Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1910-02-04


l3ssssszggzSz2ssss xxssSags89g&l people. T h
boxes were
called "trumpets" because they were
narrow at the top and wide at the
bottom, and crooked like a horn so
that the dishonest could not abstract
the coin. The people who desired to
advertise their benevolent spirit
sounded the trumpet" before them by
causing their money to jingle and ring
as they threw 1t in the contribution
boX. That custom no longer obtains
since handful of copper makes more
noise than greenback. People then
sought to make their money Jingle;
now they try to hush it as much as
possible. In other words, the teach.
ing of the king was that the principle
OF aims giving in the new kingdom
was to be, not ostentation, ADVERTISE
ment, display, and to be seen of men.
but on the ground of pure benevo-
lence, real charity, genuine religious
life.
Everything depends on the motive
behind the gift. Money will do good,
whether tainted or untainted it will
buy food for the hungry, and clothing
for the naked, and medicine for the
sick, but its value in the sight of God
depends altogether on the spirit with
which it is given. There are circum-
stances where a certain amount of
publicity is necessary for the sake of
the object or cause to which gifts are
devoted, but so far as the giver is
concerned the value of his gift con-
sists altogether on the motive behind
it. ITO be seen of men," that is the
error the king would uproot The
paltry and pitiful attempt AT parade
on the part of his diciples. that is
the thing He condemns. BE not as
the hypocrites, who sound a trumpet
before them" They have their 9.
ward, but 1t is not the reward of the
Father who seeth in secret
HypocriticaI Prayers.
What is true of giving is true also
of prayer. There is not so much dan.
ger in this direction as in the other
The trouble now is to get people to
pray at all. They neither pray in the
synogogues, nor in the corners of the
streets, nor in the secret closet. We
hire men to do our praying for us, and
if we are reverential enough to bow
our heads while they are doing it, we
feel that we have been sufficiently de-
vout. In Christ's time men made
parade of their devotions. They
spread their prayer rug in the market
place, and at the street corners, and
made show of piety, in order to
hear the onlookers say, See. how
holy this man isl" If men did that
now, the crowd would jeer. and say.
Here is an escaped lunatic."
For the fact Is. the men who did
that in old time were frauds at heart.
Their vain repettions deceived no.
body The Moslems have a proverb:
"If your neighbor has made the pill
grimage to Mecca once, watch him; If
twice, avoid his society; If three
times. move into another street" In
other words, look out for the man who
is ostentatiously religious.
Publicity Not Condemned.
Mark you there is nothing here
against public prayer, or open aims
giving. The man who takes oppor-
tunity from these words not to give
at all nor to pray at all, is just as far
wide of the mark The whole force
of these words rests on the supposi-
tion-''to be seen of men," II the mo-
tive behind your benevolence or your
prayers is the good opinion of Your
neighbors, the speech Of people. the
40 ri nd
a hypocrite. Blu, If your motive is
benevolence and sincere
love of God you will not fail of the
of heaven though your
name is heralded in all the newspa-
pers at the head Of the subscription
list, and you are known and read Of
all men as a follower Of Jesus Christ.
said: IF thou shouldest
enter into thy closet, and, having shut
the door, shouldest do it for display,
the doors will do thee no good"
For display-that is the idea. Do
nothing for display is the law of the
kingdom. 1t is not your attitude, it is
your heart that He looks at Not
what you say with your lips in prayer,
,ut what Is in your heart deep down
,ut of sight is what He listens to. 1t
s not the bell up in the steeple. but
he people down in the pews that
sounds the loudest in the ears of the
Father in Heaven. 1t is not the
money you put on the contribution
,late, but the spirit that caused you
o put it there that counts up yonder.
70 say prayers and to really pray are
wo very different things.
Prayer is the souls sincere desire
Uttered or unexpressed
The motion Of a fire,
That hurns within the breast.