Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1910-12-02
PAY YOUR DEBTS FIRST
CONGREGATIONAL PASTOR ON
FINANCES
THE CHURCH Is NOT A BEGGAR
People Should Stop Giving and Just
Settle Their Obligations.-Church
Is an Asset of the Community

People Should Stop Giving and Just
Settle Their ligations.-Church
Is an Asset of the Community
Render therefore to all their Dues
was the text from which Rev. Chas. H.
Sanders preached most excellent SER
mon at the Congregational church Sun
day morning November Goth.
We have here terse scriptural
phrase which covers the whole life of
man. Put into characteristic modern
phraseology it would be: "Pay your
debts" and of course the man who
does this does all that anyone can do.
Some scriptures are partial in their
application; that is, man could obey
them and yet be very unworthy man.
But man who pays all his debts is
thoroughly good man.
There are many who consider them
selves within the bounds of honesty
when they heve payed those accounts
which can be collected by law. But
man may pay collectable debts and
still be radically dishonest.
GIVING is PAYING DEBTS
81 get tired of giving" is not an un-
common expression. sympathize to
some extent with those who grow
weary under the many demands for
benevolent giving and think it moth
ing amiss to advise my friends to stop
giving for awhile, at least, and just
pay their debts.
A good Quaker was sending his wife
away for visit with her son. Her
trunk was packed; she had her ticket;
she had her lunch basket. The good
man evidently could not think of a
thing in the world which she needed
that she did not have. AS they walked
the platform while waiting for the
train she modestly said: Husband could
thee give me a half dollar?" He
looked at her in loving Quaker fashion,
but greatly surprised. and said; "why,
what did thee do with the quarter |
gave thee last week." This is fair
example of the state of mind in which
many men live and die. If she had
been a servant, doing the Identical
things she had done for thirty years,
he would have paid her wages every
week, and would have considered him
self an extremely dishonest man if he
had neglected or refused to do so.
Still it was very plain that he was not
rendering to his wife her due. Here
was an obligation which could not be
collected by law which he failed to
meet.
So think / may justify myself in
advising my friends to stop giving for
a while and begin to pay.
Let US look up accounts aud see what
we actually owe. If we cannot pay
our debts, we can at least acknowledge
them, and pay as fast as we can.
Render therefore to all their
dues "a Godward and manward obliga-
ton, the double significance of which is
voiced in these words of Christ's,
"Render unto Caesar the things that
are Caesars and unto God the things
that are Gods" Men persistently try
to avoid both obligations. They think
of debts at the grocery, bakery and
butcher shops, but fail to think of God
and man as being creditors in a much
larger and more significant sense.
What artifice, deceit and mental hypoc~
risy we practise in trying to avoid
doing our duty and paying our debts
to God and man.
Every man is steward, and a stew
ard only of the things he possesses.
Every right carries with it duty,
every possession an obligation, every
gift corresponding responsibility. Ii
have come into the world with many
advantages, it is not because | am one
of Gods favorites-a man whom God
has selected to live live of pleasure
and ease;-while some other man stag
gers through life under burden al
most too heavy for him to bear. 1t IS
because am judged worthy to bear
great responsibilities and perform
great tasks, "For to whom much is
given from him much is expected.
Man is to work, make, save, and spend
money; but he is not to make it like a
highway robber, nor to spend it like
reckless rake, nor save it like miser-
He is to pay his taxes, educate his
children, care for his family, develop
his body and mind, interest himself in
his city and state, develop the social
and moral life of the community. In
other words, he is to live in the COM
munity as one who is responsible for
the community.
These things are due Caesar, Pay
your debts--or at least acknowledge
them and pay as fast as you can. But
n A..