Evening star., 1909-06-26
Christian Endeavor Hour.

Conducted by Grace Livingston Hill Lutz.
Topic: Missionary Pocketbooks'' Corinthians,
9:6-15.
At a missionary convention a venerable
and much beloved minister was called
upon to pray. He halted and began. in
stead of praying. to tumble in his pocket.
Father A. they want you to pray"
some one whispered in his ear. Yes.
yes, l know: but I cannot pray until 1
have given something" was his reply.
There are some people who never can
receive a gift without Immediately wish
ing to give something ip return, even il
it be only a trife, just to show the love
that the first gift has prompted. So the
true Christian should be ever ready TO
lavish back upon God what He has given
to us.
DR.. Denney says: He that soweth
bountifully. shall reap also bountifully.
that is the law OF God. and the nature of
things. whether men regard or disregard
it. Charity is in a real sense an invest
ment, not casting away or money: 1t
is not fruitless. but bears fruit in tie
measure in which it is sown. OF course
it cannot be enforced-that would be 10
DENY its very nature. Each is to give
what he has purposed in his heart, where
he is free and true. he Is not TO give out
of grief, mourning over what he gives ana
regretting he could not keep 1t: neither Is
he to give out OF necessity. because his
position. or the usages of his society, or
the comments of his nei2hbors, put
practical compulsion upon him. God
loves cheerful giver. Money is nothing
to Him, but as an index to the soul:
unless the soul gives it. and gives itself
with it. He takes no account. But He
does take account of true charity, and
because He does, the charitable may oe
OF good cheer. He will not allow them To
be without the means of manifesting a
spirit so grateful to Him. If We really
wish 10 be generous He will not withhold
from US the power of being So.
Mr. Meyer tells of an old Dutch picture
of little child dropping cherished toy
from its hand. At first sight one does not
understand the action. until the eye
notices a white dove winging its flight
toward the emptied outstretched hands.
So we are ready TO give up great deal
If we catch sight OF something greater
and better coming TO our emptied hands.
One cannot have many OF these spiritual
gifts without first giving up what fills the
hands and hearts and minds. and this is
true of money. 1t gets in our way. gets
between us and God, hides His face from
us, and makes us forget Him. The oniE
way 1t can become d blessing to us Is in
the giving of it for His cause.
4 priest must give up everything els.
empty his hands in order that he may
have a heart at leisure for the work that
is to be his \ cousecrated Christla Il
should be ready 10 give up whatever GOD
has given. knowing always that what he
has yet to give in place OF what we sur
render is still better than the other.
Money is one OF the devils greatest
lures with which TO make. men forget
their lord and their reason FOR bene.
which is to glorify God. In the Crystal
Palace at Munich there is little pic
ture called .'The Red Fisherman" The
devil is elegantly accouered in red cos
tune fishing in a pond for men. His ba ~
is gold money. pearls, crowns. sworcs
and wines Happy is the man who under
stands and will not be daZZied by tie
glitter of the gold. 1t is said that tie
Elector of Saxony offered Luther The
produce of a mine al Sneburg. His eN-
cuse for refusing il Was Il lest | should
tempt the devil. who is lcrd of these sub
terranean treasures. TO tempt me-.
Not many years ago ali American mil
lionaire said: ..'rne only wealth which L
count myself really to have retained is
that which have given away
The Youths Companion once said: 1T
is what we give that makes what We
are We name substances by the quail
ties which they impart rather than by
those which they retain. We call flower
fra grant because it gives forth fragrance,
and We deem that sweet which yields
sweentess TO others. The rose which We
rail- red holds i'm its petals every color
ia tho rainbow but one. and that is tie
rcd alone