The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1886-01-20
For the Central Presbyterian.
The Embarrassment of our Com.
mittees of Home and Foreign
MisSionS-Where the
Fault Lies.
Fault Lies.

Missions-Where the
Fault Lies.
MeSSrS. EditOrS,-No one who has the
Masters cause at heart can fail to be
mortified at the necessity for the special
appeals which our Secretaries of Home
and Foreign Missions have to publish in
the religious newspapers every few
months in order to clear our benevolent
schemes of debt. The year 1885 has
closed with debt of $4,000 against the
Sustentation Fund and $l4 900 against
that of Foreign Missions
Where does the fault lie? 1t has been
the fashion OF late to make scape. goats Of
the Secretaries that they may bear the
weight of this sin and ease the consciences
of Gods ministers and people. The ques
ton Is constantly asked, Why do not
the Secretaries and Committees conduct
the affairs committed to them according
TO business principles ?" Some of the
what they would do if they had the man.
agement of these benevolent schemes
George Eliot makes the remark in one of
her books that 1.-the husbands of old
maids are always well-managed. 1t is
an easy matter Tor the brethren to whose
hands the Church has not seen fit to in
trust these schemes, to instruct the Sc
cretaries and Committees as to how the
business ought to be managed. 1t is far
less trouble to attend to other peoples
business than to manage our own. Very
often it happens that We are so much
taken up with thinking about what other
people ought to do, that we forget en-
tirely what we ourselves ought to do.
We say to our brother, Let me pull out
the Sa1U dust out of thine eye; and be-
hold, a SGuIOg is in our own eye.
Now, Messrs. Editors, it is to be very
much feared that some of US have been
so much taken up with "plans our Secre-
taries ought to adopt" that we have for
gotten to consider the duty that lies next
to US in this matter. And this, [ ween,
is in large part the answer to the ques-
ton, Where does the fault lie ?" The
writer of this article is not, he trusts,
writing in the spirit of captious criticism.
He was at one time inclined to Join with
those who blame our Secretaries and
Committees. But he has seen the error
Of his way, and is now trying to obey the
divine command, When thou art con-
verted, strengthen thy brethren. -
Would to God we were all as earnest and
Jealous in doing our part as our noble
Secretaries are in doing theirs
Let US consider, then, what aOe ought
to do, not what they ought to do. What
Is the duty that lies next to us2 q speak
to my fellow ministers) Why, evident,
ly, to preach the word" to declare
the whole counsel of God" rightly di-
viding the Word Of Truth We are
rightly dividing this Word, when we
give to the people, day by day. the part
that they need The words OF the
holy men who spake as they were moved
by the Holy Ghost" are compared TO
goads. (Eccle. xii I'D Now the goad
was used to bestir the lazy OK and make
him pull the pillow with quicker step
When we look at the statistics and see
how little our people are giving, no won
der that the gospel pillow moves so slowly
and seems at times to stall What the
people need is the goud which God has
put into our hands. Let us use it, pray
ing that the Holy Spirit will apply it
first to our own hearts, and then cause it
to pierce through all Indifference and
selfshness and stiDginess to the hearts Of
our people.
Brethren, are we teaching our people
that giyingis worship prov. iii 81, that
it is a Christian grace % Cor. viii y,
that is one of the fruits of the Spirit
(Rom. XIV: 1928 Phil. iv: 102 Do
not many of rs limit our appeals on this
subject TO q few hurried words as to the
need Of a liberal collection, Just before
the basket is passed around We have
not discharged our duty in simply doing
this. We must 90 deeper into the sub
jet than this. We must apply the goad
with al our might, in dependence on the
Holy Ghost. We must preach to the
people on the Bible doctrine Of Christian
giving Otherwise we shall be guilty Of
not declaring unto them the aOhole
counsel Of God, and Of failing rightly
to divide the Word Of Truth" Breth.
rem, cit is high time for us to awake out