Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1897-09-02
NE SUNDAY ecAooL
international Lesson for september
>, Is37-eentiIes Giving for Jewish
ChFisfInns-II Corinthians 0:1-II.


! he became poor, that ye through HIS pov-
! erty might be rich.-2 Cor SO
! THE SECTION includes the Passages re-
| ferred 70 below IN connection with aims
! Corinthians. especially CHAPTERS sarI &
TIN E--The second Ep.stlc 10 the Cor
/ inthlans was written in tie autumn Of a
\ z ~. n nearly II -. a few months after
the first Epistie
:. PiILAsc.E.-Writtsn to the cheroh il Cor
/ donia, probably Phi.spPl
EXPLANATORY
f.! l. The Need of Liberal GivirR.-Xs.
/ 1, 2. l. "As touching the .ainisterino
/ 10 the saints" Paul refers to the col
lection he was taking up in Macedonia
and Greece for the poor at Jerusalem.
The Jewish Christians were, as a rule.
from the poorer classes. The opposi-
ton TO them as Christians made il dir
ficult for them to obtain work for their
support. A large number OF the jew
ish Christians were proselytes from va
rious distant countries, and without
their natural means of support 1T is
supertiuous for me TO write to you:"
[ do not need to press upon you duty
you are so well performing e.. p. But
there were brief remarks and sugges-
tions to be made concerning it.
IL. The Power of Example in Giving.
VS.. 2-4. 2. Il boast that
Achaia," Greece, of which Corinth was
the chief city. and where was the prin-
cipal church, was ready year ago.
e Cor. s:1o). They decided to raise the
money. and began with great enthusi-
asm, but apparently their zeal had
cooled little, and the collection had
moved slowly. Your zeal hath pro-
voked:" In u good sense, stirred uD,"
awakened similar interest in other
churches.
,. Have l sent the brethren" Titus
and his two companions mentioned in
chapter Sc, l6, %. who were about to
proceed to Corinth to attend to this
matter. Lest our boasting:" Our
glorying, our praise of your generosity.
should be in vain" What a slur upon
them, what an evil example to others,
what humiliation to himself, if their
generosity should be but wind and
clouds of promise, without the rain of
good deeds. THAT We NAV
Toe ready" Prepared with the money.
collected from week to week, as the
Lord had prospered them.
4. IF they of Macedonia come with
me-" Paul was attended from CITY to
city by travelling companions, who con
Quoted him on his way. As he was
now in Macedonia, ii was in accordance
with the usual custom that Macedoni-
ans should attend him to Corinth.
III. Liberal Giving will be System
atic.-N. ). Necessary to exhort:" to
eEtreat, the brethren:" Titus and his
companions. 1t was work they did not
like. They would rather preach the
Gospel and aid Paul than to go about
raising money from those who should
have given it freely MAKE up before
hands" Put fully in order, complete.
Your bounty" Literally, your bless
ing expressed in your gifts. "Ye had
notice before:' Not announced to
them, but announced concerning them.
~. Sowing and Reaping. One Great
Principle in Giving-N 6. HE which
soweth sparingly:" This is the uni
verssll law. observed on every hand.
"Bountifully," with blessings. The
plural denotes a variety of blessings"
Beet. The two laws of sowing are,
first, we shall reap what we SOW, or
what naturally grows from the seed.
If we sow to righteousness. we shall
reap righteousness; if we SOW to the
happiness Of others, we shall reap that
happiness.
The second law is: That we shall reap
in proportion to the sowing, only more
abundantly. II we do little for others,
if we give little for the progress Of the
world if wa e.r,a~,I 1f++la
IN growing good, or doing good, the
results will be small.
Y. The Cheerful Giver.-y. :. "As he
purposeth in his heart" As his heart
decides that he should give. Not
grndgingly:" Literally. out of sorrow,
constrained 10 give when he would
rather not. as he would take a disagree
able medicine, or have a tooth pulled.
God loveth a cheerful giver.". There
IS no installing its import God loves
n whole-souled giver-one who il not
ashamed of the cause for which he
gives-one who, with a strong buoy
ant, joyous confidence in the cause, in
the men who are working with him for
il, and. above all. in the God who di-
reefs the work, gives freely, heartily
and with a swing
VI. The Divine Rewards of Liber-
ahty.-Ns. Sill. S. God is able to make
all grace abound" Graee-favor. gift.
whether temporal or spiritual. the
means Of giving, as well as cheerfulness
in the act THAT We having all
sutficiency;" 1t is the state OF mind
which, needing nothing but the barest
necessaries. regards ali other things as
supertiuities, to be parted with when
ever the needs of others require them.
That We may abound to every
good work" Cod has dealt bounti-
fully with us that we may he able to
be bountiful in helping others
10. Now he that ministereth." j. e,
God. Both minister's" This is not a
prayer, but a statement Of fact. Bread
for your food" He viii take care that
your own wants are cared f1r. Null