The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1910-03-17
THE PULPIT.
A BRILLIANT SUNDAY SERMON BY
THE REV. EDWARD NILES.
Theme: Systematic Giving.

| Brooklyn, N. Y.-Sunday morning
the Rev. Edward Niles, pastor of the
South Bushwick Reformed Church,
preached on Systematic Giving"
The text was from Mark 1874:
Jesus sat down over against the
treasury and beheld how the multi
tude cast money into the treasury"
Mr.. Niles said:
a court OF the temple area. Around
! three sides of its 200 feet square sur
face ran a raised balcony for the
women. Against the wall on the
fourth side stood thirteen trumpet
like chests, narrow ut the mouth,
! wide at the bottom. A placard told
the purpose for the money deposited
in each. One and two received the
tribute money of every Israelite which
paid the running expenses of the tenn
pie. including salaries.
| In three and four were deposited
the equivalent in coin for the sin Of
fering of animals. The next three
provided for the sacrifcial wood, in
cense and furnishing. The labels of
the other six showed that they re-
ceived thank offerings of various
kinds. Nearby was a miniature
chamber of the silent" for gifts to
educate the children of the poor.
Thus seven Of these fourteen treas
ury boxes were for dues obligatory
upon the members of Gods visible
kingdom. The seven for offerings of
gratitude. supported disabled priests
and their widows, taught those who
could not afford tuition fees, supplied
the needy, went for proselyting or
mission work.
4 Tho
Week. The characters were a multi
tude. Every one of them patronized
the tithe boxes. many those for chari-
ty. The two important characters
were:
First-A widow. She had come to
pay her dues. All she had were two
what were vulgarly called 'lepta" or
'peelings," the smallest possible of
coppers. To drop one into the tithe
box meant one-half instead of the
prescribed tenth, but to give less was
impossible. To support her church
was 4 matter Of course, however, and
without hesitation she put in. Only
lepton left for her living. Then
she looked at the boxes for benef-
cence. She thought not of her wants
but of her blessings. With JOY that
at least lepton was hers to give, she
made her Offering for the needy.
The chief character was Jesus. He
had watched the rivers of gold and
silver flowing into the treasury. and
1t must have been a bright spot In
that sad week to note how many gave
the free-will offerings. The disciples
glad at the amounts given, knowing
the need of widows, orphans, slum
workers, said: The people are yer,
generous to-day, Rabbi" Jesus was
interested in the amounts the giyers
took away. supremely intent upon the
mind rather than the money. He hat
no word to say until the widow made
her supreme sacrifice. He felt nc
pity for her: but Lleasare in her a.
He made the startling statement
She has cast in more than all the,
that are casting into the treasury"
We would naturally have expected
the Great Teacher to have sat oyel
against the pulpit. Watching how
some eloquent rabbi expounded ant
applied the law and how the congre
cation listened: or in some auie
place of the choir loft beholding how
the cantor led and the great choir O
: Levites rendered the worship O
: praise and the chorus took it up. Un
douotedly, He noted these things. bu
the only inspired record of His in
: , terest in the temple Worship tells O
His sitting against the treasury. Th
! concrete result Of preaching An,
| praise appealed to Him more thar
their matter in preparation or thei
. method in delivery -.