The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-01-16

| lnU UP llJO MY lace Ill Jne pulplb. n
cold chill smote me. withdrew my
gaze from things below, and felt GER
tain that my cause was lost. Elder Mix
told me at noon that the collection
amounted to eleven dollars! Covered
with modification and confusion of
face, l iourneyed home the next day,
piling up resolutions to keep my own
vineyard as we'll as l could, and never
to 60 again to another place to ask
money for our new church. A meeting
of the congregation was speedily called.
| made my report. stating the facts as
have here been related, and | closed by
saying: "And now, brethren, If there is
any more begging done, you will do it;
my work is here, and my duty is to
preach to you, not to the churches scat
tered abroad"
To my qualification they said they
would see what more they could do
among themselves. Then he who had
given three hundred sat down quickly
and wrote one hundred and fifty more;
and he who had given two hundred
added one hundred TO his subscription,
and it came to pass that in this way,
each one giving one half more, the
third quarter OF the required sum was
raised. The house was built and dedi-
Gated, and when the seats were sold the
fourth quarter was received and the
church was paid for! To my knowledge
nothing was received from abroad.
Some Of the people may have had
friends who sent them something, but
i believe the whole was raised by the
cheerful, self-denying offerings of the
people themselves. It is not within my
knowledge that one of them ever felt
poorer for what he had done, or had a
feeling of regret The church stands
on the hill in the village to-day-Rev.
A. r. Olney is the excellent and sue
cessful pastor-and when you are going
to Saratoga and the train stops at Balls
ton, look out of the window on the right
hand and you will see a solid brick
church with a tall spire, very near the
station. The large square building OPP
posite is the court house in which the
infant enterprise was Graded, and in
which l received ordination "by the
laying on of the hands Of the Presby-
terry"
That is the story to show you how
two cents built church. II is quite
probable that the congregation would
have been encouraged to keep on beg
ging abroad if had raised hundred
dollars that day. And II they had kept
on they would have failed and have
gone into debt or abandoned the work.
Therefore Ithank those good men who
contributed copper apiece. They
gave according to their views Of their
duty. And in my humble Judgment
they were right. No obligation was on
them TO build church in Ballston.
And when the Ballston people saw that
others would not help them, they Just
helped themselves, and the Lord is the
helper OF all such, in all times and
places. There is no better friend than
He, and next to Him your best friend is
yourself.
II is not unlikely that many of my
readers are heartily tired of this reitera-
ton on my part Of the duty Of self-help.
Some demonstrate with me, and say
that it discourages charity and shelters
selfishness. 1t doth not appear so to
me. The luxury of giving is not en-
joyed until you give clear down to
where you feel it. And when yor do
that you have usually given all that is
needed. And there is exquisite de.
light IN doing good thing Yourself,
without being boosted by strangers.
God loves to be admired by His saints,
and there is no sin in that holy glow OF
joyful emotion the soul feels when use.
full results have followed our giving
and doing. The chief end of man is in
that glow. 1t is clarifying and enjoy
ing God who is in us to win and do His
pleasure. Blessed are they who dc
His will; giving themselves and their
possessions TO Him wis died for us and
rose again. To His name be praise
"IrenGtls," in ~ Y. Observer.