St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-12-12
Wilderness Offerings.
BY REV. ]. G. HALL.

"Speak unto the children of Israel, y
said God to Moses, "that they bring me
an offering; every man that giveth it
willingly, with his heart, gold and sill
yer, and brass, and blue, and purple,
and fine linen" etc.
To an appeal like this, in the very
peculiar circumstances in which the
chosen people then were, a mere human
prudence might have answered, "Sure-
ly these travelling and tented ones may
we'll be excused from such costly offer
ings, Just out from the house of bond
age, under the Tigors of which they long
groaned, and where they had opportu-
nifty to gather and accumulate but little.
They are now wanderers in strange
country, and what little they have they
will sorely need when they reach the
promised land. The present is fit time
fer indulgence"
In strain approaching this would
Moses, doubtless, have answered the
Lord, had he been of the mind that too
many of even Gods pIofessed people
are of. But he was not of that mind,
and so no such answer escaped his lips.
And Obeying God, he proceeded, as di-
rected to speak to the people, though
not in direct command, since it was all
conditioned on their willingness.
And then, behold how promptly those
wayfaring people responded; coming,
both men and women, as many as were
willinghearted, and brought bracelets,
and earrings, and rings and tablets, all
jewels and gold. These, it would seem,
were the women. "And every man."
fIn
was found blue, and purple, and scarlet
and fine linen, and goats hair, and red
skins of rams, and badgers skins,
brought them"
And so the animated scene moved on.
The treasury soon overlooked with the
prOfuse offerings. Precious stones, onyx
stones, and stones to be set for the
ephOd, sparkled around. And of spice,
and oil for the light. and for the anoint-
ing oil there was no lack. And all was
willingly given, since no grudging Civ
er was permitted to have Il part in the
matter. And thus Gods Tabernacle,
all beautified and adorned, went up
even in the desOlate wilderness, and
among people long enslaved and i'm
pOverished.
And how cutting the rebuke that
might come justly to many of us, in
these our favored times, from that far
Oft, ancient wilderness scene! For,
would the saying be extravagant, that
many Christian lady, in almost any of
our ordinary congregations, wears on
her fingers or in her ears, rings of gold
and precious stones, or on her Shout
ders, garments of more money value
than she, in all her life, ever gave into
Gods earthly treasury And, without
doubt, there are lying, in our numerous
Christian households, or deposited else
where in safe places, jewels and trink-
cts, comparatively useless, but of large
value enough, in the aggregate, to
sustain the cause of God bountifully
among ourselves, and to spread it
abroad over the world, as on the wings
of the wind.
Is there no prOfessed Christian broth
er among us, who carries about with
him daily, watch with its appropriate
appendages, of mole cost than all that
he ever gave in all his life to the cause
of God? And if so, what a rebuke
should he take to himself, from this old
scene of free-will offerings in the will
derness, since all these things happen
ed unto them, and are recorded for our
admonition, upon whom the ends of the
world are come. And because, further,
If from the great and solemn future to
which we travel so rapidly, any are
compelled to look back and see, that
while passing through life they treated
themselves to superfuities of more val
lie than all the offerings they ever made
to the Lord their God, how is it posi-
BILE for them to escape much shame,
and very deep and lasting regret p
American MESSENGER.