The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1890-04-17
TIE BLESSED IN GIVING.

uIdDJ w ldfC CCCIl uLlClCd "
Jesus in his sermon on the
Mount, but such was not the
case. We would naturally look
for it in the account of the life
and saying Of Christ as given by
one Of the four apostles, but
their writing contain no record
Of any such statement. Yet the
Lord Jesus is the author Of that
sentence, and those who believe
the New Testament must accept
it as a truth. though human ma
ture as we find it, stands out to
contradict il. If the question
was to be argued before a jury,
with the experience OF human
nature cOntending on one side
against Revelations on the other,
that He as the advocate Of the
negative, of human nature could
make ont clear Case of the
faIsity Of the statement.
What is the Gu ief end of man?
TO this question Revelations an
sWers, "TO love God and enjoy
him for ever" But what is the
answer of human nature, Of hu-
man experience to this question?
"To gain, to get all you can and
to hold to what you get"
OF those who ale not real and
professed chris ians, the upright
and moral man strives to accu-
mulate; using every means with
in the bounds of honesty; the
sharp, shreWd unprincIpled man
knows no limit to his means of
gain, save the vengeance Of the
law, a still lower class of men
disregard all appearance Of hon
esty, defy the law go the deaper-
ate limit of Life itself to get and
hoard up gain. The testimony
of all these meu is that receiv-
ing is more blessed than giving.
There are various classes Of
givers: One gives to charitable
purposes because tits q good in
v,stment, a good advertise
ment, assists h III to make more
gain; another gives because it is
fashionable, another because a
friend asks him to do so, and SO
on, but none Of them because
they are happy in doing so, not
because they experience soul
pleasure i'll giving. The testi
mony Of all these men Will be
against the truth of our text.
Yes, the whole history Of the
past and the examples of the
present speak ont in thunder
tones that gain, gain is the grea
desideratum of mankind.
But our text is not only Lht
voice Of inspil atom, it is more
1t is the voice of God himself
and He is truth.
Then what does our text mean
Let us answer by asking 70
whom is it more blessed to give
than to receive? All! now w,
have it, The regenerated, tn
| renewed man. We cannO; SCI
, that for WI ich we have N
eyes; we cannot hear that f0
which we have no eals; we caIl
not feel that for which we hay,
t no spiritual heart. The renew
s ed man, the consecrated chris
tan alone can understand, ca
. appreciate, can feel the blessed
ness Of giving. May God he |
: us all TO reach that state and e1
perience that blessing.
i AMERICA AND AMERICAS RELIGIo,
. The New York Star say
= The Rev. DR.. Gottbeil lecture
in the Temple Emanu- Ell, Eft
3 avenue, on the subject, OH
l Religion of American Not On
> of Theology" He began h
- discourse by quoting Mr.. Glat
'. stone as saying that the Amer
u can Declaration Of independent
~ and the Constitution Of IL
i" country are the most wonderfl
productions which have ev'
% emanated FROM the brain
:. man in q given time. He s,Ii
~ eve have the testimony
. England's greatest statesma
&c indorsing the divorce Of Churc
" and State, while he is not on
d profound scholar, but a stant
supporter of that church"
n. The preacher pointed O
that both nations hal beDeftt
by the Declaration IF Indepe
dence. "What shall We say
k he added. "rhat the Unit,
States Government is witho
religion? BY no means. I no
. Cnat there Is no earthly COVER
lie. ment which has more soul
re- religious principles embodi
he in its system. Our form of i
ne publican government is t
81 essence oil reiigion---name
in. individual self-gover n N I
So When the trainers of that &c
So stitution said, we hold the
we truths to be self vident, I'll
' ls all men are created equal, til
" they are endowed by the Great
hat with certain inalienable RICH
up thatamong these are life, liber
aid and the pursuit of happine;
the ne, they preached grand serm
,ii on the Golden Rule: do I'LL
nm. others as you would they shot
LII do INTO Won When thew c.