Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1909-04-28
interest Of the higher, spiritual ma

interest Of the higher Spiritual ma;
tare. 7.I
; ) s And / willSsanl FIRE on MagogI
and among them ;tlaJHw well careless
II in isles: AID they shall know that
/ am the Lord Ezekiel 80, g.. Cur
sed is every one that doeth- the
Lords work negligently.n'
The ministry of theSgospel is not
a plaything for us to neglect or care
for merely as suits our convenience.
And we cannot neglect; the support
of it, to the extent that God de.
mands of us, without bringing down
upon our devoted heads, the curses
which God so forcibly pronounces
against the faithless.,
!. In the third place we deceive our
selves in regard to our ability to
support the ministry. l have known
men to say Il am just not able to do
anything now:" and hand the stew
ard 25c on the support of the gospel
for three months and go right on
and spend from s5 to $40 for fish
ing tackle and other equipment for
a two or three days camp fish
which had no promise of anything
in it but frolic, and a sinful waste
of time and Sof means-I wish to say
her. that / do not object to fishing
and to needful recreation where
some good may come as result
God holds us responsible for our
time as well as our money. We
may not waste either and be guilt
less.
l have known men who claimed
they could not pay S. per year to-
support the gospel, who really spent
from $50 to 500 and more to sup
port the devil in various ways.
1 believe this meagre support of
the ministry, and inconsistency
among our people is largely the re-
suit of Understanding the minis
try. We lose sight of the cardinal
fact that the ministry is the only le-
gal organized, body of representa-
tives Almighty God has on earth
The true minister of the gospel is
His ambassador" And whatever
regard or disregard we as members
of the church of Christ in particular
and as men and women out of the
church. generally, may accord the
ministry, is written down by the re-
cording angel, for or against us, as
being so much regard and service or
SO much disregard and neglect offer:
ed directly to the Lord Himself. If
it is contempt shown or insN't offer
ed, or merely withdrawing need
full support. Christ accepts lvall as
so much wrong done Him. On the
other hand, no real service, however
small or however large, is done the
ministry, but Christ accepts it as
done for Him.
He that heareth You heareth,
me; and he that despiseth you des-
piseth me. Luke lO-l6. He.
therefore that despiseth, despiseth
not man, but God, who hath also
given unto us His holy spirit. u.
Thess. 4-s.
The treatment we accord our
minister, therefore, represents truly
the love we have in our hearts for
God,a Christ and, Saviour. If he
goes hungry and ragged, and foot
sore; hampered in his work, and
forever embarrassed, for lack of our
needed and reasonable support, that
shows unmistakably our love, for
Christ and the way we would treat
Him personally if He was on earth
again. There is no way to shun this
conclusion. Christ says it, not 1.
Again, if only ''God gives us
power to get wealth." We ought to
show our gratitude to Him by a
liberal support of that gospel thro'
which He gives US our wealth. A.
business man would do that much
on purely business principles along
any other line. Shall we do less for
God and his cause, which is our
Salvation, and unquestionably, our
greatest concern; than we do. for
merely temporal, perishable things?
1t seems strange that we should.
But who can deny that we do.
Still, again; people require a
preacher TO go in good STYLE" They
discount him if he ails to do SO;
they also censure him for going in
debt; which thing ought to be done;
no charge should make it necessary
for minister to go in debt. But
we often fail to pay them enough
to live decently.
Neither the teacher, the doctor
the lawyer, the farmer, the merchant,
nor the politician, could live and
move in the style we exact of our
ministry, on anything like the mea-
ger support we usually grant them.
In conclusion: we read our bibles
God requires us to whet ,e,, W .lo or