Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-05-15
REV. J. E. THACKER.
At The Second Presbyterian
Church On Christian Giving.
A Forceful Sermon On Sunday Morning On
Tho Blessedncss or Giving From Tho
Text, 1t Is More blessed To Give Than
To Receive Acts 2O-.3.
Mr.. Thacker said, in part:

mere are many passages in Scrip
ture which are perfect gems. so full
are they of sublime thought Look at a
few: Blessed are the peace-makers,
for they shall be called the children of
God Blessed are the merciful. for
they shall obtain mercy Blessed are
the pure in heart, for they shall see
Cod but the few words of the text
seem TO include them all. Had it not
been for the giving of Christ to do in
our stead we could never have had
peace. There is no peace. saith my
God. to the wicked Had it not been
for the sacrifice Of the Lamb of God
we could never have known of the
mercy of God in Christ Jesus. and were
it not for the gift of the Holy Spirit
we could never become pure in heart.
Even Christ received his greatest
blessing and glory by giving Himself
n ransom for many, wherefore God has
highly exalted him and given him
name which is above every name etc.
1t is we'll, then. that we consider this
subject carefully.
II. Is 1t our duty to give to God? Has
He right to expect anything of us?
Certainly. eQ) Because he is absolute
owner The earth is the Lords and
the fulness thereof, the world and they
that dwell therein: every beast of the
forest Is mine and the cattle UPON a
thousand hills. If were hungry I
would not tell thee for the world Is
mine and the fulness thereof 'Ye are
not your own, We arc bought with n
price We accent these truths in n
general sort of a way. but If they mean
anything, they mean that God is the
rightful and supreme owner of all
things and has a right to demand of
us and to expect obedience. By right
of creation, preservation and redemp-
ton we belong to him. co Because He
Is the supreme Ruler. He doeth his
Will among the armies of heaven and
the inhabitants of the earth, and none
can stay his hand or say with him,
what doest thou And He rules all
things for our good, making all things
work together for good to them that
love him. Surely, il 1t is right that
we pay tax to n government, run to n
certain extent by self-seekinG men and
so full of corruption. it is right to pay
tax to the Supreme Ruler who doeth all
things well, and governs all things for
our good. (3) II all things belong to
Goa. then we must POSSESS what we
have as gift or n loan from him. If
gift. he has n right to attach a con-
dition that we should return n part: If
loan. he has a right to expect in
terest. 90 He clearly commands it,
ON the first day of the week let every
one of YOU lay by him in store as God
has prospered him, ETC. There are no
eXceptions-'cvery one Systematic
ON the first day of the week. Each
week we must give and if we are de-
tanned lay it by and give it the next
opportunity. Proportonately. as God
has prospered him. That is, cunt over
the dllars, or cents. you have made
decide what proportion belongs to God
men give 1t. We say We accept the
Bible. We don't do it. The only way
to accept n doctors prescription is to
take the medicine it calls for The only
true way to accept the Bible is to do
what the Bible teaches. God expects
us TO give Systematically and proper
tionately.
III. How much? It's easy to see
what the Old Testament required. Lev
27:3O-'All the titles of the land Is the
Lords" tenth of every income. Be
side that. they were expected to make
tree-Mill nGs--N9M- I-Mant--to-
show that the New Testament expects
at least as much as the Old, whether
the title law is binding, or not. I be-
lieve we are TO give by love rather than
law. He that loveth much, giveth
much. We are expected to give this
much-O Because the giving of the
tenth did not begin with the ceremonial
law and. therefore, did not pass away
with it. Abraham went against Cher
dorlaomer, gained much spoil and freely
gave a tenth to the Lord. Hundreds of
years before Moses led the children of
Israel out of Egypt Jacob, there
where he pillowed his weary head upon
stone, made this vow to the Lord:
or all that thou shalt give me,
will surely give the tenth unto thee
Less than n tenth would seem, then,
to be down right stinginess. (2) Christ
sanctioned and commended the giving
of a tenth. Woe unto you, Scribes and
Pharasees. hyDocrites. we tithes. mint
and annis and cummin, but neglect the
weightier matters of the law, judgment.
mercy and faith: these ought We to
have done and not leave the other I'M
done That is, it is right to give
tenth. but We ought to abound in other
Christian graceS also. Except your
righteousness shall exceed the right
eousness OF the Scribes and Pharas sees
We shall in no case enter into the King
dom of Heaven The New Testament
righteousness. faith, liberality and love
as set forth in the Old: it may and it
does often expand and enlarge on the
Old"
III. Mr.. Thacker showed that we
were to give in the proper spirit
freely. cheerfully, in faith and in love-
". He showed the awful sin of dis
obeying these teachings. II the tenth
is the Lords, it is theft for us TO take
It. 1t is robbery for us to retain it.
WIFI man rob God?" Yes: many a
man will rob God that wouldn't take a
penny from his fcllowman for the
world. wherein have we robbed
him?" "1n tithes and in offerings
It's emmbezzlement: it's msappro-
priating trust funds: it's the basest in
tifldn. if'c hln nl bnc