Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1891-10-27
sr,Ncy CHURCH MEMBERS.

The Pastors Conference held its reg
ular meeting In the Y. NJ. c. A. parlors
at > O'Clock yesterday afternoon.
The conference was called To order
by DR.. Muihern. the vice-president. and
the Rev. Thomas Smith conducted the
devotional exercises
The Rev. j. b. Hubbs then read the
paper OF the day, entitled The Finan-
sial Relation Of Gods People TO Him
and His Works" 1.-The Bible is very
dogmatic on this subject" said DR..
Hubs. Every Jew understood ex-
actly what this relation was, and
would not dare come before his Lord
empty and he would hesitate TO
offer his Lord that which cost him
nothing. We think OF Rome as pos
sessing measureless wealth, yet the
income OF several firms in this country
is each greter than the revenues OF
the whole Roman empire in the days
OF Augustus. One-fifth OF this wealth
is owned by church members, and a
large share of the remainder by regu-
lar church goers. No other 20,000,OOo
people on the face of the globe are so
wealthy as the 10000. 900 church COM
municants in the United States, yet
the amount OF money given by these
church members for the service of
God and man is very small, and is
in no proportion to their income. And
even this small sum Is not given cheer
fully, but Is yielded after the most
systematic and persistent begging. 1t
would be natural to suppose that the
primary and ESSENTIAL work of a Chris
tian, and that which was last ordered
by the Divine Master, would be car
ried out; yet IN proportion TO the
number OF comm unicants, only one
sixteenth OF one per cent. Is given
for missions. BY the parable OF the
talents, in which the servants were
held accountable, not simply for a
small portion of the increase, but for
both the principle and interest. Christ
evidently means to teach that every
dollar belongs to God and should serve
| Him. Hence Christian must not
only make good use OF his money, but
the bset: and 1t Is his duty to proper
tionately and systematically use II
! for the work OF Christ. A member OF
| the church should not give spasmodi-
cally, but systematically; he shonld
settle some fair proportion OF his In
come, one-fifth, one tenth, or one-tweh
tieth. and devote lit sacredly to the
cause of God. II this were done the
cause OF Righteousness would never Ike
lacking in money. II every communi-
| cant in the United States gave q
| penny q day for missions, the amount
| would be $4,000. 900 annually; the
the present amount is $6,000,000. Thf
| man who does not give systemati-
| cally IL apt to think he Is giving M
| the time. =
I'VE can not cure the shams IL
| Christian living which God sees today
| as He looks on the bank accounts and
| daily expenses of His people. but we
| can bring about a different state ol
affairs in the generations to come.
| Fathers and mothres should not teach
the worldly principle OF get get
until the character OF their children
become like the Dead Sea into which
the Jordan Of Gods mercy flows only
to turn sour and bitter because there
| II no outlet"
The paper was generally discussed
by the clergvmen present. At the next
meeting the Rev. Osborn will read n
| paper on "Scriptural and Common.
sense Authropology."