The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-12-04
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.

great QOEallOnS OIL d PuOllC Vial
acter A man feels himself under a
mora, obligation to give back to the
I people in some guise the wealth which
he mas got from them. Thus, when
certain railroad magnate died recently
without making a single public or
sentiments OF the people condemned
him He had failed to some up TO the
reasonable expectation of the world.
On the other hand. when another
New YORK millionaire died shortly
afterward, and left something like
thirty million dollars to religious and
benevolent purposes, all carefully dis
tfibuted and without conditions. 1T was
generally said that he had done rich
mans duty by his money and by So
ciety; and that he has set fashion
in giving which other men of wealth
will follow. He gave himself plus his
money.
A Preachers Irony.
The matter of giving. from the
put once BIZ a Philadelphia pastor.
Rev Dr. Thomas Brainerd, who had
appealed in vain to She prosperous
members of his congregation in behalf
of some good cause:
Brethren, the Lord has denied You
the privilege of exercising many of the
most precious graces of the Christian
character, which, in his infinite
mercy, he has vouchsafed to the rest
CT US. You never knew what it was
to repose absolute, unassisted faith IN
God for the things in this world. You
never had to go to sleep at nlghl
without knowing where your break-
fast was to come from. You never
had a sick child wasting away for the
want of costly luxuries. You never
had to deny yourself the qualification
of the impulses of pity, when sur
ferer came to your door. You never
had to endure the humiliation of be-
ing dunned for an honest debt, with
out knowing whether you could ever
nav it. All these urspeakable advan-
tages in developing Christian cnar-
acter an inscrutable Providence has
taken from you, and bestowed upon
us poor men. The one solitary grace
of the Christian life which has oeen
denied to US and given to you is the
grace of liberality, and II you don
exercise that, the Lord have mercy
on your souls!"
The Complementary Grace.
PauPs thought was not greatly diff
ferent from this. He pointed out to
the affluent Christians at Corinth that
the poor Macedonians had exceeded
them in coming to the help of the
needy disciples at Jerusalem These
rinthians abounded in other graces
especially in the grace of utter
ance''-but they needed the grace of
giving if their religion was not to go
iimping. Liberality is hands and feet
yes, and mouth, also, for all the other
virtues. 1t in itself is not enough to
constitute Christian character. put
it is Complementary to the. other
graces. A mean Christian is not much
Of a Christian The stingy saint has
scriptural warrant for doubling
whether he is saint at all.
Three profound CONSCIENTIOUS Were
suggested by the apostle as incentives
to generosity. One was that the Mace
domains first gave themselves ana
then their gift. That is the first prln-
ciple of successful beneficence the
hand is needed more than what IL
holds. 1.-THE gift without the giver is
hare" God asks for gifts because he
wants the givers; and the gift Is but
token of the giver's allegiance the
cheapest thing in the world to impart
to our fellow men is money.
The second principle OF phllan-
thropy pointed out by the apostle is
that the Macedonians gave out of
their deep poverty. They shared their
little, which is far better than to dis
pense from an unmissed surplus De
spite the modern fad of big gifts, the
great works of religion and charity
are to be done by the small offerings
of the many.
In the third place, Paul set forth a
great motive, by appealing to the eX-
ample of the Lord Jesus that, though
he was rich, yet for your sak e ne
lowed by self-denial partakes Of the
very flavor of Christliness.
An American Mans Way.
The most remarkable story known
to me of extended influence through
the use of money is that which have
told at length in my book, Men and
Missions" DR.. John F. Goucher, of
Baltimore, is known in educational
circles as the founder, president. ana
now president emeritus of the Wom-
Ioo1t 10 ic
of the real leaders of the Methodist
Episcopal denomination. really great
man with a dozen claims to distinc-
ton. But of all the expressions OF
his life that appeal to the imagination,
his work in India is the most remark
able.
/ Nearly a generation ago DR..
, Goucher undertook to do a special
service for each of the great non
Christian lands. Into the problem of
! India he put deep thought and THOR
ough investigation. The result was
that he personally planned and sup
ported a chain of village schools IN
the Northwest Previnces-although ne
himself was at work in America all
the while. These he carried on to a
high school, with provisions for the
marriage of Christian students. the
wonderful details of the experiment
cannot be told here; but today the
Northwest Provinces are full OF
'GOucner boys anu tIlciC Oh z MN I
than fifty thousand Christians in
India who, in all human probability
would have been heather still had il
not been for DR.. Goucher'S investment
of his powers and money. That won
,'rous achievement, which is still
multiplying, in geometrical ratio. has
been wrought at a cost OF only one
hundred thousand dollars, which is
less than many a mar pays for
private yacht. All this came tie pass
because of % a great impulse, CD
an investment of personality. and CD
| the dedication of the wealth of which
God had made one man the steward
The Giving Habit.
One of the surprises of a visit to
heather temples is the prevalence OF
the contribution box. The first act OF
| worship Is to toss few coins into the
temple chest. Everywhere it is ''Give
give, give!' The pilgrims and othel
worshippers-quite like many west
erners-have reduced the science OF