The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1910-04-01

The Tither's
Advantage II
TithfnQ Is Convenient.

nl1nsel1. Appreciation of its convent.
ence was the start from which he
went on to accept it as an obligation.
1t 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 is 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 it reaches.
So it is really not cheap thing but
a profound thing-a great testimony
to the rightness of ito argue that
tlthing helps a man to solve a trouble
some puzzle of life more simply and
conveniently than it can ever be SET
tied otherwise.
Definite Rule a Benefit.
That puzzle is one which increases
as 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 a cause.
To be 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 it 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-
scientiously 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 If he will. Just let him settle the
problem by one sweeping decision. Let
him set a proportion of his income
which shall regularly go out to these
broader uses.
That is to say, let him become a sys-
tematic, determined tither-f1xing nat
urolly 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 overleap his system
as every good system should be sub
ject to emergency modification. And
of course, when a mans income in.
creases without corresponding charges
against it, he ought to consider
the increase of his ten per cent.
ratio. But for the ordinary daily run
Of life the tither has a bedrock ad.
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,
a man is defended also from degenera.
ton Of his character into selfshness
and stinginess.
It Is almost ludicrous but altogether
| nathetic to see how much Mains mon
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
them to give something they cant
AFFORD"
Now the pity of it is not that this
or that benevolence fails to get money
which it ought to have-the solicitor
probably can obtain it from some 9th
er giver-but the pity is that the man
who shuts himself up in such a 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 tot
much, on that very account neve,
hear-for they dare not listen-what
fine things men are doing for men IL
the world; what heart-touching wants
other men suffer which a little none,