The Penn's Grove record., 1910-03-18

partmentS, one Tor the TAX, one LOT
the gift. The tax goes for church ex-
The object of the gift for
each Sunday is plainly printed. Every
other week it is for missions, city,
national or foreign. The alternate
week 1t goes for ome other benef-
cence.
The only objections I have heard to
this plan are:
First-"Its additional expense"
In reality 1000 sets of ifty-two du-
pick envelopes in each, cost but SIG
more than the other kind.
Second-"Its completely" One
use of 1t will make clear its meaning
to the eight-year-old child. The du-
plex system HAS no duplicity. 1t is
simplex in all but the name.
Third-"Its arbitrary aIlotments."
The church officers have carefully
considered all the charities in which
our congregation or any considerable
part of it are interested, and ad-
justed their proportionate needs. It
is a simple matter for anyone who
wishes to give one a larger percentage
than thus allotted and a smaller to
another cause to write yer the one
the name of the other. The treas
urer will invariably note the change.
Only be sure to substitute rather than
omit! The most common criticism is
that "it robs Peter to pay Paul" The
contributor will simply divide into
two what formerly he gave to one.
FOURTH have heard from many
churches who have tested the theories
here expounded. Not n of them
but reports substantial increase in
the amount given for the local
church. One of the largest congre-
cations of our own denomination,
which for ten years found itself with
a deficiency each May l., last year, at
the close of its first use of the two
offering envelope, had a balance In
the treasury, despite unusual ex-
penses. This is but a sample testi-
mony, the unexceptional rule. 1t ac-
cords with the law of the kingdom
there is that which withholdeth
more than 1t meet and it tendeth to
poverty"
The fifth objection is possible in
ability to carry out the promise"
Don't dress your charity in widows
weeds unless you are poor as tbs
widow of the two "peelings." II So
give less. Don't stop giving, unless
all income stops. With God, the
value is not in the quantity, but the
quality.
Against these five objections, I
would array five of the many bene-
fits:
1. Conservation. At the treasury
Christ beheld "how" (not how mueh),
the multitude cast. He wants you to
give, not because He needs 1t, but be-
cause you need it. Weekly giving is
an antidote vs.. co~vetousness, a weekly
reminder of whose we are and whom
we serve. The nickel piece for which
the poorest of us has a dozen uses
e more to Christ than the super
fluffy of the rich, although written in
four figures. With the method now
adopted, the minister is relieved from
that hateful announcement: THE Of
fering this morning is for our own
church support" and from a prayer
which is largely over his own salary.
With the new giving Is the new recog-
milton that our field is the world.
2. Committal. 1t is committal to
a principle. Having once gone
through the agony of giving up for
a year to "the other man" a certain
part of our income, while the eonVai-
escence may be slow, the acute pain
is over From that time we are GUS
todians of the Lords money, u duty
being simply to hand it out. With
other causes, apparently OF equal
worth, we have nothing to do, unless
our income is suddenly increased.
Otherwise we are immune" Some
other person must take care of them.
If we have given all we can in the
'sdeacon's fund" compartment, when
a hard luck story comes to our door,
without a twinge of remorse we can
send the applicant to a deacon's care.
8. Comprehension. Every one CIV
ing means every n interested.
Great causes being more frequently
and regularly before you, you will want
to know more about your frequent IN
vestment. A once a year ADVERTISE
ment is good. A once a week adver-
tisement that your responsibilities
and privileges are unbounded makes
m~eaningful your prayer. Thy King
dom come On earth"
4. Consecutiveness. Annual col
lections are variable as the weather
and the state of the general health.
They can be and are annually lodged
by otherwise regular worsnlpers-
The double envelope is a faithful re-
hinder to those Ill, out of town, or
otherwise absent one Sunday that
their gifts will be expected by the
Great Head of the Church Just the
same. The sinews for the war against
sin should not depend upon the
clouds. nor the emotional result from
either a poor presentation of a good
cause or a fine presentation OF a poor
cause.
<. Convenience. Most people are
Maid monthly or weekly. The woman
who could not give s25 in a lump
sum could easily give fifty n n1ty-
two times a year. One dollar comes
harder than ten cents a week In a
year, it is only one-ffth as much 10
the cause. If the home church de-
pended upon annual collections 1or
its support it would be dead.
Only the inherent energy OF mis-
sions keeps missions alive during
these weary annual offering years.
while the board knows that a church
will give, because its foreign mis-
sion Sunday m at the end of the
year. while foreign mission expenses
go on all through the year, good
mon goes for interest on borrowed
capital to supply this deficiency.
Christ c%onfronts YER Christian
with "send or goi Your money or
your Iife!" Your money is your
life's expression. Our rendering per
head for running expenses is six times
that of our gift to God. I have no
sarcastic comparisons to make. but
say your own thought, These things
ought not so to be-" I announce the
adoption of a plan for changing them.
| remind you that machinery is no
value without power.
The Power of the Word.