The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1914-09-08

OF WIDOWS, as wei as TO nOSplLalS, III
firmaries, etc. Is there any provision
of blessing for these?
These undetermined, charitable PEG
pie are being blessed by their generous
course; for there is a Law Of Retri-
button continually in operation. The
principle, 1T is more blessed to give
than to receive" applies to them as
well as to the Church. AS these noble
souls daily become more loving, more
generous, they are developing char
acters which in the future will be
helpful to them. If they do not come
into vital relationship with God
through Christ at the present time, If
they have not the hearing ear and the
responsive heart now, nevertheless the
time is coming when they will share
in the worlds blessing. 1t will be a
great blessing. even though far in
ferior to that of the Church, as human
restitution is inferior to spirit perfec-
ton through the First Resurrection
When Messiah's Kingdom shall have
been inaugurated and the whole world
shall enter upon its trial for life or
death everlasting, noble souls that
have exercised benevo.ence, Godlille
ness. will be in advance of others who.
even with similar noble heritage. have
failed to use. exercise, develop, this
quality of benevolence. or charity. In
other words. liberal souls not only ex-
perience a blessing in the present time.
but thereby prepare themselves for
greater blessings by and by.
Wise and Unwise Charities.
Since the blessing of charity comes
to the individual as a result of the
exercise of that quality, it follows that
the giver gets blessing whether the
gift is wisely bestowed or not. and
whether the receiver is profited or not.
Hence, even though we may subse-
quently know that some of our gifts
were unwisely or unworthily bestowed
we need not mourn. but rather realize
that according to the Divine arrange
ment We have had a blessing. never
theless. However. no one will dispute
that the spirit of a sound mind should
be used in connection with our chart
tiles, as well as in all our other affairs.
Very frequently many of the pro-
visions for the poor in our day are no
longer rated as private charities, but
as public, and even sometimes as mere
ly justice. For instance, provisions for
the blind. for the infirm, asylums for
the mentally weak and hospitals for
the sick, are now considered to be a
duty of the community and are provid-
ed for by general taxation. Thus
benevolence is asserting itself, and
combining and dividing its honors with
justice. That which previously would
have been left to a few of generous
disposition is now provided for by the
whole community-gene and self
ish. Who can question that this is an
advanced step; and, If so, that all
should co-labor along those lines and
cease to encourage mendicancy, the
solicitation of aims, the appeal to
sympathy through the eye?
If our social arrangement has pro
vided for such cases. 1t should be con
sidered a misdemeanor to ignore such
provision. If our public charities. hos
pitfalls, city Homes, etc, be not upon
such scale as have the approval of
generous, reasonable minds, then the
entire system calls for reorganization.
that 1t may be made right, proper, suit
able for the use of any having need
thereof The community should be
ashamed to provide for others what
they would not be willing to accept for
themselves under the same circum-
stances. The Pastor expressed a hope
that these reasonable sentiments might
through the public press be brought
effectively to the attention of Poor
Boards, Charity Committees. etc.
God Loves Cheerful Givers.
Gods gifts are given cheerfully. The
Bible tells us that He appreciates a
cheerful giver-one who enters into
the spirit of his gift, who accompanies
the coin with a cheerful word, a kind
look, helpful advice, or what not II
these cheerful givers belong to Gods
Family, the Father will love them and
manifest His love for them Their cul
tiyation of His Spirit will bring them IN
to serrelationship with the Almighty
How generously shall we give? some
may ask. The answer Is: God has
given us our minds, our Judgments
wherewith to decide all questions. The
need Of the needy, the amount of our
surplus, the claims of others upon that
surplus-all these things should, prop
erly enough, enter into our calculations
and help us to decide how much should
properly be given to charity.
In order to get a great blessing out
Of our charities. we should give until
we feel it. The person who gives one
coin ont OF thousand which he
would never miss-is not likely to get
therefrom a great blessing. He must
continue In the exercise OF this God
like disposition until his gifts shall
necessitate his restraining OF his own
Injuries or, perhaps. his own comforts
Then he begins to be really charitable
and to really appreciate some of the
joys which the Lord designs shall be
granted to generous souls.
Giving Related to Forgiving.
Every advance in true charity has q
bearing upon the character. Whoever
Is generous with his fellows will fine
it more and more easy to be forgivinl
toward those who do him injury
Charity, love, beneyolence, affects the
entire being. 1t tends to make it.
possessor more kind and gentle il
word, action and judgment. 1t de
velops bis sympathy. All this is a de
velopment of Godlikeness. The Apos
ties point this out in order, associatini
meekness, gentleness, faithfulness
long suffering, brotherly kindness
charity-all elements of the one grea
quality of Love.
The Fathers Holy Spirit of Love il
also the Spirit of His Son. our Re
deemer; and all who will be accepted
as members of the Bride, the Lambs
Wife, we are assured, must be copie
of Gods dear Son. They must all hav,
this kind. generous, charitable quality
We are not meaning to say that such ;
quality would be acceptable to Coz
without Christ, our Redeemer; for tn
Bible clearly sets forth that no maj
cometh to the Father but by Him
John 14:6D But the Sons method
of preparing us for the eternal glory
after we have become His disciples
is by instructing us along the lines o
the development of this Divine Char
acter-likeness. If Christians could re
alize this more fully, how kind AM
charitable they would be!
The Lord would have His peopl
wholehearted in their sympathies-
broad. deep, generous. To give eithe