St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1909-12-18

The Iither''s
Advantage
Tithing Is Convenient.

~ "t"4N u1C. IL AS LuSlE udDlI W al
que simply that it is Gods will, and
that should settle it.
Yet in his very interesting article
IN the Interior, Mr.. Thomas Kane
VINO is the best-known champion OF
tlthlng among the American churches
ana whom certainly no one else eX,
GELS in constanCy and consistency OF
devotion to the principle as law OF
God, says it was as a matter Of con.
Venience that he began the practice
himself Appreciation of its convent,
ence Wa -' start from which he
went on tc g., Dt it as an obligation
1t Is 30 denial or discount Of the
fact of Gods will in any right act or
practice of men to say that the act
or practice fits in with other right
elements of life and so makes life the
easier to live and the better worth
living.
For that Is simply saying that Gods
universe Is all tuned alike to the key
note Of his will, and whatever is right
and according to his will anywhere
makes harmony as far as it reaches.
So it is really not a cheap thing but
a profound thing-a great testimony
to the rightness of ito argue that
tithing helps a man to solve a trouble
some puzzle of life more simply and
conveniently than it can ever be set
tied otherwise.
Definite Rule a Benefit.
That puzzle is enc which increases
as the causes of worthy benevolence
multiply in the church and in the
world Of good will. Every day a mar
who has not adopted definite rule OF
beneVolence is obliged to take up
anew the question whether he can "af-
ford" to aid such and such a cause.
To be honest with each call that
comes to him, he has to bring to the
surface every time the fundamental
question of what proportion of his
means he ought to send out into the
big world to do good, and what pro-
portion it is his duty to keep in hand
for the discharge of obligations pri-
vate to himself and his family.
To go through that question con-
scientiously every time an appeal
reaches him for church, missions or
charity, must be terribly wearing to
any man who has even the dimmest
notion of duty wrapped up in his be-
nevolences.
But he can save all the wear and
tear If he will. Just let him settle the
problem by one sweeping decision. Let
him set a proportion of his income
which shall regularly go out to these
broader uses.
That is to say, let him become a sys-
tematic, determined tither-fxing nat
urally his proportion of benevolent
funds according to Biblical precedent
not lower than one-tenth.
Demands of Duty Decided.
Then his puzzle is over as far as de-
Gliding the demands of duty in giving
and keeping. What remains is simply
the task of a distributing administra-
tor-determining the relative claims
Of approved benevolences on the total
fund available in his hands.
Occasionally, to be sure, there will
come the sweep of some great emer-
gency which will overleap his system
as every good system should be sub
ject to emergency modification. And
of course, when a mans income in
creases without corresponding charges
against it, he ought to consider
the increase Of his ten per cent.
ratio. But for the ordinary daily run
Of life the tither has a bedrock ad-
justment of the right relation between
and thrift, and he can live
on it with easy conscience.
BY adopting the rule of the 1.-THE,
a man is defended also from degenera-
ton of his character into selfshness
and stinginess.
1t is almost ludicrous but altogether
pathetic to see how much pains men
spend in lodging the peril of hearing
about human needs that might require
money. They are mortally afraid that
in an unguarded moment some adroit
by fearful appeal will get
them to give something they cant
afford"
Now the pity of it is not that this
Or that benevolence fails to get money
which it ought to have-the solicitor
can obtain it from some 9TH
er giver-but the pity is that the man
who shuts himself up in such a fash
ION shuts more than his purse; he
shuts his heart.
Lose Touch with Humanity.
Men who, because they have no sys-
sematic rule Of benevolence, must
guard themselves from doing too
much, on that very account never
lear-for they dare not listen-what
fine things men are doing for men in
the world; what hearttOuching wants
other men suffer which little money
A Prayer.