The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1909-12-11


ING It may seem q bit OF sacrilege to
put forward such an argument as
reason for Christian mans adopting
the 1.-THE rule. It is their habit to ar
que simply that It is Gods will, and
that should settle Il.
Yet In his very interesting article
In the Interior, Mr.. Thomas Kane,
who is the best-known champion of
tthing among the American churches
and whom certainly no one else ex-
cells in constancy and consistency Of
devotion to the principle as a law OF
God, says 1t was as matter Of con-
venience that he began the practice
himself. Appreciation of its convent.
ence was the start from which he
went on to accept 1t as an obligation.
It Is no 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 IL 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 1t reaches.
So 1t is really not cheap thing but |
q profound thing--a great testimony
70 the rightness of ito argue that
tithing helps man to solve trouble
some puzzle Of life more simply and
conveniently than 1t can ever be set |
tied otherwise.
Definite Rule q Benefit.
That puzzle is one which increases
rs the causes of worthy benevolence
multiply In the church and in the
world Of good will. Every day man
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 cause
To DO 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 1t 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-
scientifically 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 II he will. Just let him settle the |
problem by one sweeping decision. Let |
him set proportion of his income |
which shall regularly go out to these
broader uses.
That Is to say, let him become sys-
tematic, determined tither-fixing 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 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 overlap his system |
-as every good system should be sub
ject to emergency modification. And |
of course, when q mans income in
creases without corresponding charges |
against 1t, he ought to consider |
the increase Of his ten per cent. |
ratio. But for the ordinary daily run
of life the tither has bedrock adj
justment of the right relation between
generosity and thrift, and he can live
on It with easy conscience,
BY adopting the rule of the 1.-THE,
q man Is defended also from degenera-
ton of his character into selflshness
and stinginess.
II IL 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 MORALLY afraid that
In an unguarded moment some adroit |
solicitor by fearful appeal will get
Thorn to give something they cant
afford"
Now the pity Of It is not that this
or that benevolence fails to get money
which 1t ought to have--the solicitor
can obtain 1t from some 9TH
or giver--but the pity is that the man
who shuts himself up in such fash
ion shuts more than his purse; he
shuts his heart.
Lose Touch with Humanity.
Men who, because they have no sys-
tematic rule of benevolence, must
guard themselves from doing too
much, on that very account never
hsar--for they dare not listen--what
ane things men are doing for men in
the world: what hsart-touching wants
other men suffer which little money
would supply. And the consequence
q that one BY one they lose all the
links Of connection which tie them
40 close with human kind, They get
10 living wholly inside themselves.
And especially they always have !
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