St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1895-09-06
STATE MISSION WORK.
Ought the Ladies' Belonging to nome
Mission Churches 10 be Excused from
from Helping in the State Work?

ont theirOWn state. They are recelV
inc aid from outside, and are indebt
ed to Others who are doing for them
One way in which they can discharge
this obligation is to join in efforts
for the general good. Freely ye
have received, freely give" This rule
stands good for all. 1t is a narrow
and selfish policy that excludes care
for other churches and seeks only to
build up ones own.
By entering into the state work
ladies belonging to mission churches
gain theimpulse that comes from asso'
citation with other workers; they be
come acquainted with new ard Ct
fective methods, and receive helpful
suggestions which might not come
to them apart by themselves. Iron
sharpeneth iron" So the workers
on different fields quicken and inspire
one another, and thereby become
more efficient at home. Those who
are afraid to undertake anything
abroad will probably be feeble instru-
ments in their own churches. 1t is
generally true, the more we do the
more we find we can do, God is al
ways ready to use the willing hearts
and hands.
A mistaken sentiment prevails in
many of the new and weak churches.
They say, I'VE are poor, and have
no money to give, therefore we can
not at present help in the state
work" But it should be remember
ed that all mission work is not Civ
ing money: perhaps it is not the
chief thing. Certainly if that were
all, the work would lack many very
important elements. 1t is the laying
OF ones heart to it that makes it
succeed. 1t is so in any enterprise,
but especially so in mission work.
And this, consecrated women in mis-
sion churches can do as we'll as
others. They can at least meet to-
gether and pray; they can read and
learn what Others are doing, and
what the great needs about them
are. They can ask the Lord for some
share in the general work, and then
take up the thing at hand with full
purpose to do all they can.
/ have in mind a Christian lady
who has very little money to give
compared with others she is associa-
ted with, and yet she is regarded as
one of the most efficient and success.
full and needed helpers in the mission
circle to which she belongs. Why
Because she lays her heart to the
work. She informs herself with re.
gard to the new missions-the waste
places. She keeps abreast of all tina
is being done in the broad field. She
plans and watches for opportunities
she seeks to interest those about her
and inspire them; she takes the
Home Missionary, and lends it; she
circulates leaflets on missionary sub
jects and information from news.
paper articles; she enlarges the
scope of her vision to take in the
needs of other churches as well as her
own. But, having done all this, she
does not stop here; she has so learn
ed to deny herself for Christs sake
and to sacrifice in order that shC
may have to give, that perhaps the
Lord is saying of her, "She hath cast
more in than all they which have
cast into the treasury.
1t is not an uncommon thing wher
the ladies belonging to a mission
church are invited to become auxiI
iary to the State Society, to say
"We should like to be associated will
upu but we =. rn ,,no bIa r., ,o,I =, -,
any money, We need every cent w
have to carry on the work in on
own church and we are scarcely abb
now to obtain the necessary furnish
ings; when we are stronger we Wi
undertake more"
This is dangerous ground. Sur
posing that church does groN
stronger, and comes to self-support
it is generally true that with enlare
ed capacity comes also a demand 70
Increased outlay on herself, and S
the time is delayed, and who sha
say when the day will ever come tina
she has got beyond her own need, an
able to extend aid to others? TT
only safe way is to begin now, an
trust God to multiply the seed fC
sowing.
How do we teach our children
regard to benevolence? That b
causp thew have l;ttla or ,o+h;ac,