The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-02-04
For the Central Presbyterian.
According to Ability.
BY REV. H. H. HAYES.

NJ. n. H. HAVE
One OF the most interesting and encour-
aging declarations about serving God
with our substance, is found in 2 Cor.
WIN: II, If there be first a aVilLir,q
mind, 1t IS accepted according to that a
man hdth, and not according TO that he
hath not. Now, there are MANY who
seem to think that because they cannot
give much, they need not be careful to
give anything for Gods service. This is
not right. The work of Christ is suffer-
ing now, because those who feel able to
give but little, give nothing, leaving the
necessities to be attended to by those
who can give large or larger amounts.
Take church of two hundred members.
and how often is it found that contribu-
tons for the gospel come from only about
one-thtrd Of the membership A minor
lty Is bearing the whole burden of the
work. Again say, this is not right.
Let eUe'Y one glUe something, even if it be
a few pennies,-or even one! If the gift
is according to ability, God will lovingly
accept and bless it, as if it were a great
sum. The very first essential to right
practice IN this matter is to have a
willing mind. Paul said of the Mace
DOMAIN Christians "their deep poverty
abounded unto the riches of their liberal
ity, in their gifts. How did this come
about? He says they first gave their
own selves unto the Lord" And this is
what we now want; a real unreserved
conservation of self to God Then the
willing mind, such as Paul found in the
Macedonian churches, will certainly ex-
ist,-and the common begging and urg-
ing Christians to do their duty, will cease.
Instead of this, they will beg that their
gifts be received But as the case now
stands the question which every Chris
tan should ponder is" Have I given
my own self unto the Lord?' If not, no
marvel, that other gifts are withheld !
And II we are not giving according to our
ability, another question comes =" Am l
accepted of God? A mans gifts are ac-
cepted according to that he hath This
is comforting and encouraging to those who
have but little, and so, can give but little.
But if we can give, yet do not or if we
give, and can give more, yet do not, are
we accepted of God? Certainly not, if
Paul spoke the mind of God. It seems a
posture loss, also, to many, when they
give to Gods work 1t looks like throw
ing money away-as keeping the Sabbath,
is to them, like losing time. Let us get
enough and to spare, for ourselves. Then
we will be liberal towards God" All
how common is this feeling will speak
to it by quoting from Henry on Genesis
viii: 20, where he comments on Noah
acts when he came out of the ark
Though his stock of cattle was so small,
and that rescued from ruin at so great
an expense of care and pains, yet he did
not grudge to give God his dues out of it.
He might have said, Have / but seven
sheep to begin the world with, and must
one. of these seven be killed and burnt
for sacrifice? Were it not better to de-
fer it tell we have more plenty?' No to
prove the sincerity of his love and graft
tude he cheerfully gives the seventh to
his God, as an acknowledgment that all
was his, and owing to him Serving God
with our little, is the way to make it
more; and we must never think that
wasted, with which God is honored.
1t should be very suggestive and help
full, to study the above quotation And
one question more While we are wait
ing to become more able to give, what is
to become of the great work which is now
suffering sorely because its rightful sup
porters are not giving according to their
ability? AccoroGng 10 a5ihtyI This is
all that God asks!
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