The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1906-03-07

dowment of God. And whatever the gift, it has
been given primarily to glorffy God. Peter teaches
that in these words, LAS every man hath received
the gift, minister the same one to another
as good Stewards of the manifold grace of Cod
Our object in life is to dispense that grace to other
men ana all our gifts means to be used in doing it,
Consider this truth in reference to property. We
own all our property only as Gods stewards. God
is the real owner and his agents. And we
are to use all to advance his glory. Some seem to
think that when they have given one-tenth of their
income to God they have given him all e required
or has right to demand, and the remainder is their
own to be used they wish, without any dictaton
or advice from any one, whether God or man. But
this is ERRONEOUS. We consecrate one day in seven
to God to be entirely his, but that does not mean
that God has no claim the other six days of the
week.. The Sabbath is set apart exclusively for
religious worship but religion should dominate the
life all the time, and all days should be filled
with worship SO while the tenth of our income is
set apart exclusively for religious uses that is in
tended merely formal recognition of the fact
that all belongs to Cod And all is to be used for
Gods glory and for disseminating the manifold
grace of God
Now, when it is said that all our property is the
LORDS, IL is not meant that to devote
any Oh II at all to our own use There are three
personal uses to which we may properly devote
some portion of the substance which God has COM
mitted to stewards. First We NAV get orr
own subsistence out of it. No just being, even if
ne be only man, would require his steward to
O he
tate. Neither does God require his stewards to
starve. He says, Thou shalt not rnuzzIa tho nv
that treadeth out the corn, and the laborer is
worthy of his hire" Whatever is needful for the
strong, healthy, happy discharge of duty he is well
come to USE Second He may provide comfortably
for his family These words of the APOSTLE are III
rectly pertinent to this subject: any provide not
for his own and especially for those of his own
mousse ne hath denied the faith and is worse than
an 1nfidel" Third He may make reasonable nro-
be disabled and against the day of his death when
his family may otherwise be left dependent This
Is SHOWN by the whole tone of what the Bible says
of wills and inheritances. OF course we must he
careful and conscientious and prayerful i'm deciding
what is a reasonable provision for the fut,1ra
All that man has over and above what is nec
essary to meet these three demands, is to be con-
sclentiously and absolutely devoted the extenton
Oh the kingdom of Christ. He may give the surplus
ureclly TO the causes of religion and benefcence
or he may invest it use the income from If for
those purposes, as circumstances may dictate
IL this rule were applied by Christians and what
Is no" spent IN expensive and unnecessary Iuxuries
and what is spent for the mere indulgence of vanity
and what is accumulated for an estate to he souan
uered by uncertain heirs, all turned into the
treasury of the Lord, what a revolution would he
wrought in the work of the Church How its
problems would be solved! What a demonstration
1t would be to the world of the power of the gos
pei on the hearts of it's adherents! And what q
power it would be for personal holiness in the lives
OF those who did thus honor God with their sinh
sldhce NOW see the spirit in which this truth is
to be received. Peter says we should he "eood
stewards" The word means beautiful" The
steward is not merely to be faithful and honest and
exact but he is to be devoid of every servie se1f
lsh and graspfng spirit and devoted to the own
ers interest so in love with his stewardship so ar
dent and enthusiastic in it and to administer If with
such grace and JUNCTION, that he is a positive low
ana spectacle of beauty to all behoders
what stirring article that was in last ,veel,s
central Presbyterian entitled "A Enterprise,,.
IL set forth the splendid conception of our publica
ton and Sunday school work. the vast field tho