The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1875-08-25
For THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON "SYSTE
MATIC BENEVOLENCE.
(ooNcLUDED.)

\OONNhODED'J
Take another example-Dr. Stuart Rob-
inson on the $4,000 debt of the Foreign
Missionary Committee. "After anxiously
considering the question" the DR.. recon-
mends "to unite the stronger churches and
weather. individuals in an extraordinary con-
tribution to liquidate the debt" The Sec
retary gave as the cause of this deficiency
the humiliating fact, that nearly one half of
our chuyches had 4giylen ssshing to this cause;
and it is also stated that one fourth of the
churches have not contributed to any object.
Though anxously considering the question,
neither the DR.. nor any other of the breth-
rem seemed to take any alarm at the deplor-
able revelation that so large a number of the
members of our churches are living in the sim
full neglect of an essential act of worship and
most important means of grace-a neglect
-dishonoring to God, damaging to their
spiritual life and endangering their SOULS
The deficiency of $4,000 for the work of
the church is matter of anxious consider
alton :" but that more than fifteen thousand
members of our churches, shave erred from
the faith, and pierced themselves through
with many sorrows" seems to excite no So
licitude; not word of alarm is sounded.
If it were known that the members of one
fourth of our churches never. prayed, this
astounding fact would certainly excite anx-
ious consideration. But would the complaint
simply be that the church and the world
were deprived of the benefit of their prayers !
Would the "anxious consideration" 60 no
farther than to ask praying people to do
little more praying to supply the delinquency
of the prayerless ones, and leave the latter
to slumber on in spiritual lithargy? 1t may
do another good to pray for him, but it will
certainly do him damage to do his praying.
1t was doubtless we'll to ask the giving peo-
pie to give little more, but it was of more
vital Importance to induce the giftless ones
TO 90 tnelr own giving.
Rather would not the chief and absorbing
concern be that so many professed children
of God were giving unmistakable evidence of
spiritual lethargy, if not spiritual death p
Would the efforts of ministers be solely or
mainly directed Is inducing their prayerless
people to pray for others or would they la
Dor first of all to induce them to pray for
their own souls? What would their prayers
for others be worth while they prayed not
for themselves Now the "duty to honor the
Lord with thy substance" holds the same re-
lation to the individual believer and to the
outside world as does the duty of prayer
1t is the duty of every Christian to pray for
blessings upon others, but it is his prime
duty and his deepest interest to pray for the
good of his own soul; so it is every Chris
tian's duty to give of his substance for the
benefit of others, but it is his deepest inter-
est to give for his own souls good.
Is it not a matter of astOnishment that
upon the question of the chief ends of reli.
gious giving the body of the ministry seem
to be blind to the teachings both of scripture
and of common sense? Truly, Blindness
in part is happened to Israel" They fail tc
see that an empty treasury is not the disease
but only symptom. The disease is thai
insidious and fatal malady against which
Christ uttered the most emphatic warning
"Take heed and beware;;" COuetousness
which is preying upon the vitals of Gods
people. "AIl over this land'-says Rev
J. G. L." there are churches-cold, shriv
elled-up, dead things, called churches-n'