100 denarii; and that to support his
family he spent rs, and put away 25 for a
rainy day. Or to reduce the thing to modern
standards; that his weekly income was $50,
and that he laid up S..
Remembering the examples of Abraham
and Jacob, and the law of Moses, he would
without any doubt as to his duty, clay by
at home on the first day of the week." one
ten4h, or 50, out of his weekly earnings.
But suppose God SO prospered him that his
/ weekly income sometimes reached $40 per
week. Would the conservation of one tenth,
or 81, satisfy his conscience now? Shall he
give only one-tenth of his prosperings now,
when, as before, he needs only SIS per
week? Shall he spend SIS, give God only
S4, and lay up for himself S21? Would
that be giving as God had prospered him
Would he not be hasting to get rich, if he
should do this? The enlightened Corinthian
would say, "when l was netting S. week,
1 gave God two,ffths of my increase; and
shall l give Him less now that He has pros
pered me SO abundantly? 1 will still give
taOo ftths of my increase, which is now $25.
will surely give ten dollars week now,
which is One.fourtA of my gross income.
Of course, this is merely an illustrative
case intended to exemplify the doctrine, that
as our profits increase above the demands Of
our family necessities, the ratio, or proper
ton of our givings should rise also.
Without arguing this, we shall now give
an example drawn from real, modern Chris
tian life.
In November, 1921, Nathaniel R. Cobb
of Boston, at the age of %, drew up the
following document
"By the grace of God, will never be
worth more than so, 600 dollars.
"By the grace of God, 1 will give one
fourth of the net profits of my business tc
charitable and religious uses.
"If am ever worth 90 900 dollars, viii
give one half of my net profits; if am ever
worth 30 900, will give three fourths and
the whole after so, 900 dollars. So help me
God; or give to a more faithful steward, and
set me aside. N. R. COBB.
November, 1921.
He adhered to this covenant with con
scentious fidelity. At one time, finding hii
property had increased beyond $4,000 dol
lars, at one stroke of the pen, he gave the
surplus, 81, 500, to theological institution
which had already received from him SIS,
900.
We see how he lived; let US see how h,
died.
In his last sickness, this is what he said
"Within the last few days, have had som'
glorious views Of heaven. 1t is indeed {
glorious thing to die. have been ACTIVE
and busy in the world. l have enjoyed i
as much as any one. God has prosperec
me. l have every thing to tie me here.
am happy in my family. [ have propert.
enough. But how small and mean thing
does this world appear on a sick bed Moth
ing can equal my enjoyment in the nea
prospect of heaven. My hope in Christ il
worth infinitely more than all other things
The blood of Christ. The blood of Christ
None but Christi
Blessed saints The fragrance of lif
like them will diffuse perfume through tn
} ages.
J Oh! reader, you say, "Lst me die tn