The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-04-12

- snail find it. has
..,oAen out the Law in a thousand brilliant
blossoms, from a thousand bursting bird
threats, from myriads of futtering things
thar have life Only from the world of
money is this law shut out. Money We
must gain and hoard and spend carefully.
This We have said until X has become a
holy rite with US. almost a part OF our re
Iigion. Have we forgotten that the sill
yer and gold" are His and the cattle
upon a thousand hills?" Strange that we
should so slight this Law with regard TO
money And yet there is testimony piled
high from those who have tried and
proved Gods promises with regard TO this
very question of Give and Il shall be
given unto you and the day is fast ap-
preaching when it shall be accepted by
all Christians as a part of their belief
as readily as they accept the fact that a
corn Of wheat falling into the ground and
dying bringeth forth the rich harvest,
though il may be after many days God
has not promised 10 make US ali roll in
riches, but He VIII give the good meas
ure pressed down and running over.
The fact that in actual dollars and cents
the giving Of our money to God will pay
from business standpoint, is not widely
accepted The reflex action Of giving
is accounted TO be the good that our spiT-
ituaI natures derive from sacrifice Of
what is dear TO US. and in a secondary
derive from the benefit Of the world al
large. That our own yearly income VIII
increase from our giving it away is almost
Impossible 20 believe And yet, If you
Go net believe il. sit down with your
Bible and read how many times and in
hCw many ways the promise has been
made
The three scripture selections for this
topic give us three phases OF the sub
ject. The first tells Us Of the MacedOn-
fans Of whose IibeTality we studied a few
weeks ago. who first gave themselves,
and then cat Of their poverty gathered
large collection for the ministering OF the
saints and pressed il upon Paul in spite
Of his entreaties TO the contrary The
two things noticeable III this passage are.
first that they gave themselves. II was
no wonder after that that the worldly
goods went with the gift-and, second. that
Paul speaks of taeir ea6erness to give
as If il were a favor q blessing. a gift
to them from God he calls It the grace
Of God bestowed on the churches Of Mace
donia.
In our second selection We come full
upon the reflex action Of the giyiHg-a dis
Gnct pledge frcm God that those who dole
out their gifts shall live in the grind Of
the world and have but small gains but
those who deal OuJ with lavish hand shall
Ect be in want themselves. Nevertheless
u must be gift not given from uecss-
atty for the blessing the gift viii bring
Il must be given willingly, joyful pur-
lose in the heart TO serve the king be
the reward soon CT late little OF great
In the third passage Paul suggests that
bis Christians have some plan for giving
that Il may not be forgotten or the money
spent on other things some Christians
give a tenth OF all their income some
give more. Some appOTtion their salaries
week by week, some only give when called
upon and then whatever they happen TO
have, oftener less than more Paul shows
the ruGSon why a certain portion OF ones
income should be set aside for the Lord,
then whenever Q cause for its use comes
10 IL IS always at hand to draw from and
there is 10 need 70 turn this way and that
AID say Can I afford 10 give anything"
ne cheerful heart grows Joyous with the
gift. There is no need 10 hurry around
and hunt up some money when the minis
ter announces a collection for foreign
missions That there be no gatherings
when 7 come"
Applied Truth.
Mr. N. a poor man with large family
living OF a small farm in western Penn
syiYan.a. decided TO SGT aside tenth of
his earnings every week Tor the Lord.
Every Saturday night he carefully added
Up his income Of that week ard Sunday
morning put tenth Of that in the church
collection Some of his friends and
neiEhbOrs shook their heads over such
pFodigaI beneEOIence. thinking he should
first be sure he could pay his mortgage
and feed and clothe his large family
But steadily he went on with his pur-
pose, having hard work sOmeSimes TO make
both ends meet on the other nine-tenths,