Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1909-04-28
SUPPORT OF GOSPEL.
"Truxo' Takes up his Pen Again
Urging More Liberal Sup
port Of Ministry by
Tithing System.

!. When 1Truxo last wrote you th'
bleak, winds of. winter were whist
ling over the hills, and the chilling
frost made it necessary to warm by
the fire. Now the birds are fitting
from twig to twig as they warblt
their songs Of spring, and the air is
4 filled with the fragrance of flowers
while:spring time advances graceful,
4 ly in her perennial course, and al
nature seems big with effort to burst
i forth into new life. 1t seems to me
a most appropriate suggestion from
nature to,the church to exert herself
to shake. off her legarthy and to
to come forth in newness of life,
beautifully lattired in robes of right
eousness, strong in faith, courage and
thoroughly equipped for warfare
against the powers of darkness.
But, it seems to me, we are really
doing less to develop the kingdom
Of God on earth than we are doing
to develop the kingdom of the dev.
iii or any thing else.
We make this first and highest
interest last. We give it the last
consideration of thought, of time.
of moral and financial support. If
church obligations seem to conflict
with personal interests, we leave the
church to the mercy of her enemies.
and often devote our time to things
Indifferent or worse. Who can
deny the force of this ascertain?
Exceptions are rare, not common.
But we belong to the Lord.
/ want to call your attention to
some things we seem to forget first:
God has provided way for every
body to have plenty and to be hap
py If we adopt his plans. Success
and happiness are inevitable. If
we reject His plans failure is ineyi-
table in the end. God bestows (S)
gifts upon man: Health, prosperi-
fzy5rsazaatioa.' all on conditions.
The general rule embracing the con-
ditions Is, Seek ye .frst the king
dom of God and His righteousness,
deal unto others the same kind of
righteousness God deals to you and
to others; look first after the, inter
ests of His kingdom and all these
things shall be added unto you. !"
God will add thel8; you cannot q id
anything Ito. yoEf y 8. :, rs IS,
! And said, if fhou wilt diligently
hearken to the wdice of the Lord thy
God, and wilt give ear to His com
mandments, and heep all His stat
utes, / will put none of these disea-
ses upon thee, which / have brought
upon the Egyptians; for l am the
Lord that healeth thee. Exodus l 5
-26. And We shall serve the
Lord your God, and He shall bless
thy bread and thy water, and I will
take sickness away from the midst
of thee. EXODUS, 1926.
but thou shalt remember the
Lord thy God; for it is He that CIV
eth thee power to get wealth"
Behold 1 bring it wealth and
cure, will cure them::' ::''-Jer. 33: 6.
Fools, because of their transgres-
sions, and because of their iniquities,
are afflicted. Then they cry unto
the Lord in their trouble, and He
saveth them out of their distresses.
He sent His word, and healed them
and delivered them from their de-
structions." Psalm lo7-l7, 10.
A whole column in your paper,
Mr.. Editor. would not contain all
the proof texts on this proposition.
We see, therefore, that our health,
prosperity, and salcati6n depend
upon our sincere service to God.
This service does not mean going
to-church'' once month. But it
means living faith in Jesus Christ
as personal Saviour from all sin;
and love in the heart for God and
for our fellow men, which makes
God supreme -frst-in all things,
and our brother as ourself. And this
faith" and this love" must be the
controlling principles of the heart
and life, daily and hourly. MY
grace is sufficient for thee" Ask
and ye shall receive. y
1t is as we'll perhaps to state the
fact here that God has nothing to
do with hollow, fictitious preten-
tions. He deals only with facts.
And as long as we cover facts with
pretentions, we cannot make any
progress in the Chistian religion or
life. We may advance materially.
But our spiritual influence for good
will be lost, and our general in
huence will not be for good, until
we, our-selves,are right in our hearts,
with God. We will rob God,"
both in time and tithes until we get
our hearts right with Him. And
thus we bring upon ourselves the
curses pronounced upon the unfaith-
ful.