The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-05-24

thereby to forfeit her queenly supre-
macy, and weakens her authority among
men. Earthly organizations can pros.
per on numbers and wealth, but the
Church may starve to death, and the
DEVILS vultures pick her bones, while
luxuriating in untold wealth of gold and
crowded with adoring congregations of
the mighty Of the earth. The power of
the Church. being purely spiritual, is in
her Christ-likenees, and 1t can never be
measured by the size and splendor of
her buildings, the gold and silver In her
cohers. or the numbers and wealth Of
her adherentS. In the dark ages Rome
had all these. Nations bowed to her
scepter; kings begged for her favors;
gold and silver lined her Churches. But
amid the darkness and corruption Of
those evil times, the devil must have
enjoyed . Rip Van Wrinkle zap, and
nave simply committed the interests Of
his Kingdom to the popes, priests,
churches, monssteries and nunneries Of
the day.
When the church sells out to the
world the devil can get his work done
1t half price. Men who will give
nothing to the Church az an institution
for the promotion of scrtptural holiness
are frequently found among the active
supporters Of the Church entertain
ments, They are wise enough to dis
Germ the compromise there is In the
move, and. accepting II as . compliment
to the Church to descend to their level,
they hasten to receive her to their god
less embrace. o how are the mighty
fallen! "Woe to the rebellious child
rem, saith the Lord, that take counsel,
but not OF me. Therefore shall
the strength of Pharoah be your shame,
and the trust in the shadow Of Egypt
your confusion" "Woe to them that 90
down to Egypt for help; and stay on
horses and trust in hariots. because
they are many; and in horsemen, be-
cause they are very strong; but they
look not unto the holy One of Israel,
neither eek the Lord!" Elsa. Xxx. La,
XXI. ~ The Church that goes down
to Egypt 1.-THE world) for its strength
and support, will find, like Sampson,
locks, and its strength Is gone. Let
the Church seek her power in the upper
chamber Of prayer, conservation, and
waiting upon God, and she will have no
need to beg at the doors of her Lords
enemies.
ITO say that the Church of Christ can.
not be sustained without these con-
trivauces 20 begulle the world into It's
support 10 to confess that Christianity
10 fsilure. The practical effect Of
such lamentable confession 10 to lower
the religion OF the Bible in the estima-
ton OF the very persons whom 1t seeks
your God must be In great need Of
money, II may Judge by the tricks
which the Churches practice to get IL
for Him Thus Is the spread of the
gospel hindered by this confessed weak
ness" o.
VII. These things hinder the princi-
pie of religious giving.
l, The Bible constantly insists on the
Lords property rights. "The earth is
the Lords, and the fullness thereof; the
world, and they that dwell therein"
(Ps. xiv. ~ From this basis the Lord
Is no beggsr among men, nor must His
cause be pRuperized in the world: "All
the 1.-THE Of the land is the Lords: IL ia
Our God does not beg among the child.
rem Of men for pittances to support His
institutions, but He levies His taxes
with authority. When the people re-
fuse to pay their tithes he boldly de-
mands: will man rob God? Yet ye
have robbed me in tithes and
offerings" (Msl. i'll. Silly Thus God
enforces His just claims upon our in
come. without continuing entertain
ments TO juggle with the pleasure-loving
for an uncertain contribution to the
expenses Of the Church.
2. Or, again, we are allowed to coma
slider giving to Gods cause, with pure
motives, as an investment from which
we may expect glorious dividends, In
heavens own currency: Lay up for
yourselves treasures in heaven, where
neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and
where thieves do not break through nor
steal" He that hath pity upon the
poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that
which he hath given will he pay him
again" (Matt. vi. 20; Prov. xix. ~
Thus, treasure may be laid up for our
selves In heaven; and what we give may
be paid to US again. But all these en-
sertainment schemes of money getting
come between God and the soul, and
thus undermine the Bible principle OF
spiritual holy giving, where the giver
stands face to face with God. and turns
the perishable coins of earth into the
nnperishable currency Of the New Je-
rusalem.
8. God would pluck out OF our hearts
the vile root Of selishness. 80 he puts q
premium on pure giving. ut is more
blessed to give than to receive" (Acts
Xxx. 35), we're the words of our Lord
Jesua; GOD loveth cheerful giver;"
"He which soweth sparingly shall reap
also sparingly; and he which soweth
bounsfully shall reap also bountifully;"
therefore see that ye abound In this
grace Also" e Cor. TX. 6, z. viii. Z }
Giving, like prayer, may lose ell re-
ward from heaven. These are alike
tender plants that may flourish as
heavenly fruit.producers only in holy
soil, where the dews Of grace distill and
the warm sunlight of the Fathers ap-
probation bring forth divine life. Any