The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1873-04-02
For THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
THE DUTY OF CHRISTIANS IN REGARD
TO GIVING.
No. 16.


Upon the first day of the week, let every one OF
YOU lay by him In store, God has proSpered him.
| l Cor. xvi: 2.
Literally, " "whatever hath gone VeU wath
him." 1t is with this clause that We are now
concerned The Corinthian believer, after
be had received his week earnings, was re-
quired on Sunday morning to lay by in his
own house religious Offering. The first
question that pressed upon his conscience
must have been, "How much is it my duty
to devote to God?" Il want to do my whole
duty in the premises. want "to be en-.
titled to be satisfied with myself" so that |
can go to church with "the answer of a
good conscience in appearing before my
God, and be able to say with the Psalmist,
Il have kept thy precepts and thy testimo-
MES; | have hoped for thy salvation and
done thy commandments" Does Paul mean
that | am to give "all my livng?" This
question of proportion is one of the very
first Importance.
Now nothing is clearer than this; that the
gospel never intended that man should
give away all his living. 1t is pure fanati'
cism to teach this Christ never intended
that his people should pauperize themselves
or their families. Whatever a man gives
must be part of the whole. And that part
Of necessity is proportion, whether it is
6ftieth, or tenth, or a half.
But" says the objector to systematic
giving, "you speak of giving tenth; that
IS an arithmetical law, and you will never
bring the hearts of Christians under cold
arithmetical law. Arithmetic sounds of
school houses, and counting houses, and dry
statistics and other ungenerous things"
Well, it is so; and we cannot deny TITO
say you ought to give away at least tenth
is to speak the language of arithmetic. But
is the principle less sacred for that Z" "Re
member the seventh day to keep it holy" is
an arithmetical expression. And is there
any thing unhallowed in the Sabbath, be-
cause square seventh is cut off from our
time, and is just in that arithmetical proper
tion to be consecrated to God? Arithmetic
follows you wherever you 60. If you do
cot give tenth, but ninetieth, even that
is an arthmetcal proportion; and in part,
90 down however low you may, if you give
any thing, at any time, it still bears an
arithmetical proportion to the whole. If we
made tenth the highest limit, We might be
taunted with arithmetic; but when we name
it as the lOwest point where any scriptual
footing can be found, this sentimental talk
about arithmetic is an arrow that flies below
u" From Rev. VIM. Arthur, before
quoted.)
We say then that the question of proper
ton must have pressed on the Corinthian
conscience. Where was it to look for light?
To the mans own impulses? 1t is said that
the right heart needs no rule, that it is a
law unto itself Still the man has to settle
the rule of proportion. He cannot give all;
for that would convert him into an "object
of charity" It cannot be determined by
what he can spare without feeling it. This
would be a very variable quantity in different
cases, and infniteSimally small in all. Where
is the man to look for rule? The motive is
overpoweripgy strong This is the law of
Christ constraining. But the rule is to be
found in the written law Of God, and in the
history of his ancient church. The law Of
the Lord is perfect, and is an infallible guide
to duty; and that law plainly tells him that
God neuer was willing in any previous period
of the history Of the Church to accept less
than a tenth as an Evidence of His peoples
loving Him sOith all their heart.
j. w. P.