Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1898-04-21
Enthusiastic Giving to Missions.

This implies great deal. Christ
Himself is the model He gave Him
self, and taught us that the disciple is
not greater than his Lord. To my
mind enthusiastic giving to missions
implies conservation Of mind, heart,
talents, time, prayer, faith and abiding
trust. Paul teaches us to lay by, IN
the first part of the week, something
for the church That means giving to
the church abroad, as well as at home !;
for if we don't give to the one, we
won to the other. True enthusiastic
giving to missions means to give to
every enterprise Of the church. The
church at home and the church abroad
are so closely knit together that to
stint one is to stint the other There
fore we must think much upon the
subject; plan for it, pray over it, and
when We have given we must have an
implicit faith in God S almighty power
to care for our gift and to direct it to
the very place where He wants it nsed !;
for God cannot use us nor our money
unless we continually exercise a lively,
loving faith, a restful abiding trust, a
vigorous inspiring hope, both in Him
and in His servants, who have charge
of the masters work at home and
abroad. Some say We will support
the gospel at home, but we don't be-
lieve in missions. These persons GER
taiuly have. not studied the Bible on
the subject of missions. Christ Him
self was the first missionary, and the
most enthusiastic giver the cause of
missions has ever had. To believe i'll
Christ with al the heart unto saliva
ton is to believe in missions. To give
to Christs cause is to give to missions.
To successfully carry on any enter
prise we must be filled with enthusi-
asm on the subject. The preacher is
full of his work. This is enthusiasm;
so is the farmer, the merchant, the
temperance worker and the Lacquer.
They are all fall of enthusiasm on the
subject of their various callings. So
should every Christian heart pray for
divine enthusiasm in the matter of
giving to the sacred cause of missions,
But there is danger Of lapsing into
fanaticism, which may be taken for
enthusiasm. The one kills, the other
makes alive. Enthusiasm is life, vigor,
vim, and is attended by wholesome
progress. 1t is life-giving in its ma
ture. Take enthusiasm out Of a per-
son engaged in any good work, and
the work will die and the person
might as well. Fanaticisn rushes heed
lessly on without doing anything or
anybody good, throws the whole ma
chinery Of the church out Of order and
soon dies and sleeps in an unknown
grave. Enthusiasm is divine energy
in the soul, the oil that causes all the
good machinery of the church to run
smoothly. 1t realizes the truth Of
what the loving Saviour meant when
he said, without me We can do moth
ing"
The church that has not a good live
Woman's Missionary Society in it, full
Of consecrated enthusiastic givers, is a
church that has a name to live, and
is yet dead The man in the Bible
who said most to encourage women tc
work in the church was Paul, and he
says we must give cheerfully-ot
course he meant the men too. En-,
thusiastic giving is therefore the secu.
lar enterprise of the church Of God il
the earth, and we who desire to pro.
mote His cause among men must be
filled with the subject of enthusiastic
giving We are always 50 glad to
give to those whom God has given u
to love. The true father and mother
the true husband and wife, are so hap
Ply to give in every possible way tt
those of the dear circle which com.
prise the home. And when we dc
truly love Jesus we are so glad to give
to His church, especially to missions
Supreme love to God and love TO GU
feIlowmen begets therefore enthusiastic
giving.