The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-05-21
ELDERS RENEW The VOWS
INTERESTING SERVICE YESTER-
DAY MORNING AT DAYTON AVE-
NUE. PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
ON SYSTEM IN GIVING
DR.. Edwards lays Before His Hear
ers the Necessity for Opening
the Hesert fe Christian
Influence.

At the regulars nsrping service at the
Dayton Avenue Presbyterian church yes
terday. three elders, srecently reelected at
special meetIHg at the congrega ton,
formally renewed their vows, and We're
installed by thefpastor The service was
simple. Standing before the rostrum
Rev. NJ. d. Edwards! the pastor, read the
constitution of The church. to which the
elders vOUchsafed their assent
DR.. Edwards, lin his morning sermon
discussed the subject of systematic Civ
ing, which he asserted was the most sat
is1actory and withal productive of the
best results. He said:
Jacob, fifteen centuries before the time
Of the apostles, made his famous VOW Of
giving back to tie Lord a tenth of all
that the Lord should give him. The
patriarch was not much of a saint at this
time. There were acts and chapters of his
life concerning which the less said the
better, and by sad experience he found
out that the way of the transgreSsor was
hard. Possibly in making that VOW, lis
motives We're net altogether of the high
est. There may have been in the transac-
ton IN element of the bargain-drfving in.
stincts that formed q large part of his
natural character, but with ill this there,
were doubtless nObler Considerations
Grace had already changed his heart.
The impulse and endeavor for higher
things were beginning to assert them.
selves ard were soon to dominate. So
that justice as we'll as charity requires
us to attribute his resolution, in meas
ure, at least, to spiritual motives 1t was
Jacobs way of confessing his obligations
to God and yOwinG allegiance. But what
ever our estimate of Jacob, or our in
depreciation of his action, there is no
doubt that in his act we have very
ancient precedent and an example worthy
of wide imitation AS we think of the
gradual rise of Jacob from the low levels
of life until al last he reaches the genu
ine sainthOod. we cannot but feel that
MS plan of giving was q very important
factor in his moral elevation. / is Just
as true today as then that there is no
more sure way to bring peace and pros
peritY to the individual, to win the favCr
OF God. the respect of men and to develop
The highest grade OF character than 70
determine solemnly, unreservedly and
cheerfuily to give back to God proper
proportion of all which he pours into our
Jap. There is suggested for our consid-
Grafton therefore a. method of right Civ
ing. Giving. Paul says. should, first OF
ALL be systematic. System is the first
law of nature. Everything in this world
around us and in this universe is govern
ed according tc q system. There is moth
ing haphazard, or merely impulsive. in
plodder who brings The world at last at
his feet. 1t is the steady. regular. every
day worker who mounts the ladder Of
achievement and leaves a life work after
him as a monument to his industry and
fidelity. System, like machinery, multi
plies production. We are here on this
earth simply as stewards; nothing is ours
all is Gods. We are simply tenants al
will: The error of the rich man in the
parable was that he mistook stewardship
for ownership, and began to talk of INV
goods and my fruits" and my barns. -
When such a man gives, he thinks he is
creating an obligation and not fulfilling
one.
Giving occupies a large place in Scrip.
ture. 1t is closely allied with all true
Christian living and growth. 1t finds a
large place in modern Christian teaching
The church as never before since the
apostolic age is practicing this plan OF
systematic proportionate giving, and re-
ceiving abundant blessing in so doing.
Giving is the very spirit of the Master.
His whole life was giving He cid not
give money, for He had none, but He gave
Himself. To catch something of His spirit
is to have instantly developed the giving
spirit We are often exercised to know