Evening star., 1903-10-24
CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR HOUR
Conducted by GRACE LIVINGSTON HILL.
For October 25th,

Conducted by GRACE LIVINGSTON HILL.
For October 25th.
Topic: What the Bible Teaches About Giving
tMissions)-2: Corinthians. 9: GIL; 8: 1924.
6. But this I say, He which soweth spar
ingly shall reap also sparingly; and he
which soweth bountifully shall reap also
bountifully. -
Z. Every man according as he purposeth
In his heart, SO let him give; not grudging-
ly. or of necessity: for God loveth cheer
full giver.
8. And God is able to make all grace
abound toward you; that ye. always having
all sufficiency in all things, may abound to
every good work:
Q. AS it is written. He hath dispersed
abroad; he hath given to the poor: his
righteousness remaineth forever.
H. Now he that minstereth seed to the
sower doth minister bread for your food,
and multiply your seed sown, and increase
the fruits of your righteousness;
H. Being enriched in everything to all
bountifulness. which causeth through us
thanksgiving to God.
Corint hfans, S:
& Whether any do enquire of Titus he
is my partner end fellowhelper concerning
you: or oug brethren be enquired Of, they
are the messengers of the churches and the
glory of Christ, ;,
"a Wherefore shew We to them, and be-
loiC lHc CI&tCHSSp the proof or your love,
ana or our boastlng on your behalf.
10 The Lesson.
1t is wonderful law of the universe to
which our attention is here called "Givev'
cries the earth, land 1 will give back to you
abundantly good measure. pressed down,
running over, fourfold. an hundredfold:"
and men believe and cast the precious seed
abroad with liberal hand, knowing that
o1,o
thanking God for the Increase. Oliver
cries wisdom. "and you shall receive more
than you canspossibld ask or Think and we
spend our early days and our midnight oil
IN IN porlng over books to get knowledge.
knowing that the result of education will be
wide and far-reachlng both for our own
good and for that of the world. Give"
cries wealth, "and you shall receive" and
men dig deep in the earth and bury the best
years of their lives in hard work or toll in
some office or workshop that they may
amass riches and they receive their reward
and expect to do so.
1t is only in the religious world that men
seem doubtful whether this law holds good.
They shake their heads and count gold
given to God poor investment. Give, of
course they must. If they would be Chris
tians. for they are commanded to do SO,
and sparingly do they sow the seed in the
fertile soil put under their care, for they
fain would keep this seed for other fields
where they are more accustomed to plant
such sewers is scanty?
Then, too, you hear men talking about
its being poor motive, this expecting a
return for what one gives. They say we
we love God. Yet God himself has given
the promise. 1t does not look as though
He thought 1t poor motive, or surely He
would not have made this law so prominent
In the Bible Is 1t wrong to look for har-
vest when one lays wheat away in the
ground? Nay. is it not the embodiment of
the great hope Of resurrection this giving
OF anything life even, that We may receive
more abundantly than we have given? And
1t surely Is right that Gods children should
know and believe that when they give even
out of their poverty. God will make them
to abound in grace, so that they shall not
miss what they have given, but shall rather
be the better off than they would have been
had they given nothing
Widespread as the harvest of foreign mis-
sions and home missions has become there
are yet few Christians comparatively. who
are willing to hazard the lavish sowing of
the seed. They need to study the economy
Of the agriculture of souls and see that it
will pay to give for meanly are these
human souls of ours constructed that they
needs must be sure of the reward.
DR.. Blaikie says: What we need to
look at is the disproportion of the sums
paid by rich men, and even by men who
can hardly be called rich in gratifying
their own tastes and in extending the
kingdom of Christ We are far from blam-
ing those who, having great wealth, spend
large sums from year to year on yachts
OH equpages, on picture galleries. on
jewery and costly furnishings. Wealth
which remunerates honest and wholesome
labor is not all selfishly thrown away But
1t Is somewhat strange that we hear so
seldom of rich Christian men deyoting
their superfuous wealth to maintaining a
mission station with a whole staff of abor-
ers. or to the rearing of colleges, or hos
pitals, or Christian institutions which
might provide on a large scale for Chris
ton activity In ways that might be won
derfully use4hs When shall this new en-
largement of christian activity take place?
Or when shall men learn that the pleasure
of spreading the blessings of the eosneI
by the equipment and maintenance of a
foreign missionary or mission station far
exceeds anything to be derived from re-
finements and luxufies of which they them
selves are the object and center?"
The wonderful little tract, called "What
We Owe. and How to Pay It." says: s'The
first and very much the most important
reason Why you. should give a certain
definite proportion of your income to
Christian and benevolent objects is because
it is Gods law, and the second, because
you thereby promote your spiritual and
temporal interests In short it pays. Pays
in the highest and best sense of the word,
Pays in spiritual blessing. pays in tenn
poral prosperity, pays In peace of mind in
having question of duty settled. Trans
fers from you to. your heavenly Father the
Of how much you shall give:
permits Him to decide whether it shall be |
little or much as He prospers you. If you
will try it you will keep 1t up, because you
will find that you cannot afford not to do
it. 1 mean in dollars and cents. Did Won
ever know a business man, professional
man or farmer who tried it and was not
more than satisfied with the results? Thou
sands, tens of thousands of laymen in the
United States and England are doing If.
and have been for years"
The following is an extract taken from
one of the thousands of testimonials pub
lished on this subject: You ask for facts
in regard to proportionate giving. I have
only lately adopted the plan It is won
derful how God blesses me in 1t. 1 have
just learned from one of our young busi-