The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-12-19

That it is a Christian duty to give is
TOO plain to require discussion. That a
true Christian will give is perhaps
equally true. What say the Eternal
Scriptures of Inspiration? Freely we
have received, freely give" "Give, and
it shall be given unto you" Cast thy
bread upon the waters; for thou shalt
find it after many days" There are
other Scriptures to the same end. To
whom are you to give? To thy God and
to God's poor. Thou shall open thine
hand wide unto thy brother, to thy
poor, and to thy needy, in thy land"
"As we have opportunity let us do
good unto all men, How much must
we give? That is very important. We
know a man in this city who used to
give $14 to $15 a year, measuring his
standard of duty by his neighbours
standard. Twelve years ago his atten-
ton was profoundly awakened as to
the great, positive duty of giving-of
serving as an honest almoner for the
Lord. He fought the battleout on his
knees in his poverty, and rising up
with a solemn promise to Almighty
Father he changed about and where he
gave SIS to the church and the poor he
has ever since given $3.50 or more each
year., and he is still poor but rejoic-
ing. How much is the question? We
asked an excellent Episcopal minister
eight or ten years ago if he had studied
the Jewish 1.-THE. He said not, in the
sense we meant. But l nave studied
it enough not to allow any Jew to give
to his God more than / give to my Saw
Jour" What does God say about it?
Listen: And of all that thou shalt
give me, 1 will surely give the tenth
unit thee" Honor the Lord with thy
substance" Thou shalt give unto the
Lord thy God, according as the Lord
thy God has blessed thee" Paul in
L Corinthians, 1872, lays down even a
higher standard of giving, that it shall
be "as God hath prospered him"
Then with what spirit shall you give?
"God loveth a cheerful giver." eff
there be first a willing mind it is &C
cepted." Give literally, willingly,
cheerfully and get the blessed from
giving. 1T is more blessed to give than
to receive 1.-THE liberal soul shall be
made fat; and he that watereth shall
be watered unto himself"
The Apostle Paul in Ephesians /,
10-11, sets forth distinctly that those
who are saved and have obtained an
inheritance" ave don so by being
justified according to the purpose of
Him who worke all things after the
counsel of His own will" That is clear
enough. He had before this, in some
of the verses before commented upon,
as in other epistles, set forth very
clearly the glorious privileges in the
blessed Gospel of the Son of God, and
Just what were the tests and charac-
ter of those who saved through faith
in Christ should come to the everlast-
ing inheritance. He now shows how
God had appointed for he heirs of sal
walton. the redeemed and sanctified, a
blessed inheritance" an inheritance
that is undefled and adeth not away,
but in the Heavenly Canaan, the
Saints everlasting rest. "Tha we
should be to the praise of His glory,
who first trusted in Christ" Having
by faith and the work of the Holy
Spirit become heirs of the inheritance,
and IONS of God, partakers of the di-
vine life, all this should be Ito the
praise of His wv glory" Some are In
Christ-accept Christ, are sons of God,
before others. Hence the phrase who
first trusted in Christ" Paul in Ro-
mans refers to this, saying VINO
were in Christ before u.s." Who can
be against the chosen of God. His elect
children, the true believers, the born
into the Kingdom of Righteousness,
the joint heirs with Christ, the sons OF
God? Why shall believers in Christ,
who are fully consecrated, most de-
voutly loving and honoring their re-
gdeemer, seeking hourly to glorify Him,