Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1914-09-03

visions for the poor in our day are no
longer rated as private charities. bat
as public. and even sometimes aS mere
y justice. For instance. provisions for
the blind. for the intrm. asylums for
the mentally weak and hospitals for
the sick. are now considered to he 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-gener 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. it should be con-
sidered a misdemeanor to ignore such
pitfalls. city Homes, etc, be not upon
such a scale as have the approval of
generous. reasonable minds. then the
entire system calls for reorganizatio
that it 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
10
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. If
these cheerful givers belong to Gods
Family, the Father will love them and
manifest His love for them. Their cul-
! tivation of His Spirit will bring them in
tc closerrelationship 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
al Il
properly be given to charity.
In order to get great blessing out
of our charities, we should give until
j we feel it. The person who gives one
coin out of thousand which he
would never miss-is not likely to get
! therefrom a great blessing. He must
i continue in the exercise Of this God
like disposition until his gifts shall
necessitate his restraining of his own
luSures 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 Forsivins.
Every advance in true charity has a
bearing upon the character Whoever
is generous with his fellows will find
it more and more easy to be forgiving
| toward those who do him injury
Charity, love, benevolence, affects the
i entire being. 1t tends to make it's
possessor more kind and gentle in
word. action and Judgment. 1t de
@velops his sympathy All this is de
velopment of Godlikeness The Apos-
ties point this out in ORDER associating
meelness. gentleness. faithfulness.
long suffering. brotherly kindness,
| charity-all elements of the one great
quality of Love.
The Fathers Holy Spirit of Love Is
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 copies
of Gods dear Son. They must all have
this kind, generous, charitable quality
We are not meaning to say that such a
| without Christ, our Redeemer; for the
Bible clearly sets forth that no man
cometh to the Father but by Him.
| Uohn 14:6l But the Sons method
of preparing us for the eternal glory.
after we have become His disciples.
is by instructing us along the lines of
the development of this Divine Char
acter-likeness. If Christians could re-
alize this more fully. how kind and
charitable they would be!
The Lord would have His people
wholehearted in their sympathies-
broad, deep. generous. To give either
money, forgiveness. sympathy or any
other good thing grudgingy. half-heart-
eddy. is to spoil the matter. True. many
Of the Lords people are by nature very
narrow. mean. spiteful, contrary to
what the Lord would approve. But