The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1899-08-24
PRESIDENTS LETTER.
Contributed to North State Endeavorer. }

WINSTON. n. c.. Aug. 8. $50.
DEAR ENDEAvORERs:-W you let
me this month write all of you these
few words upon what we may call
The Financial Thermometer"
| have been interested in looking over
the reports in Dun's & Bradstreet's
reviews of trade for July, and in
| noting the unprecedented expansion
of trade and commerce, the excep-
| tionallv small number of failures,
and the generally hopeful and con-
tident spirit pervading the whole
| commercial situation. What does
this mean? Upon the very face of it,
that money is getting ''free" through
out the country, that prosperity in
material things has come again, and
that the day for talking and grum-
bling about '.hard times" is drawing
to a close.
But then comes the thought, and
that is Just what | want to speak to
| you about this month, are we letting
the Lords work reap some of the
benefit of this increase of financial
prosperity also? Are our gifts to
His causes correspondingly larger?
Has the growth of our liberality kept
| pace with the growth of our business
interests? The day is past when
great enterprises can be set on foot
whether in the church or in the mer-
camille world, without money; and
the day is also past in this country
when the church levies taxes for its
| financial support. But now it be-
comes the blessed privilege for Chris
tians to make their free-will offer
ings to the cause of the King, and to
abound in this grace Also" as Paul
saws.
The following words were spoken
in one of the addresses at Detroit
There are three nerve-centres in the
| spiritual man: The head, the heart
and the pocket book. The reason
congregations start when money is
mentioned, is because the last is the
most sensitive of the three. And yet,
did they but understand it, the phi
lanthropists are the happiest men.
True joy is in giving, not in getting.
The child who runs after the rain
bow, expecting to find the end of it
resting in pot of gold, is not more
sadly disappointed than the man who
runs after pot of gold. expecting to
find resting on it the rainbow of Joy
and peace And | want to say
'.Amen'' very loudly to what DIR.
Pounds stated SO emphatically.
You remember that in my last let
ter we talked together about ''Cheer
full Service.' I wish to say just here
that l cannot believe in consecra-
ton of anyone's service that does not
mean also the conservation of his own
| pocket book. 1t is idle to talk of the
inward desire for that ''blessed life"
as long as there is the great obstacle
of niggardliness standing in the way.
But God can do a great deal with the
man who is generous toward the
Kings work. Did you ever notice
what kind of man it is about whom
the Apostle tells us God loveth?
.God loveth a cheerful giver,' and
| Just look on the margin of your
Bibles, you will see there the full mean
ing. '.God loveth an hilarious giver.."
How utterly opposed to this hilarity
of giving is the spirit that speaks
ever of sacrifice. Well may we say
that our dollars become our spiritual
thermometer. We give our service
grudgingly, our money complaining
ly, how can the Master accept and
use either the one or the other?
But | am afraid you are beginning to
think that l am getting launched into
! a sermon. No, not that, but / am
anxious that this vital matter should
be taken up in its Scriptural bearings,
and what | draw from the Word, as
| far as my own life is concerned, is
that giving should be systematic,
| proportionate and 'shilarious.' Chris
tian Endeavor does not seek to divert
one penny of the gifts of the churches
into any distinctive c. F. line but
constantly insists that each denomi
nation should apply its own gifts to
its own needs. And with the sole ex-
ception of freewill offering on
'.North Carolina Day." the State
Union seeks to arouse liberal spirit
among Endeavorers throughout the
State simply for the upbuilding of
| the churches themselves. What a
happy day it will be when we shall
all realize that we who have been
bought with the Kings own precious
blood have the privilege of laying at
His feet all ''our treasured store"
| Yours very fraternally,
A. d. THAELER.