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BY A BLACKSMITH. also Additional Papers on Systematic Beneficencb, WlillTEN ESPECIALLY FOR THIS WORK, BY Rev. E. G. B. HALL AM. Rev. F. R. BEATTIE, Ph.D., D.D. Rev. R. W. WOODSWORTH. WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY THE REVEREND ALBERT CARMAN, D.D. aiNBRAL SUPKRINTBNDRNT OF TUB METnoDIST CHUHCU. * DRANTPORD, ONT., AND ST. JOHN. N.a Bradley, Qarretson & Co. MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: Australian Book & Bible House. 1888. 169658 L55 oc Entered, according to Act of Parliament of Canada, in the year Eighteen Hundred and Eighty-Eight, by Thomas S. Linscott, in the Office of the Minister of Agriculture. i m- i/>/vr>/\ •^ /v«N rv /^-'^ .'v/v^^*-'^ ' -■:^: CONTENTS. ♦»» ^i^ AUTHOR'S PREFACE. God's Money Law — Revealed in the Bible and nature — Neglected by average Christian — Give and get, keep and lose — Sad ignorance of the people — Clear- ness of the Scriptures — God guarantees a man's finan- cial success — Solomon's plan iov getting rich — Piety cultivated — Will convert the world — Book ft)r busy men — Characters real — Experiences true — Black- smith shop — Baptist Church — " Talks " rather than chapters — Stenographically reported xi-xiv INTRODUCTION. Db. Carman's Opinion — Plot pleasing — Argument en- tertaining and scriptural — Sprightly reading — Inval- uable service to the Church — One-tenth is tTie Lord's — The demand upon all mankind — Like marriage and the Sabbath — Not necessarily given to the Ministry — It is the Lord's — God's original and unrepealed law — Aaronic institutes — Jewish history — The Saviour recognized it as a duty — Paul's endorsation — The tenth is still binding — Bad social and political sys- tems which make tithes hateful — This law checks covetousness — Promotes holiness — The Cross victo- rious xv-xx TALK No. 1. Thk Blacksmith Shop — Village philosophers — Too many collections — God's books, the Bible and nature — Nature shows the need of benevolence — The Bible law — God's minimum demand — "There is money in it" — Tithe always moans tenth — Nu necessary con- (iii) m- ^m IV CONTENTS. nection between poverty and piety — Material prom- ises of the Bible — Health and wealth rewards of tithing — Origin of tithe-giving — Abraham and Mel- chizedec — .lacob at Bethel — Jacob's bargain with God — Jacob's marvellous success — liaban changes Jacob's wages ten times — Jacob became rich and made Laban rich — A result of Jacob's vow — God takes care of the finances of His children — God com- mands all men to pay ten per cent. — When the Jews obeyed they i)rospered — Disobedience brought dis- aster — To rob God of money brings punishment in kind — Vitality of the Jews — Great numey makers — This tithing conunand binding on Christians — God's laws are eternal — Needs of the Cliurch greater than ever — She goes a-beggiiig — Bazaars, concerts, lotte- ries, etc. — Spasmodic and hap-hazard benevolence — New Testament sanction of the Tithe 1-41 TALK No. 2. Who Should Tit/ e ? — Increased attendance at the meeting — All men should tithe — Objections — Four- teen per cent, of time, ten per cent, of income — Experience proves it pays to obey — "Tiiere is that scattereth and yetincreaseth" — God's tithe the seed- money of wealth — "He that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly" — Christians trust a Bank with their money, but doubt God — Poor men should pay tithes — A man in debt should pay tithes — Debt a curse — The children of a king generally well off — Bad econ- omy to sell seed-wheat to pay debts — Rich men should tithe their incomes — The cry, "wicked rich men," good poor men — Paying tithes makes God a partner — Insurance against l)aiikruptcy — Experience of a physician — God's cause suffering ior lack of money — Ten per cent, of income would supply the need — The salvation of the world reduced to a <{ues- tion of money — Great spiritual impulse — Obedience and spiritual enjoyment — Sentimental consecration .^■^ .iNrf>^X/N<>X*fl(P CONTENTS. ▼ — Start it at ten per cent, in cash — Tithers generally spiritually minded— Companionship with Jesus. 43-82 TALK No. 3. History of Tithing — Practised by heathens — Tradi- tion from Eden — Abraham found the practice in existence — Presumption that Cain and Abel paid a tenth — Why Jesus said no more about it — Paul's rule — Writings of the Fathers — Primitive Church Councils — Tithing introduced into P]ngland — ^Parish Church Tithes — Variety of Tithes— Tithes made ob- noxious by the State Church — Why other Churches have neglected the system — ^The Pilgrim Fathers — Christianity of America and Canada — The historic Church a unit in saying the tenth is the Lord's — Advantage of tithing — Tithing compared to sowing — Investing in tlie bank of Heaven — Systematizes one's benevolence — Gives a man strength in his busi- ness — Compels one to keep accounts — Draws a man near to God 83-107 TALK No. 4. Objections and Questions — Great interest manifested — The motive of reward should not be appealed to — God does it — Self-interest a powerful motive to virtue — Children — Solomon, Jesus and Paul urge the motive to give for the sake of gain — Love is a higher motive — Should one take out his living ex- penses before tithing ? — How can a farmer tell his income? — Bad debts — How to keep the tithe ac- count — Should a minister pay tithes? — Paupers — Indoor servants — Property that has not been tithed — Pew rents — Horse sheds — Life assurance — Earn- ings of children — A physician's gratuitous services to the poor — Should inherited property that has been tithed be tithed again ? — Should income from capital be tithed ? — Money paid for books — Ministe- rial education and the tithe account — Was the Jew- Jtl^ ^% ^m VI CONTENTS. ish Tithe equivalent to our municipal taxes ? — Is not the law done away with and our givings left to the free will of love ? — Important suggestions — Experi- ence meeting — Publish a book lOD-149 TALK No. 5. Testimonies and Experiences — Given t(j God not less than ton per cent, for five years— Have had more left for myself than before — Given systemati- cally nine years — Am a general merchant — Always have funds on hand — If the law says ten per cent., love ought to do more — A minister's experience — Given a tenth since September, 1883 — Commenced when financially oppressed — Brought great joy — ■ Easy finances -Adopted tithing system seven years ago — My income has (quadrupled since — The rich ought t(j give more than a tenth — All followers of Jesus should support His cause — Convinced some years ago that a tenth was the minimum — Did not then adopt it — Einancial loss — Have paid a tenth for two years — Financial affairs in better condition than ever before — A farmer's experience — A warn- ing — Gave a tenth and had prosperity — People said I was crazy — Gave it up — A long list of failures fol- lowed — Adopted it again — Will never more give it up — Commenced to pay God his financial claim some years ago — Have had success ever since — F(jr four years I have paid a tenth — Would not abandon it — Giving is a luxury — A voice from Nova Scotia — I am a general merchant — Have paid tithes two years — My business has doubled since — Have tithed for a few months — When I withheld a tenth, God took it from me — A stock broker's experience — Have car- ried out the rule for years — Sometimes have doubled the amount — Love and gratitude to Jesus — Experi- ences of two Methodist ministers — A Baptist min- ister's experience — Twenty-five years' testimony — Bible finance in India — A young lady's experience ..•v/^w/xjji 5« CONTENTS. VI I — Salary raisud in two nioiiths -Plxporicneo from Calcutta, India— Increase of salary -A fanner wlio tithed, saved from a plague —Financial victory for yoars-An experience from the Congregational Church — Joy in giving — Plenty to give with — Experience of a young lady stenographer — The same old story — Pleasure and profit — A clergyman's experience — Saves from worry — The nine-tenths is more than the whole — Another farmer hoard from — Experience from the head-master of a school — A shoemaker's experience — Ten years' experience of a lady — Ano- ther lady testifies — An extraordinary testimony — Big giving — Wonderful spiritual and financial re- ward — Closing remarks 151-193 PAY YOUR DEBTS. BY REV. E. C. B. HALLAM. No Giving until Debts are Paid — A tenth is the Lord's — Many Christians withhold it — Paying not giving — Three kind of tithes — Two annual tithes, one triannual — Two tithes abolished — The tithe "for the service of the sanctuary" still binding — Tithing prior to Judaism — God's alphabet of self- denial — Christian honesty demands its payment — New Testament endorsation — Jesus — Paul — Moses and Paul on tithing — A tenth stored once a week — System just and equitable — Tenth minimum for rich and poor — The rich should "give" after having "paid" — Bible finance — "That the Lord may bless thee" — Little love for giving means little likeness to God 195-210 ^^ BlBIiE GIVING : ITS NATURE AND RULE. Introductory — Giving to religious objects important — Religion and luxury — Money needed for religion at 2«* •m Vlll CONTEXTS. liome and abroad — Liberal soul nmdo fat — Delicacy of the subject — Stewards — Early experience — First tea-meeting — Reform needed — Division of the sub- ject -Nature and rule of giving 211-217 Chapter I. — Bible Givinq : its Nature. Bible for tka(;uing — Good foundation laid — Right building on it — Rock v. sand — Principles and their application 218-220 Section I. — Bible foundation. Bible opened — Cain and Abel — Noah — Abraham — Mosaic code — Three classes of offerings— Those for permanent religious service — Those for direct sup- port of priests — Those for altar offerings — Five prin- ciples involved in these offerings — Ownership — Consecration — Firstfruits — Freewill — Represe .ta- tion : — Tabernacle — Temple — Talmud — Kurtz — Spencer — Cases quoted — Same principles in New Testament — Ananias — Still binding on men — Hence foundation in Old and New Testaments .... 220-258 Section II. — Applications. AvBRAOE Christian commitnity — Support of religious teachers — Building churches — Ancient, mediajval, and modern times — Church debts bad continually — Unscriptural — Hurtful — Pew rents condemned — History of system — Unscriptural — Not voluntary — Distinctions between rich and poor — Unequal — In- direct modes of raising money — Commercial — Ba- zaar — Soiree — Social — Concert and lecture — Lottery — Not direct giving — Unscriptural — Often wrong — End does not justify the means — Checks liberality — Not cheap, but dear — Costs far more than direct giving— Social Church life 268-298 Chapter II. — Bible Giving : its Rule. Rule needed — In the dark — God's word — Three ques- tions—How much ?— Where ?— When ? 299-301 'fl' 'Ui CONTENTS. is Sec/ion /. — Now mucht Systkm uKQL'UiKri — Haphazard giving — All should givo H sliaro — Tho titho — Ancient rule — Older than Mcaos —Natural religion — Heathen nations — In Now Testjiment — Not a State tax — Rule of volun- tary giving — Advantiijes — Secures system — Giving intelligently — Moro money given — Brings temporal blessing — Brings spiritual blessing 301-310 Section II. — Where? Giving a religious duty — An act of worship — Mosaic law proves — Temple customs — New Testament — Like Christian Sabbath — All offerings made at church — Pastor's salary — Mission funds — Make giving divine 310-315 Section HI— When? At uKi.ioious SERVICES IK OLi)?.N TIME — New Testament first day of week — Hence at God's house — Weekly of- fering system — No pew rent — All voluntary — More money I'aised — Burden less felt — Worthy of adoption for all givings — Conclusion — Summary — Need of God's Spirit to give life and liberality 315-321 THK PROPERTY TRUST. Chapter I. [nfinD-'e oni.iGATiON TO CjiRisT — Love the constrainer — Holy Scriptures full and clear on the subject — Tho ext/cnt of our givings — The Jewish tithe — Of ancient or i;_M*n— Adopted by Moses — Perpetual obli- gation -• Tho Sabbath law — One-seventh of time, ono-tcnth of income — Violation entails loss — A great dcmam'i for consecrated property — Mftgniti- cont chance for saving a lost world — Privilege, ano- ther word for duty— Pentecosbil consecration --Sold out all for God — Th« same act now would make a ^% ^' m X CONTENTS. stir — Pentecostal baptism - Covetousness tJjo plague of the Church — Seltishness restrains the grace of God — Meagre givings of Christians — The honest Jew gave at least one-third — Giving, a moral duty — One-tenth the minimum-- Scene at the erection of the Tabernacle — Tln-ee thousand millions of dollars for the Temple — Should a man in debt pay tithes '> — Obedience pays— God's laws made in our interest. — Secular and spiritual advantages — It pays ff)i- poor men to keep God's property law - Disaster fol- lows disobedience — An example — Wonderful [)ros- perity— One-tenth of all things the Lord s ...'J25-347 Chapter II. God's claim on the pocketbook — Doing business tor God— Jehovah's charge to His people— All wealth from God— Ability to plan from God — "Will a man rob God ?" — Church finance recjuires revision — No success without sacrifice — Men bear great trouble for worldly success— The motive of the Cross-*'! gave my life for thee"— Infinite love vs. lunnan sel- fishness -Love transforms duty into luxury — Con- quest of the world for God - Mammon and Christ- Investigate this property question— Blessedness of giving 349-o58 Chaptep» III. Divine pledges of blessing —Penalties of disobedi- ence-Distress and scarcity — Jehovah's charge of robbery — God's challenge to prove Him— Great mate- rial prosperity promised to tithers— Trust first, bless- ing afterwards -Tithes demanded when the people were poor — Covetousness punished — God's house first Much sowing, little reaping — "A bag with holes" — Drought and scaicity — For refusing two, God takes twenty - Giving always the condition for getting 359-3G4 k> JS— 4UTH0R'S PREFACE. i*his book is written in the interests of God's money law. This law is clearly re- vealed in the Bible and is plainly manifest in nature. At the same time, it is either entirely neglected or manifestly misunder- stood by the average Christian. It is evident so much so "that he who runs may read," that God has constituted nature and grace according to the principle that the way to get is to give, and the way to lose is to keep. Most men, however, shut their eyes and will not see this great truth. The lack of a knowledge of (Jod's monetary demands upon the people, on the one hand, and the bearing of these demands upon our tinanclal success on the other hand, is simply amazing, in view of the clearness of the teach- (xi) m^ ^^ ^■ ]n XI 1 AUTHORS PREFACE. ings of Holy Scripture, and in view of the im- portance of the subject. I trust the pulpit will not come in for the largest tihare of the blame for this ignorance. It is a matter of certainty to me, tUat a prime condition for the financial success of the individual is in giving to God the amount He demands ; or, to put it stronger, God pledges Himself for the financial success of that indi- vidual who renders obedience to the Divine money claim ; and hence the title of this book is given in no figurative or secondary sense, for an infallible answer to the question, " How^ to acquire wealth ?" is " Bring all the tithes into the store house." To tell the simple truth ought never to be considered beyond the bounds of modesty, and I believe it to be the truth when I say, that this book now sent out to the public proves beyond doubt the wisdom of the command, and the truth of the promise " Honor the Lord with thy substance and with the first fruits of all thine increase, so shall m^ AUTHORS PREFACE. Xlll thy barns be filled with plenty and thy presses shall burst out with new wine." But for tear Solomon's words should be so construed by the doubting as not to mean hard cash, then I will state plainly, that this book proves from the Bible and experience that poverty is always driven away and piety generally cultivated by paying to God ten per cent, of our income. Incidently it is shown that obedience to God's money claim upon Christians would convert the world to Christ in a very short time. An effoi^j has been made to state each point briefly, so liiat the time of busy men may not be occupied longer than is necessary'' to make each argument clear and convincing. A book twice the size could be easily written were the same arguments elaborated to their fullest ex- tent. The characters introduced to the reader are REAL, and the objections interspersed, for the most part, written in the language in which they were stated by actual and not imaginary men. The experiences are not only true in m^ ?si-^ XIV author's preface. their statement, but each experience is given by a different individual with the trade or profession as stated, while the name of each person could be given were it deemed prudent. The idea of the blacksmith, his son and the blacksmith shop has a foundation in fact, but the school house and the Baptist church are introduced for the sake of variety, and to give added iiit :'i-est to the subject under discussion. The book is divided into " Talks " rather than chapters ; first, for the sake of something new, and second, in order to be true, as it is really made up of talks stenographically reported by a lady who has been converted to the doctrine and practice of tithing through the instrumen- tality of the Author, and out of love for the cause she did the work. It is the earnest wish and devout prayer of the writer that this book may be productive of good, and lead many a man to " Bring all the tithes into the storehouse " in response to the demand of God. THE A UTHOR. ^r 0t INTRODUCTION. L I have been looking over tliis book on the Christian law in giving of our suljstance to God, entitled " Light From My Forge," and cheerfully say I am pleased with.it, in its plot; its statement ; its doctrine ; and its argument. The plot is entertaining and makes it sprightly reading : its statement is clear and easily ap- prehended : its ctrine, as I fully believe, Scriptural, an^* nence salutary ; and its argu- ment entertaining and decisive. It is not an easy subject to make attractive and popular ; but this little book succeeds as well, at least, as any other I have seen in rendering the Christian Church this necossar and invalua- ble service. As to the subject matter itself, for years it has been to me not a thing of doubt, but of (XV) 'fik ■■■<**i ^' XVI INTRODUCTION. a? 1^ firm conviction and iiniiiterrupted, and I may say of more satisfactory and better established certainty, as the years pass on, that the origi- nal and unrepealed claim of the Most High God the possessor of Heaven and Earth, upon every human gainer and owner of substance, is that one-tenth is the Lord's ; and to be ren- dered up to Him directly as Proprietor and Ruler, in token of His original and fundamen- tal ownership, and our allegiance, dependence and stewardship. This rule, law or institute, like marriage and the Sabbath, was given to man as man ; and hence is binding on the uni- versal human race, when the individuals come into the exercise of the powers and duties of the relationships. There may be cases where the cessation of labor and rest of a Sabbath Day are perfectly impossible, and men, like imbeciles and confirmed invalids may have absolutely nothing to give; but neither of these cases, nor any such case, touches or mars the general law. I have said above that the tenth is to be rendered up to God directly as Proprietor and ^isr ?<' 'w->./-^'\^- INTRODUCTION. XVll Ruler. By this I mean at least two things ; first, that the tenth is thereby the appointed minimum of our givings ; and secondly, that it is not therefore necessarily given for the support of a priesthood, pastorate or ministry, or for the poor, or the propagation of the Gos- pel. The tenth is the Lord's, His badge of Sovereignty and Proprietorship, and our token of allegiance and stewardship. It is of His abounding grace ; it may go to our instruction in the doctrines of life, and our relief of the wants and the miseries of the wretched and the poor, our humanity, if we have any of that thing so much boasted of by some, and our religious necessities might well justify our paying for these things over and above the royal conscience tax and the Sovereign de- mand. The tenth is God's to do with it as He will : and inasmuch as He wills our sanctifica- tion. He graciously takes us into this fellow- ship of distribution and administration of th(} divine beneficence and bounty, and so culti- vates our character in generosity, liberality and practical holiness. It is therefore, we say, Jr: «^ xvin INTRODUCTION. I . t| i a 4.. the tenth is the minimum, leaving us to grow in this grace also as much as we desire by en- larging our acts of human kindness and Chris- tian benevolence by abounding gifts and free will offei'ings. I have also chai-acterized this demand of God as original, fundamental and unrepealed. As I read the Sacred Scriptures I have no doubts upon this question. Intimated in a rule and regularity of offerings from the be- ginning; recognized by Abraham the father of the faithful in his dealings with Melchizedek, the typical and representative Christian Priest- hood, out of what had been recovered in war, and hence likely never tithed ; reiterated by the youthful Jacob, Abraham's grandson, as a culminating and binding religious act ; reas- serted twenty years before the establishment of the Aaronic institutes ; perpetuated as a test and condition of blessing through all Jewish history ; touched by the blessed Sav- iour himself as a recognized and existing duty very much as He touched the Holy Sabbath ; and definitely connected by Paul the Apostle SI 91^ 'tit INTKODUCTIUN. XIX with the Christian priesthood, as the vital continuance and enlargement of the ancient Melchizedekan order, to my humble judg- ment it is conclusive, notwithstanding the objections that lack of faith, and worldliness, and political prejudice, and blinded self- interest, and covetousness, and the sinful de- ceived heart pile up against it, that the record still stands : the claim is still valid ; the de- mand is still pressed ; the tenth is the Lord's ; and the vow, " Of all thou givest me, I will surely give the tenth unto Thee," is still right- eous, religious, dutiful, acceptable to God and profitable to men. If these things be so, who will doubt that man is a fallen being, and this a revolted world ? Who can doubt that social or politi- cal systems that make tithes hateful are detri- mental to personal piety and hinder the work of God ? Who can deny that Satan obtains a great advantage in any combination that I'en- ders God's righteous demand and His subjects and childrens' alBfectionate, dutiful, and loyal response a hissing and byword, and odium m ^v/vrv/x^\ ' wx/* XX INTKUDUCTION. and a venom, to the ends of the earth ? Who can deny that covetousness would be greatly checked, and consecration greatly aided by obedience to this call, and grateful, cheerful practice of this rightful, benign and blessed rule ? Who would deny that if the Christian Church would rise to this grand height and clear light of action, personal piety and holi- ness would more and more abound, and the victories of the cross be more rapidly extended through all nations and among all peoples ? To this end may this little book greatly con- tribute. &ii!- • 'i . r HOW THE TALK8 BEGAN. SYSTEMATIC GIVING. « ♦ ■ The following talks were commenced in our blacksmith shop to a number of custom- ers and tlieir friends, who came to hear what I had to say on "Systematic Giving," as they call it, but what I prefer to call "Systematic Prtvinor" of what we owe to God. I am a blacksmith, the son of a blacksmith, and the grandson of a blacksmith. The old shop in which these talks commenced had been occupied by three successive generations, my grandfather, my father, and myself. Each of us in turn shod all the horses of the little village, repaired all the ploughs and wagons, and, in short, did all the blacksmith- ing that was to be done for miles around. At nights, the men and boys of our little com- munity used to assemble in our shop, and (1) '^ HOW TO GET RICH. while fatlior and myself would transform old horse shoes into new ones, there would be a general discussion of things, hoth light and grave, the conversations being enlivened by the blaze of the forge, and made merry by the cling-clang of hammer and sledge, as they rattled on an anvil which gave "no uncertain sound." We had some profound philosophers in our village, and some equally noted for their knowledge of the Bible. The shoemaker, the doctor, and the man that kept the only shop in the village, where we bought our dry goods, gror'eries, hardware and stationer}', were the best talkers, and seemed to know the most ; although after 1 was converted, it did seem remarkable how much God revealed to me of the Bible, myself, and everybody else; and how He let loose my tongue none knov; better than our nightly company at the blacksmith shop. On the day preceding this particular night when these talks commenced, there were several farmers in with work to be done, and while waiting they had a general gMx/%/%/»y%/%/x^^^^i/»^^»i^^^^^^w^^^^%^^^^>^^^^^^^i ^^%/^^^>^>^j^f\*{ ^ ?8^ ■» THE PATH OF WEALTH. 3 conversation on the great demand for money from the churches, and the general subject of Christian giving, some complaining that there was nothing but collections and subscriptions, while others explained the reason why, and justified the demands, but objected to the gen- eral system by which the people gave their contributions. They struck a sul»ject upon which I had very decided views, for I had /^iven it considerable attention, and thought I knew the Bible plan, and I said some things which seemed new and startling to them, al- though my ideas were as old as Abraham at least. By some kind of general consent, an un- usually large number came to the shop that night to hear what I had to say on that sub- ject. An influential business man from the city was visiting the doctor, and he brought him along, while our company was also graced with the presence of our own minister, who found out what was going on, and came to listen. It was a representative gathering and I tried my best to be equal to the occasion. »' .^1' 4 HOW TO GET RICH. and "give saint and sinner their portion in due season." All work was laid aside for that night, and as the company sat around upon the benches, the forge, and upon boxes, I sat upon the anvil, with my leathern apron for a cushion, and began my discourse on "SYSTEMATIC PAYING." Talk No. 1. "There are some duties which can he found out without the aid of the Bible, and there are a great many things which are necessary to know that the Bible was never intended to teach, and yet there are a great many other things which we could never discover if the Bible had not been given us. God has given us two great books — the Bible and Nature — and in one or other of these books each duty of man to man, and of man to God, is clearly revealed to us. Nature is God's first book, and the Bible is His supplement: what is not revealed in one is communicated in the other From nature we learn there is great need of M- '^ % '^ THE PATH OF WEALTH. 5 benevolence, but she reveals to us no law for its exercise, or adequate motive to prompt its action. The Bible steps in and confirms na- ture as to the need of benevolence, but in ad- dition, it supplies powerful motives for its exercise, and gives exact rules for its guidance. There are attached to all the laws of God, whether as seen '- nature or revealed in the Bible, rewards and penalties. No man can keep a law without being blessed, and no man can break a law without being cursed. So far as what is generally called natural law is con- cerned, this is evident to all, and no time need be taken to prove it. If I put my hand in the fire it is burned, no matter how pious I uiay be; and if I do not eat I shall starve. Both of these disasters would be the result of the natural operation of well known laws. Experience proves that the laws of the Bible are equally unyielding, for be it remembered, the Bible does not make any of its laws, it simply reveals what already exists in the very nature of things, but which could not be found out by unaided reason. ■tf> I «- ^^ 6 HOW TO GET RICH. 11 "I shall attempt to make it very clear, in my talk, that God has communicated to us the exact minimum sum which we are to contri- bute of our means to the support of His cause ; that His will has been communicated to us in the Bible in such a way that it has all the force of a law, or a direct command, and what I have just said concerning the keeping or the breaking of other laws is ap- propriate to this subject. I trust also to be able to prove that there are very great bless- ings, both temporal and spiritual, promised to the man who gives the proportionate amount of his income as demanded by the Bible. Pro- bably I shall put the stress on the temporal blessings; and, from a business standpoint, at- tempt to prove that there is money in it. The careful reader of the Bible, particularly of the Old Testament, must see how often God pro- mises material blessings to His people if th'ey keep His commandments, and how often God promises to bless His people with earthly good if they regularly and faithfully tithe their income. 9t' ;'x/x/«^^M^^^^^«^^M%Aa THE PATH OF WEALTH. " Over and over again, by different writers and under different circumstances, it is in effect most distinctly asserted that " The tenth is holy unto the Lord," and the prophet Mal- achi, who is the last prophet under the old dispensation, and who may be said, in some sense, to be the prophet who ushered in the New Testament dispensation, uses this signi- ficant language concerning tithing : (Mai. iii., 10, 11, 12) 'Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the win- dows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And 1 will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts.' "It is not necessary for me to state that the word tithe, when used in the Bible, always I IV ill ■ I 8 HOW TO GET RICH. means tenth, and is never used in any other sense. Putting this expression into modem language, it means, that ten per cent, of our net earnings are to be devoted to God and to His cause., that is, to religious and benevolent purposes. God distinctly promises that, if we will be faithful and pay Him ten per cent, regularly, or, as the Bible puts it, 'Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,' He will give us both material and spiritual blessings. I fear there is a tendency in modern religious teaching to postpone all blessings until we get to heaven, and perhaps unduly associate 'poverty and piety,' forgetting that Jesus said, 'The meek shall inherit the earth/ and Paul taught that godliness is equally good to make money with or to take a man to heaven. This modern teaching states that if Grod blesses us here in the performance of our duty, the blessings will be of a spiritual character; but I aflSrm that there are more promises in the Bible of a material character, promising those who keep the commandments material blessings, than there are promises of a spirit- ^«5 THE PATH OF WEALTH. 9 ual character. I do not state that material prosperity in itself is to be compared, in im- portance, to spiritual prosperity; for, compar- atively, one is dross and the other is gold, one is the bubble on the ocean, and the other is the ocean, one relates to time, and the other to eternity, and there is no comparison. But, for some reason or other, the Bible gives greater prominence to the earthly advantages of obedience to God than modern religious teaching; and the reason is likely found in the fact, "that our material condition very greatly affects our spiritual advancement, and that of the world. "It is easier for a man with health and wealth to be good, than it is for a man stricken with disease and oppressed by pov- erty. The grace of God can, and does, equal any difficulty that may be in the way of any man's piety; but granting that tw^o men are equally good and that they represent the con- ditions to which I have referred, there can be no comparison between the possi])le influence of the one upon the spiritual condition of the I'. d 11 10 now TO GET RICH. world, and the influence of the other ; so that, in a relative sense, the blessings of health and wealth are of overwhelming importance, and are to be coveted. I affirm that God promises to give us health and wealth if we will pay Him our tithes. He promises to fill our barns, to give us houses and lands, to make our busi- ness successful, to protect our families, and, in every way, blessings of a temporal character are promised to those who will keep this com- mandment of paying ten per cent, to His cause. "It may be profitable for me, in the first place, to talk a little on 'THE ORIGIN OF TITHE-GIVING.* /' "If you will turn to Genesis xiv., 20, you will there learn that Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek, the priest of the most high God. It appears that Abraham had been engaged in a warfare with Chedorlaomer, a heathen prince, and was successful. God had given Abraham the victory, and enabled him to k^ '!>« THE PATH OF WEAI/rfl. 11 rout tlie enemy. In returning from the war he brought nnicli spoils with him, and meeting Melchizedek, the priest of the most In'gh God, ho gave him a tenth of the prize he had cap- tured. Wli ether this was a spontaneous thank- otfering to God for the signal victory whicli he had achieved, or whether he was carrying out a coir'nandment he had received, we are left to conjecture. "I am incHned to think, by some means or other, God had communicated to AV»ra- ham His will, that He demanded of His people ten per cent, of their income for the carrying on of His cause. There is strong presumptive evidence of this, of which I will not now speak, but I may do so hereafter. Wliatever the truth may be concerninij: this, it is certain that God afterwards adopted the tenth as His share of the increase of the peo- ple. We find that it became incorporated in the Jewish statute books ; we find it coming li'om the lips of the prophets, from the kings, and from all those who were in authority over God's ancient people. 12 HOW TO GET RICH. / iii !in "The next reference to tithe-giving is in the memorable case of Jacob, when he was fleeing from Esau, and on the road to his uncle Laban at Padan-aram. Tlie story says, that on the road he laid him down to sleep, and he dream- ed a dream ; in his dream, he saw a ladder reaching from earth to heaven, with angels ascendin'i;' and descendini]:, while God was on the top of the ladder, and had a conversation with Jacob. At the conclusion of the conver- sation, Jacob made a bargain with God (Gen. xxviii., 20, 21, 22) : 'And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give rae bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my father's house in peace ; then shall the Lord be my God : and this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house : and of all that thou shalt give me, I will surely give the tenth unto thee.' It is not irreverent to say, that this was a business bargain of a man with his Maker; and it seems that God was pleased with it, and gra- ciously accepted its conditions, and He fully carried out His share of the bargain. ?>, . ■». ■>j-v-*.-wx/>/-. •^' III! THE SCENE OF JACOB'S TITHE VOW. >1 I 'I T r ' ^' 'ie THE PATH OF WIIALTH. 13 ".J>u*<)l» reached the house of Lahan in safe- ty, and hired with him as a keeper of sheep. While he was th<'re he fell in love with Rachel, one of the dauj^hters of Lal)an, and served seven years for lier ; hut at the end of the term, he was clieated by his old heathen uncle, and received Leah instead ; at tlio end of another seven years, he was rewarded with Rachel. It seems, during the fourteen years which Jacob had been in the employ of Laban, that the hitter's flocks had wonderfully pros pered ; and Liban, witli an eye to business, valued Jacob's labor, and manifested great anxiety to retain his services, Jacob had now quite a large family around him, and wanted to leave Laban, so that he could provide for his houseli()ld, but Laban prevailed upon him to stay, saying (Gen. xxx., 27, 28): 'And LaV»an sjwd unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favor in thine eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience that the Lord hath blessed me for thy sake. And he said. Ap- point me thy wages, and I will give it.' "A bargain was made between them, that 3 1 1 ! I M :il!{ ^ 14 HOW TO GET HICH. Jacob was to have all the spotted and speckled sheep and goats for his share. Jacob remindec I Laban that before he came to him he had but little, but now he had a multitude of sheep and goats, and that the Lord had blessed him I'or his sake. The bargain, as just mentioned, was made between them ; and it seems won- derful, the t from this time on, most of the sheep and goats came spotted and speckled, the strong lambs of the flock were nearly all marked that way. Laban, stirred with jealousy, changed Jacob's wages, and paid him on an- other plan; but it would seem from the narra- tive that Jacob'** share of the sheep was always larger than Laban's, and that Laban, filled with envy, changed the nature of his wages ten times; but it made no difference what kind of sheep were to be Jacob's share, his would always be the largest. Jacob increased won- derfully, and the story says (Gen. xxx., 43) : 'And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and manser- vants, and camels, and asses.' God, in a con- versation with Jacob, states, in substance, that tB p^ ■^ ^ ^%rf ^ |!F=f m I' : iBHt I i < lion. JOH\ >IA(Dr>KAI.U. Mr. Macdonald was born in Perthshire, Scotland, in 18*24. He started in Canada, a poor clerk. From the beginning he gave a tenth to God, and hence, we believe, his marvellous suc- cess. He is an earnest Christian worker, and a great giver. No person knows the full extent of his givings. As this note is written .. gift of $40,000 from him is announced toward the erec- tion ot an Hospital at Toronto, Canada. tM THK PATH OF WEALTH. 15 IS tec- tlie reason of all this increase was because he had taken Him into partnership, and given Him a tenth of his earnings; for in the con versation referred to, God cited Jacob back to the years gone by, when he was a refugee, and had nothing but his staff, to the time and place where Jacob made the bargain with God, and said (Gen. xxxi., 13), 'I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vow^edst a vow unto me ; now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.' "It is reasonable to suppose that God would f take special care of the business of that man in which He had a one-tenth interest, even if ^ the Bible were silent upon the subject; but the Bible is by no means silent, as it expressly de- clares, over and over again, that the reason why His people were so blessed in their worldly goods, was because they regularly paid Him the tenth ; and at other times it expressly declares, that the reason why diverse circumstances overtook them was because they robbed Him of the tenth which he de- manded. iP l« IG MOW TO CiET KICH. "Su far as I can see, tlie next reference to tithing in the Bible is a direct command from God. If you turn to Leviticus xxvii, 30, 31, 32, you will find the following: 'And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's : it is holy unto the Lord. And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof. Ani concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passe th under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord.' " Andtlien please turn to Deut.xiv.,22,2(S,29, and you will find the following: 'Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that tlie field bi'ingeth forth year by year. At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all tlu; tithe of thine increase the same year, and shall lay it up within thy gates. And the Levite (because he hath no part nor inherit- ance with thee) and the stranger, p\id the fatherless, and the widow, which arc witliin thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be Siitisfied ; that the Lord thy God may bless m-^ m ^ THE PATH OF WEALTH. 17 tliee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest.' Numerous other texts might be cited re-affirming the same commandment, but those already quoted make it very clear that God demanded a tenth of His people's income as His share ; and this commandment was just as binding upon the conscience of His people as any commandment imposed upon them. " I wish to notice, in the next place, that obedience to this commandment was essential to th(3 prosperity of God's ancient people. The Old Testament is full of directions concerning the method of giving the tenth, and it states and re-states the advantages and blessings which will follow the observance of this command- ment, and the dire calamities which will come upon them if they rob God, or fail in the per- formance of this duty, to pay Him the portion of their income which He demands. It is very clear that, when the people of God obeyed this commandment, they prospered wonderfully, they were blessed with material increase, their crops were plentiful, the health of the people was remarkable, and, in fact, in every lit I ny- I Mi H\ m 18 HOW TO GET RICH. way they enjoyed material and spiritual pros- perity. It is also very clear that, when they disobeyed this commandment and give God a less sum than ten per cent., the curse of God came down upon them ; their crops were blighted and mildew' ! they fled from the presence of their enemies, they were scattered and driven from one place to another; and I shall show you, in a moment, that God dis- tinctly states that the u v;i Mialtics came upon them because they robbed Uim cf His duos and kept for the ...selve" wliat Hr demanded for His cause. "In the reign of good king Hezelriah, the people gladly paid their tithes, and as a result, they were very prosperous. Please turn to II. Chronicles, xxxi., 5-10 : * And as soon as the commandment came abroad, tho children of Israel brought in abundance the first fruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field ; and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly. And Azariah the chief priest of the house of Zadok answered him, and said, since the peo- THK PATH OF WEALTH. 11) '» pie began to bring the offerings into the houso of the Lord, we have had enough to eat, and have plenty left ; for the Lord hath blessed His people, and that which is left is this great store.' Here you see, my statements are fully lH)rne out. It is distinctly stated that the children of Israel brought in their tithe of all things with gladness, and as a result, God blessed His people ; they had enough and to spare for themselves, and the house of the Loi-d was abundantly provided for; it not oidy was provided with enough for the necessities of the priests, Levites, and the poor, but ihere was abundance to spare. To suimnarize this Biblical quotation, we get the following: "(1) Tithing was a commandment. It was for all the people, for it was published 'abroad.' "(2) The Children of Israel gladly kept this commandment, and tithed all they possessed, not excepting anything. "(3) Azariah, the chief priest, told the King that the people were bringing in their offei- 1= t il, - ' ni w— a»i»CTM 20 HOW TO (JET lUCll. m ings according to the directions of God, and liiat IVoni the very day they commenced the observance of this commandment, the follow- ing were the results : (a) The house of God was abumlantly provided for; His servants the priests and Levites, and all who worked al)out the Temple, received their pay; there was no lack of means to carry on the expen- sive machinery of conducting worship for the people, (h) God had blessed His people with great material prosperity because they kept this commandment. (c) So great was the prosperity of the people that their tithes had formed a surplus in the house of God, for after all the demands had been met, there was a 'great store' left. "In this instance we see demonstrated that by paying God ten per cent., the ninety per cent, which the people retained for themselves was a larger sum than the whole would have been if it had all been retained. Such a state- ment may be contrary to a narrow material- istic philosophy, but it is not contrary to the experience of the Church of God in all ages, fi i^' THE PATH OF WKALTH. 21 ■^ and it is in full harmony with the experience ot* the devout and (he enlightened Christian in any country, and under all sorts of circum- stances. 'There is that giveth and yet in- creascth.* "From this historical event, it is fair to argue that the same results would follow in any ag«^ where the same conditions exist. Hence, what we need to make all the people prosperous and to give the Church of God abundance, is for all the people to pay tithes ; and, as the less is in- cluded in the greater, what is needed for each individual to bring down the blessing of God upon his enterprises, and give him prosperity, is, for him to tithe his income. "These are propositions which cannot be succ«.'ssfully controverted, unless it can be shown that this law has been repealed in the Bible, or that Christian men are not under its obligations ; but no such repeal is found either in the Old or New Testament, nor can any good reasons be adduced to show that the law is not binding on Christians. Certain it is, that a great many people to-day observe r^ i fil III '22 HOW TO GEl' RICH. this law ; and, so far as can be learned, they each claim that God deals with them as He did with His ancient people the Jews, and they are greatly blessed. "Now, I wish to show yon that, wlien the people of God failed to pay Ilim ten per cent., the curse of God came down upon them. Turn to Malachi iii., 7, 8, : 'Even from the days of your fathers ye have gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts: but ve said, Wherein shall we return \ Will a man i-ob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee ? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse, for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.' "In the tenth verse, which has already been quoted, He promises that if they will bring in their tithes He w^ill bless them abundantly with material and spiritual blessings, and states, in the next verse, that He will rebuke the devourer for their sakes, and promises that their fruits shall not be destroyed in the v*. •«! THE I'ATU OF WEAl/lH. 23 ground, nor shall their vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, and declares that all nations shall call them blessed, and that they shall become a delightsome land. I want you to observe that these are bles- sinofs of a material character — blessings of wealth, and honor, and power, and pros- perity ; all the blessings that an individ- ual or a nation can expect or desii*e; and these blessings are promised if they will bring the tithes into the storehouse, or, in other words* pay to God one-tenth of their income. "In summing up the statements of this < [notation, we get the following : "(1) That God claims the tithe of all things as His. "(2) That to withold the tithe from God is robbery. "(3) That God punishes such robberies in kind, that is, they rob Him of His share of their earthly substance, and He punishes them by devouring worms, which destroy their "1* ir ! P i Mw^^^^M^^iMNyi 24 now TO (JET UK'H. crops, by blights, which causes the vine to cast her grapes before they are ripe ; in short, He 1 (lings a material curse upon them for a ma- terial sin, and in all their borders their enter- prises are unsuccessful. "These calamities came upon the Jews be- cause they did not pay tithes. "(4) God invites them to return to Him, and to bring in theii' tithes as aforetime. '(5) That if they do so. He will return to them, and give them great material prosperity, as He did in other days. "It is very clear to the Bible student that the prosperity of the Jews ran parallel with their observance of this commandment, and that their adversities and many sad na- tional calamities ran parallel with their disobedience to this commandment. It is worthy of note that Jacob is the first man to formally make a business bargain with God, for he distinctly stated that, if God would be with him, give him bread to eat. THE PATH OF WEALTH. •25 and brinir Hini aLTJiin to his fntlior's house in safety, he would give Him one-tentli of all he earned. Jacob faithfully kept liis part of the bargain, and as a result, God did bless him in his business, gave him wonderful matei'iai prosperity, and returned him to his own land n great and a rich man. "Now, it is natural to suppose that, as this was such a success in the case (jf Jacob, he would impress it upon his chil- dren, and endeavor to get them to follow in his footsteps. His example and influence upon his posterity was so great, that tiiis law of the tithe seems to be interwoven in their natures; and the giving of the tithe, aft<'i- a time, seemed to be so essential ' > their pros- perity, that they kept this commandment when they had backslidden in all other matters. "It is an historic fact that no nation has had the vitality and rebound of the Jewish people. They have been scattered among all nations ; they have been banished froiri nearly every land under the heavens ; they have been a hissing and a by-word. This nation hiis M^rz m'f m m 26 HOW TO GET KICH. resembled the bush Moses saw, 'which w,i» burning and yet not consumed.' History tells us that the Jewish people have always been a money-making people. No sooner are they expelled by one nation, with all their goods confiscated, than we find them in another country, and they speedily become the mer- chant princes, the great money loaners, and the bankers. "I believe this quality of success, or pro- pensity to make money, in the Jews is at- tributable to the fact that no matter what laws they neglected, they were careful to pay God His tenth, and God w^as in honor bound to bless them with material prosperity, because He had promised it in the Bible, and He com- pel' nature to yield her fruits freely to the man or nation who gives back to nature's God one-tenth of her produce. Such is the char- acteristic of money-making in the Jews, that it has become a proverb to say ' As rich as a Jew.' Jacob, the father of the Jews, learned the secret of making money, and every maii who has imitated him has had similar succesr-. '\ • • ••':.■•.•.••.■••.•.••.'••.• Hilt MOSES MONTKFIORE, The Jewish FhlUathroplst. Born in London, 1784, and died ii 1884, just after his' one- hundredth birthday. A man of great piety and extraordinary benevolence. He spent his time and vast fortune in aiding the down-trodden of his own race. In their interest he visited Russia, Poland, Morocco, Syria and other parts of the world. In 1867 he built and endowed a large Hospital at Ramsgate, England, for the benefit of all classes. I! I THK PATH OF WEALTH. 1 think it is clearly seen from what I have said, tliat to give a tenth of their income was a command of God for His ancient people, and that they greatly prospered in its observance, and were equally hindered when they failed to observe it. These are statements which, I think, no Bible student will deny. "Now, I wish to show you, in the next place, that THIS tithing command is hinding UPON CHRISTIANS. God's laws are eternal ; they are like Himself, and 'He is the same yest' I'day, to-day and forever. All the laws of the Old Testament, which are applicable now, are equally binding now, even though there mav be no re-affirmation of them in the New Testament. We often hear people speak about being " free from the law," but I fear to many minds, that expression contains as much error as it does truth. If it means that w< are free from the moral law, or that Christians have a right to break any of the command- ments, it is truly a very great error, for each and all of the ten commandments are as bind- ing now upon Christians as they were upon ( I 2« HOW TO GET KICH. Clod's ancient peojDle, when those coniuiand- ments were first given ; and this remark ap- plies with equal force to all the moral laws or commandments of the Old Testament. "There are certain ceremonial laws, that typified the coming of the Lord Jesus, which are now done away with, because (Jhrist has come and fulfilled that of which these were the types. There were also certain laws which had only a local application, which are no longer applicable, and therefore no longer binding. Then, again, all that are in Christ Jesus are free, from the curse of a broken law, because Jesus 'bore our sins in His own body on the tree,' and thus became the curse for them. Thus the punishment of a broken law cannot be inflict- ed upon the Christian, and only in this sense is it true that any man is 'free from the law.' This I believe to be Paul's meaning in the text, ' for ye are not under the law but under grace. "All the great moral and fundamental laws of the Bible, which are applicable now, '*^*i' THE PATH OF WEALTH. 29 { kl are just as binding now as when tlioy were first given, and it is a remarkable fact, tliat their adaptability to all ages and conditions of society is recognized by all civilized govern- ments. No person can say that ten per cent, of the income of God's people was more needed in olden days than now. The Church then liad a very narrow sphere ; it was confined, for the most part, to f^ho Jews, for they knew nothing of missionary enterprise. When the Church hod this narrow sphere, and was so circumscribed, God demanded the tenth of His people's earnings to carry it on ; but now, wnth the ever widening field for Christian activity, if there is any need for change, it would be that the sum to be contributed be larger rather than smaller. "The world is now open for the mis- sionaries of the Cross, and the teeming millions of the earth's population are crying, 'Come over and help us,' and their hearts are saying, 'Men and brethren, what must we do to be saved ?' There are, in our own large cities and centres of civilization, tens of thou- "!|! I i I :io HOW TO GET RICH. saiuls who are practically as heathen as the heathens of Africa, and the Gospel must be taken to these home heathens. The demand for tracts, Bibles and missionaries was never so great as now ; and, although the liberality f Christian people is on the increase, yet the ( hurch of God cannot respond to the demands of the hou)', and tens of thousands are living and dying without Christ, and the Church goes a-begging, and the people continue to perish. There are very few churches carrying on even their present home enterprises with the voluntary givings of the people, and none of tliem can enter all the doors which are continually opening to them. The missionary field is restricted, the field for labor is limited all because the means are not forthcoming to carry on the work of God. Not only is there a great lack of funds for missionary en- terprises, but how many local churches are there that can pay their own local and legiti- mate expenses from the voluntary givings of the people ? "We find the Church of God descend- M! «< 't» THE TATli OK WEALTH. 81 •f l- hvr t() Imsiiioss methods in order to raise money enoiigh to pay its expenses ; lienco, we liaye tea-meetings, liazaars, concerts, and, what is still more abhorrisnt, kissing parties, voting, lotteries, dumb socials, necktie parties, and all sorts of schemes to raise money ; while the vast majority rob God of His tithes, and hyp- ocritically sing : ' Were tlie whole realm of nature mine, That were a present far too small ; Love.so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all.' If Christian people would live up to the Bible demand, and pay God one-tenth of their in- come, there would be no need for such methods of raising money — there would be enough and to spare ; and I believe the millennium would soon be upon us, for the conversion of the world is, in my opinion, now reduced to a (question of money. We have the men and women whose hearts God has touched, and whose souls are aflame with missionary zeal ; we have a Gospel that meets the requirements of nil sorts and conditions of men ; full pro- i! , Ml il f 32 HOW TO GET RICH. vision has been made for the salvation ot* the world, 'For whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.' How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not be- lieved ? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher ? And how shall they preach except they be sent ? .Vnd how can they be sent without money ? And how can they get the money except it be given them in God's appointed way, by ^he tithes of the people ' who have heard the joyiul sound V As a matter of fact, it is doubtful if the givings of Christian people aggregate three per cent, whereas the demand of the Bible is ten per \ cent. "Now, I ask, if God demanded a tenth of the earnings of His people under the Old Tes- tament dispensation, surely He cannot demand a less sum now. If there were no New Testa- ment endorsation of giving ten per cent., would not the law, given in the Old Testament for the maintenance of God's Church, be binding upon Christian men under this dispensation ? I I^K/^^^Z-k THE PATH OF WEALTH. Who would dare say that such a reasonable demand, a demand which had worked so well in the past, 1)oth as to those who paid tithes and the cause which received them, is now ♦lone away with ? "God has so arranged in nature, that all tlie needs of nature are met by ade- the other undone.' "The scribes and Pharisees were so particular about tithing their earnings, that they biought it down to the most insignificant mattci's, and tithed the verv herbs. We learn from this quotation, that even when they neglected the weightier matters of the law, such as judg- ment, mercy, and faith, they did not neglect to tithe their incomes, undoubtedly keeping to this tithing habit since they learned that there was money in it ; just a.s men will continue to .sow their crops, and expect God to bless the seed sown, whether they have religion or not; just as worldly men in these days subscribe to the building fund of a church, for the rea- son that the church will increase the value of their property. 'For the children of this world are wiser in their generation tlmn the $ lill illi THK PATH OF WKAM'H. ;j5 Wm m IM childn'ii of liolit,' so these seriln'S and Pluiri- sees had k'anied, that it was a law of Ood to pay a tentli of their income, and that this tenth bore the same relation to money as seed does to a crop. In other words, tliey believed that eartldy prosperity had been promised to the man who would tithe his income, regardless of liis moral character, in the same way as 'God maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good.' Now, you will notice in this quotaticm that Jesus states, that they ought to tithe their incomes, as they did, but that they ought not to neglect the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy and faith. If you strictly analyze this quotation, you will see that it is a direct endorsation of the law of the tithe. "The story of the Pharisee and the Publican I take as at least an indirect endorsation of paying ten per cent, of our income to God. The Pharisee boasted of the fatt that he fast- ed twice in the week, and gave tithes of nil he possessed, and thanked God that he was not an extortioner, nor an adulterer; while tlie ^sr »s: 't^- I < HUH m vs HOW TO (iET UKJIl. Publican, standing afar off, smote upon his breast, saying, 'God be merciful tome, a sinner.' "Now, you will please notice that each of the things which the Pharisee thanked God for was good : he thanked God that he was not addicted to the vices mentioned, that he fasted twice in the week, and gave tithes of all he possessed, that is, gloried in his self- righteousness. Notice, that the language put into the Pharisee's mouth by the Saviour makes liim 'abhor that which is evil, and cleave to that which is good,' and one of the good things which he glories in is the fact that he pays tithes. It was not what this man did that Jesus condemned, but the fact that he expected to be saved by his good works ; whereas the Publican understood the plan of salvation, and leaned wholly upon the mei'cy of God. I take it that this story is an endor- sation of the Old Testament commandment. As I look into this story, it affords much stronger evidence of the position I take con- cerning the New Testament endorsation of the tithe than I first thought. '^ THE PATH OF WKAl/l'H. ST '^ "The force of this iUustration is incrcaseut I assure you that it is a fallacy if you get below the surface. This you will readily see from the following considerations upon a parallel case : God commands us to give Him one day in each seven days, which is over fourteen per cent, of our time. Time is essentially money to ninety-nine per cent, of us; and, from the standpoint of the objec- tion, it is a very sore affliction for mechanics THK I'ATH OF WEALTH. 47 and laboring men to lose one day's wages in seven days, by being compelled not to work on that day by a law of God. "Take a man earning one dollar a day, and by God's direct eonnnand lie is required to give one day in seven to Him, anil forfeit one-seventh of his income, or over fourteen per cent., aggregating in one year the large sum of fifty-two dollars. This is a larger sum than many ^vr;llthy men give in money ; and yet this poor man, who can Jiardly give his family sufficient food and clothing, is required by Divine law to give the same proportion of his time to God as a rich man. Without taking the great God into consideration, and reasoning apart from experience, nearly everybody would say that such a law is monstrously un- just; but reasoning as we do from the historic standpoint, with the centuries behind us, having at our command the experience of the nations of the eai-th, witli the testimony of the great and the good ; in fact, with the uni- versal testimony of the ages in favor of the Sabbath day for man and beast, we all say ^]» il ■U[ ^ W m-^ ^>s now TO GET RICH. that this law is wise and good, and good in proportion as a man may be weak in ' mind, body or estate ; ' a blessed provision for the rich and strong, and an indispensable boon for the poor an<;l needy. ** Now then, in view of this, would you ad- vise the man with four thousand dollars per annum to give one-seventh of his time to God and advise the other, with four hundred dol- lars per annum, to wi rk that day simply because he was poor ? Certainly not ; and the reason lies in this, that in some w^ay or other, by actual experiment on the part of indivi- duals and nations, a man can accomplish more in his life-time by giving fouiteen per cent, of his time to God, or by working six days a week and giving God the sev^enth, than he can by working seven days a week. "The only way to account for it is because it is a law of God ; and the same reason- ing applies to the tithe. If God demands forty dollars per annum from the man who receives only four hundred dollars, then cer- tainly the remaining three hundred and sixty THE HATH <>K WEAI.TH. 49 dollars will go a great deal further than tiie four huiKlrod wouM if all were kept. " The whole subject hinges upon the ques- tion, ' Docs God require it V The Bilih- is our authority, and it is accepted as such by each one of you, and I think that there is no duty mentioned in the Bible more distinctly tlian the duty of giving the tenth unto the Lord. We have seen it connnanded and practised un- der each dispensation ; the good in all ages have practised it, and it conies to us with all the au- thority of a ' thus saith the Lord.' Patriarchs, prophets, priests and kings have taught it by precept and example. "It is always safe to do what God bids us without asking questions, but move particu- larly is this the case when experience bears such unequivocal testimony to the profit of keeping this command. Verily 'godliness is profitable unto all things having promise of the life that now is ; * and the Bible distinctly says, 'There is that scattereth, and yet in- creaseth ; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.' Again, p • l! HOW TO OKT RICH ' He that triveth to the pO(ir IdKleth to tlu^ Lord ; ' and, as Dean Swift once sai 1. in prrach- ing a charity serin >n from this texi, ' If yon accept the secnrity down with tlie dust.' " Let ns put it another way. Which farmer is under the greater obligation to put in a plentiful crop, the poor man or the rich man ? Tlie Bil)le distinctly compaies giving to sow- ing, and says, 'he that soweth sjiMringly shall also reap sparingly, and he that soweth I'oun- tifully shall irap also hountifidly.' The Apostle uses this in strict reference to money ; Pnul uses it in connection with directions conconiing taking a collection, and it was one of his ar- guments when he wanted a liberal contril)ution for the saints. He tells the Corinthians that Grod will bless them with money in pro- portion as they give money to His cause ; he urges them to give liberally and cheer- fully, and backs up his exhortations by say- ing, 'and God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that ye always, having all sufficiency in all things, may alound to every good work.' ^ i'V/%/X^k^^«^^^^^k/««^^^^^^^^^^«^»^^^IM^«MM^^«^iMM^M ^^^^^^^^^W»^ ^ He that soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. |,;l I ! ,1 ?«--^ •» THE PATH OB' WLAI/i'H. 51 **It is most astonislnnff how Mind hosts of (Christians are when thev read the Bihle 1 Thes(> rich promises of material prosperity are either n(tlieve tliat ; charity begins at homei and a man must be just before he is generous ; a man who does not pay his debts is a dishonest man, «nd the money a man gets who is in debt does not belong to him but belongs to his o'editors, and for him to give away this money to the Church or to the poor is dishonest, and God cannot accept of any such offerings." I smiled at this earnest remark of my good friend, the shoemaker, and proceeded. "If the overhanging black cloud of debt, the cloud which hns cursi^d many an eloquent j y ^ w»»^»»^%o^^i^^^^« THE PATH OF WEALTH. 55 minister's usefulness, and blighted the hap- piness and ruined the hopes of many a Christian man, could be represented, say by a weight of ten thousand pounds, I firndy believe that seven thousand five hundred pounds of it is caused by robbing God of his dues, and it may be that tho remaining two thousand five hundred pounds is the result of improvidence. "Somotinies poverty is a misfortune over which the pious poor have no control ; at other times it is a blessing from God ; but both of these conditions are, in the very nature of things, exceptional, inasmuch as the rule must of necessitv hv that the children of the Kinff are well provided for, and the normal an«l ordinai'v condition of God's obedient children is that of comfort. Confirmed poverty or financial disaster, for the most part, is blame- worthy; and, taking the Bible for our guide, it is clear that these things are sent upon us more often to punish us for our sins than to bless us, excepting as punishment may cause us to forsake the sins tluit brought upon us ^»e I J 5G UUW TO UET RICH. our disasters. In such cases punishiiieiit itself is a l»lessing. " A man in debt is weak at some point or other, and likely disobedient to God as well as weak. Now, if he would free himself from this intolerable burden, he liad better take a partner into his business, who, upon the receipt of one-tenth of the profits, pledges himself for the prosperity of that business. God certainly agrees to do this, and any man who professes to have faith in His precious promises must take iiim at His word. A man in debt, a farmer, for instance, would exercise false economy, and would be really dishonest with his creditors, if lie should sell his seed wheat and seed pv)tatocs, and pay the proceeds to the liquidation of his debt, for by so doing he would be cutting off' the very means he had of paying his olfligations. "1 think the analogy holds good in the case of a man who takes Ids seed money — that which belongs to Go/x/%^ M. THK PATH OK WKALTIi. 01 the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord scndeth rain upon the earth.' And she went and did according to the saying of this nmn of God, and the results were just as he predicted. She came to the harrel day after day, and found the meal did not waste ; she came to the cruse of oil day after day, and found that it did not fail; and yet she fed the prophet, her son and herself day by day. "Now, if this woman had disobeyed the voice of God spoken by His servant, she and her son would have eaten the cake which she was about to prepare, and then would certain- ly have died, as thousands of others did; but she believed God, and by some law, known only to God, He kept the meal from wasting, and the oil from failing. "We have evidence enough to believe that the same God lives to-day, t\nd acts practically as he did in the case to which I have referred ; and, hence, if we give what He commands us to give, and consecrate it to His cause, we shall be protected. Our fortunes will not fail -nN* iMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I ^m m "• IM IIIII2.2 m lllllio 1.8 1.25 1.4 1.6 ■^ 6" — ► .^ V] <9 ^ % /} ^;. "^ <9 *:*' / ^ 6> w ''.,•» 'ij ^ / Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. 14580 (716) 872-4503 o I '^< IP.. C/a "k IM III ii. t.'\< ai 02 now TO GET RICH. but increase, as in tlie case of the widow who fed Elijah during the great famine. "But, again, RICH MEN ARE UNDER OBLIGATION TO TITHE THEIR INCOMES. I fear rich men get too little sympathy from the majority of us; hut, alas, there is many a poor rich man, bowed down with care and worn out with anxiety, who is a fitting sub- ject for our sincere sympathy. The little ex- perience I have had of life, and the knowledge 1 have gained from the experience of other men, teach me that a man's happiness and peace of mind does not always increase in proportion to his wealth. "There are manv rich men who can look back to the days of their poverty as their happiest days; and, although they have now accomplished what they dreamed of accom- plishing when they started out in life, and are in possession of the wealth which they have striven for, yet they find wealth and power fail to bring them the peace and contentment I. Mill ::ti THE. PATH OF WEALTH. 03 ^r which thoy expected, while riches entail great responsibilitit'S and anxieties, and involve great risks. What a consolation it is for a rich !iian to have a partner at his back whcj has unlimited capital, and never-failing wis- 1: !( M ,,4. mii li >ti 76 HOW TO GET RICH. men ; I will incline you where you can make good bargains; I will send the people around to you to buy; while the man next door, who neglects my cause, may become bankrupt, this curse shall not touch you. I will look out for your bills when they are coming due ; I will see that your bank account is sufficiently large ; in a word, I am your partner and will look out for the interests of your business. "And to you thinkers, who earn your living by your brains, I will make your thoughts clear; I will give you the holy impulse to originate 'thoughts which breathe, and words which burn;' your productions shall stir men's hearts; your work shall be in demand; I will make people buy the productions of your heart and brain ; only pay me your tenth, and you shall be cared for. "Seed time and harvest shall never fail you farmers; I will bless your crops; I will mul- tiply your stock ; the blight and the mildew shall be kept from your farms; remember, T am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob ; I will do to you as I did to them, only remem- ber me as they did. \ 5 r THK PATH OF WEALTH. 77 "I will give health to all of you; death shall not take away your little ones; they shall live to a ripe old age ; I will open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it. These are blessings promised by God in the Bible. Who among this company will this day pledge his tenth to God ? "As intimated just now, this wonderful blessing promised in this passage of Scripture, and in other passages of Scripture, as a re- ward of obedience, is more than mere tempo- ral prosperity. Not only will God open the windov f heaven from whence come ma- terial wealth, but He will open the windows of the upper heavens where He dwells, the centre of the universe; and from His gracious fullness He will shed down upon those who are obedient, blessings which are inexpressible and full of glory. "There is a remarkable and, it would seem, a necessary connection between obedience and gi-eat spiritual enjoyment. Not only shall he who does the will of God know the doctrine pf m !in 78 THE PATH OF WEALTH. of (Jod, but he shall also understand the ex- perience and bliss which conies through being in connnunion with Him. "There is a good deal said in these days about consecration, and a good deal of unreal sentiment expressed about giving to God our bodies and spirits, our time and our earthly store; but it is my experience that when a man does this practically, and commences by acknowledging God's claim to a tenth of his income, that he grows in grace, and God opens the windows of heaven and pours out upon him, day by day, rich spiritual blessings, so that he walks in the light of the Lord, and knows the mind of the I^ord. "I have stated elsewhere in these talks, that God promises material prosperity to any man who pays a tenth, regardless of that man's character; and, while I believe this statement to be true, still, as a rule, unconverted men have not faith enough in the Bible to take the risks, and there are few of them who live up to this Biblical requirement. It has been my experience, however, that as soon as a man t (1^ 9t> THE PATH OF WEALTH. 7i) does begin to tithe his income it develops iu him spirituality, if he hat! not any previously; and it wonderfully intens fies and strengthens his spirituality if he was a Chi'istian when he first yielded obedience to this commandment. " So far as my personal experience goes, and so far as I can get hold of the history of men who have kept this law, they are mostly de- vout and spiiitually-minded men, and they bear universal testimony to this proposition : that by obeying God in this particular, their faith in God has been greatly increased; and the wonderful deliverances which He has ))rought about for them of a temporal charac- ter, have developed in them a spirit of thank- fulness, as well as a holy trust and a blessed assurance. A remarkable companionship spi'ings up between the obedient and the Lord, to which others are strangers. One thing is remarkable in the experience of those who thus systematically tithe their income, and that is, though they may have commenced to do so from a sense of duty, they continue the practice from a sense of pleasure and profit, t9 W,^- "^ ;: 'f p)'' 1^ I iff I, 80 TIIK PATH OF WEALTH. and their hearts are influenced by the noblest feelings of love to God and man. " There may be a solitary case here and there of a man who has abandoned the practice of tithing; yet, as a rule, those who commence it persevere to the end, and have wrought into their souls an experience, which is only an experience of the lips to the average Chris- tian, namely, 'that it is more blessed to give than to receive,' 'Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come,' ' The good and obedient shall eat the fat of the land.* These are promises which provide for great earthly blessings, but these earthly blessings are also invariably accompanied with great spiritual comfort and enlightenment." At the conclusion of this talk, there was a unanimous request tliat I should continue the convei'sation the following evening. During the talk this ev^ening, a great many came in, so that the shop was crowded with listeners and it was proposed that we should meet the r. )t THE PATH OF WEALTH. 81 next nisfht at the school -house. One of the school trustees who was present, said there would be no objection; and, accordingly, we agreed to meet the next night at the school house as suggested. I was thus sud/^/«^^^^^^^^^^^^^l%fWW^^^^^^^^^^k^M^^^^M^^iM/^^^>^k/w%/, 82 THE PATH OF WEAI/HI. iii listed in tlio subject, and quite a few converts had been made to the doctrine of the tithe. I pressed my way to the desk; and, when every- thing was ready to commence, some person proposed that we have a regular and formal meeting, and, accordingly, the Doctor was voted to the chair, and he called upon the Rev. Mr. Jones to open the meeting with prayer, after which I was introduced, and commenced: ■ 'i- ;' THE PATFf OF WEAr/l'H. 8;i TALK No. 3. ) A Short History of the Titmk. and Other Matters. "Mv friends, I will not take iii) vour tim*^ by preliminary observations, althoncfh I feel Tvholly inadequate to the task of addressing; and instructing so large and intelligent an audience upon this most important Biblical subject. I am glad to see, however, that my humble efforts to enlighten you upon this subject, and to teach you what I know con- cerning the Bible doctrine, is appreciated. I am also glad that so many of you are begin- ning to see eye tc eye with me, Jiiid have commenced to tithe your incomes. I am per- fectly willing to stake my reputation upon all that I have said concerning the effect that your observance of this commandment will have upon your material and spiritual pros- 1 ,/ i !■ ■;' • !'•! 1 1 ni; '"': ! ■ ill ■ ■i i i 84 THK PATH OF WEAITU. perity. It is clear to me that the Bible most distinctly promises these blessings to those who keep this commandment, and I dare to risk all I have upon a 'thus saith the Lord.' I am also greatly confirmed in this from my own experience, and from the experience of all who have tested those promises of God. "To-night, I thought I would give you a short history of the tithe during the Christian dispensation, and make some other remaiks on the subject, which may be suggested by important things that may be developed in the conversation of the evening. It is most remarkable that this practice of tithing has been discovered in several heathen nations, and it has been interwoven with their religious and civil codes. There is no proof concerning the origin of this practice among them : pos- sibly these heathen nations learned it from^ God's ancient people the Jews ; but, more, probably, the practice is as ancient as Adam; and the Gentile nations who observed the tithe laws were keeping up a tradition from the Garden of Eden. ■ ■I! I » 1 'li ^- r THK I'APH (»F WKAU'H. 85 'i I "We have positive prtMif that the practice of tithing is as ancient as Abmham, and strong presumptive evidence that the latter found it already in existence, and that v/hen lie pai ■vi L.^l 92 THE PATH OF WEALTH. then did as they do now, supported the cliurch to which they belonged, but at that time it w^as distinctly required that eacli man should pay tithes to his own particular church. But a decree was sent by Innocent III. to the Archbishop of Canterbury, in the year 1200 A.D., to the effect that all were to pay tithes to the clergy of their respective parish churches, that is, the State Church, and this parochial distribution of tithes has been the law in England ever since. " It does not enter into my purpose to go into detail as to the various laws in England concerning tithing. There is a great variety of tithes, and a great many complicated laws liave been enacted, at one time and another, in reference to tithing. All I wish to point out to you in this Talk is the fact, that this practice has been observed from the day Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek, the priest of the most high God, until this day, and in all probability dates back to the day of Adam. It is true that the tithing la\^^s in England have become obnoxious to the majrrity of -5E English Tithe Paying, twelfth century. ii p- ' i:f' ■< I i t i i i 1 ; ■'! I ?^ ^l' 'i*' The i»atu of wkalth. I);] (jrod-fearing people in that land, and the chief reason why titliing has not been practised by the Methodist and other non-conforming Churches is because tlie State interfered in re- ligious matters, and made compulsoiy what God had placed upon each man's individual conscience, the individual standing or falling according as he obeyed or disobeyed God's law. "So long as there was only one Church in England, there was no inequality, nor so long- as that Church was doing God's work, even though it were a State Church, and the people were compelled to pay tithes to her by the civil law, there would seem to be no real in- justice or inequality. Certain it is, that God's blessing came down upon the people, and Eno- land during these years showed an unparab leled degree of prosperity; but, when that Church became corrupt. and ceased to teach the doctrines of the Cicss, and godly men })ro- tested against the impious practices of the clergy,, and joined themselves into organiza- tions for the pui'pose of worshipping God and sir i li 1= THE PATH OF WEALTH. teaching tho pure Gospel, tlicii the injustice of havinfT to pay tithos to a State Church, nnd to support their own Church as well, became apparent. From that time until now, these Churches have, to a great extent, rebelled against tithing, and the majority of them have not distinguished the false from the true; and: in their protestations against compulsory tith- ing enacted by the civil laws, they have un- wittingly protested against the law of God as revealed in the Bible. "In England the tithe laws have worked very unjustly, and have borne with great hardship upon those who were the most pious and godly, and I believe the reason why so few to-day systematically tithe their income, and why there are so many in practical igno- rance of this Bible requirement, is because of the hatred which was engendered by this compulsory taxation to the support of the State Church, while these same men had to support their own Churches. It may be re- marked, however, that notwithstanding this injustice and inequality, England has been s » THK I'ATII UF WEALTH. 95 blessed as iiu utlier nation ; she htis always been a lender of money and not a borrower. She has been to the world what the sun is to the universe, and has sent out her light and civilization the wide world over. She has furnished more missionaries than any other nation. She has done more for the enlighten- ment and evangelization of the world than any other nation. She has been the greatest in peace, and the mightiest in war of any na- tion upon the face of the eartli, and 1 dare to think that her wealth, and power, and influ- ence have been due, in no small measure, to the fact that the incomes of her people have been tithed for the maintenance of God's cause. " When the Pilgrim Fathers left England to seek a land of liberty in America, where they could worship God in their own way, they doubtless came here with a hatred to system- atic giving, as the yoke had galled them so badly in the old land. When Christian min- isters and members of the non-conforming de- nominations came to this country, they came ^^ """■^■•■■PVBoaiMMi 9G THE PATH OF WEALTH. with similar feelings, so that the Churches in this country have been supported by the vol- untary givings of the people, though these voluntary givings have been spasmodic, irreg- ular, and unsystematic. Very few, if any, of these earlier Christians recommenced the law of the tithe, although there are some distin- guished exceptions to this statement, and the reason of this almost total abandonment of this Bible law, I believe, I have juso given vou. "The Christianity of America and Canada has been of a most vigorous and progressive type, and the Churches have developed, in view of all circumstances, a wonderful liber- ality ; but I believe it can be demonstrated, that if all the giving had been regulated by some well-defined system, and .a certain pro- portion of the income of Christian people had been devoted to the cause of God, that the ad- vancement would have been very much greater than we see to-day. I think it can be demonstrated, that if the Churches had taught and practised the doctrine of the tithe, THE HISTORY OF TITHING. 97 that a larger proportion of the population of this continent would have been christianized. I am glad to see, however, that this old Bible doctrine is being revived, and that there is a wide-spread interest manifested in the sulject of 'Systematic Giving' all over the continent. People are begimiing to distinguish between the abuse of this doctrine and commandment, as seen in Enofhind, and the uses of it as laid down in the Bible. " We have now reviewed briefly the history of the tithe, and have distinctly traced it back to Abraham, demonstrating that it was prac- tised by the ' Father of the faithfnl,' and see- ing strong reasons to believe that at this ancient day it was a practice of the Canaanites. We have also proved from sacred history, that in the days of Adam there was some plan of 'systematic giving,' which clearly recognized God's claim as the first claim upon a man's earnings ; and it is a legitimate .supposition, from what follows in the Bible, that this claim was a tithe. " We have followed tlie history of this prac- ! I '^^^^^^^^^^^'^^^^^^AM^^^'^^^^^'WWM^W^W^^^WW^WS^^'W^ I ^ " m ■.it I ,* : : il ' 'i 1 1 ' '¥■ ' III i 1 98 THE PATH OF WEALTH. tice through the Old and New Testaments, and have seen that what is most distinctly given in the former as a commandment en- dorsed and reaffirmed in the latter. We have also historically traced this practice down from the days of Jesus until now. The his- toric Church is a unit in declaring that ' the tenth is holy unto the Lord;* and if modern Christian opinion is shown to have been more against than for this doctrine, I think I have given the reason why. Certain it is, this law^ of God has never been rescinded ; and the overwhelming weight of evidence goes to show that it is now in force. If there had been any change it seems equally certain that the change would have demanded a larger rather than a less sum than ten per cent. If the Jews gave a tenth with their obscure light, certainly Christians are under obligation not to give a smaller amount. "I will now talk a while to vou on : 'Some Advantages of Modern Tithing.' I shall not have time to state all the ndvan- m- ^£\r\fK^>/\/^^<^f^ts^^^^^^^^^^f*^^^^^l^^^^^^^>i^n^^u^>^f^^^^>^*^>'^\ ^ THE HISTORY OF TITHING. 99 tages, for they arc legion, but I will give some which are uppermost in my mind. First, then, j^ the tithe is the seed money of wealth ; it is compared to sowing, and the more a man sows the more he has to sow. It is compared to lending money to the Lord, which he gives hack with interest. It is a way of 'laying up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.' It guarantees the success of one's business : ' The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof,' and God com- pels the earth to yield her products to the man who keeps this law\ 'The silver is mine and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of Hosts,* and He promises to yield up these precious treasures to tl^e man who will tithe his in- come. "I do not think that the Bible means that every man who tithes shall become rich, but it does mean that each man who does so shall be well cared for ; and experience prove- that most of them are in comfortable circumstances, and not a few of th^-m are rich. It relieves & ^IS 100 THE PATH OF WEALTH. [ 1 j ■ il 1 •J 1 ■\ I 'n inan of all anxiety as to his earthly susten- ance, for 'the w(>rd of our God is sure,' and He will honor those who honor Him ; and He who cares for God's cause, and appropriates to His service one-tenth of his income, will never lack a tenth to give. ^ "Another advantage of tithing is, that it systematizes one's benevolence. The man who does anything without sys'em is a weak man, and is blown about by every wind, and swayed by every feeling ; but a man who has a sys- tem an I then works to it, always knows what he is doing, and stands a better chance of suc- cess. Men who give without system, give according to their feelings ; sometimes they feel poor and refuse aid to that which is de- serving ; at other times, when their feelings are touched, and when their hearts are made tender by some appeal, they arc inclined to give, though they are in no better financial condition than they were when they felt poor. In such cases, a man gives from feeling rather than from principle. Such a man is like a ship without a rudder ; like a mariner with- ■f if, 5«- THE HISTORY OF TITHING. 101 out a compass ; but he who tithes his income sets apart a certain portion to spend in works of benevolence and for the propagation of God's cause, and knows just what he can do. "Another advantage of tithing is in the fact that it gives a man great strength in his business. He realizes that God is his partner; that the God of all the earth, who has the hearts of all men at His command, is interested in his business; and, in times of darkness, God is his light ; in times of perplexity, God becomes his wivsdom. When the arm of flesh fails him, he leans hard upon God, for the tendency of this practice is to promote de- pendence upon our Heavenly Father, and no man has ever yet been disappointed who thus placed confidence in Him. "Another great advantage of tithing is, that it compels a man to keep a proper record oi' his financial affairs. A great many men fail in business because they do not keep proper books of account. One reason why the ma- jority of men live beyond their income is, be- cause they do not keep a record of their d. '^ w MnribiiTiTwraM I • I 102 THE PATH OF WEALTH. income and expenditure. I fully believe, the reason why many farmers are not more suc- cessful is because they carry on the work of their farms without any record as to the pro- fit of any giv.-n Ci [\ or investment. A man who tithes his income is under obligation to know his financial standing. If he pledges a tenth to God, it fs 8 r/ime necessity, in order to keep that pleuge ii at he should have pro- per books of account. Ibis produces system and regularity ; a )*'jf . "But the great advantage of tithing, as in- timated in my last talk in the blacksmith shop, is in obedience to God, and this draws a man nearer to God than all things beside. It causes a man to take God as companion and guide; it develops confidence in God; help after help is accorded to such a man day after day, all the days of his life, and signal business victories are given to him. He is enabled to overcome difficulties which he thought w^ere insurmountable; he sees, in the progress of i H(i THE HISTORY OF TITHING. 103 his business, God's guiding and delivering hand, and this adds to his faith, courage and love. He approximates more and more to 'the mind which is in Christ Jesus,' as his in- tercoui*se becomes more and more familiar with God our Father. "Obedience to God's laws brings us nearer the spirit world. Our communion with God, and our fellowship with saints and angels is made more precious than by any other means whatever. If a Christian is in any measure disobedient, the heavens seem as brass, he can- not penetrate them with his prayers ; but when all the tithes are brought into the store- house, the windows of heaven are opened and rich spiritual blessings descend upon his soul. "I strongly advise you, dear friends, to test this matter for yourselves. God distinctly challenges every one of you to make the test, saying, 'prove me herewith.' I would strong- ly advise you to commence here and now the practice of 'Systematic Giving.' Devote a tenth of your income to God and benevolence, and the richest blessings of heaven and earth shall be yours. ^JS ^ M ^' :i 104 TtlE PATH OF WEALTH. "And now, my friends, I think I have talk- ed to you long enough for this evening ; but. before we part, I shall be very glad to answer, so far as I am able, any questions you may wish to ask. I do not wish to provoke a dis- cussion for the sake of seeing which can pro- duce the stronger argument; but if any among you have doubts on the main question, and are earnestly seeking the truth on this subject, I shall be glad if you will state them fully and frankly. Or, if any of you being convinced that it is your duty to tithe your incomes and are desirous of information on any point, I shall be glad if I can be of assist- ance to you. I would rather have you ask me the questions publicly than privately, that others may have the benefit of the conversa- tion." I no sooner took my seat than a dozen men were on their feet, each being anxious to speak and unwilling to give place to the others. They all seemed to speak words of commend- ation, but with the confusion they caused the meeting was getting rather excited, and our f- ^ — THE llISTOliY OF TITHING. 105 * good village doctor, the chairman of the even- ing, called them to order. He said : " With the consent of the speaker, I suggest that we now dismiss the meeting, and have another meeting to-morrow evening in this school- house, or in the Baptist church up at the cross roads, if it can be secured. Most of us have had to stand to-night, and the crowd will likely be greater to-morrow. I would further suggest that all questions to be asked of the speaker, and all objocticms to be made, be put in writing and handed in at the black- smith shop by noon to-morrow, in order that such questions or objections may be answered at the night meeting." The pastor of the Baptist Church, Rev. H. S. Waterkins, said that the church was at our disposal, as he felt the agitation now begun would doubtless do great good and increase the liberality of the people, although he took exception to some ideas advocated, but agreed with the speaker on the main question. He confessed that he had not given the subject much tl.ouQfht, and was astonished at the con- ^!i M^^W^^/^'^^/'^^^^^^k^^^^'N^^ ;: '■! •! I :>])■ I II K lii'l lOG THE PATH OF WEALTH. vinciiig arguments brought forward in sup- port of tithing. I accordingly accepted the suggestions of tlie chairman and the kiml invitation of the Baptist minister, and agreed to be on hand the next night to answ^er the objections or ques- tions which might be brought forward. Rev. F. Perseverance, a Presbyterian minis- ter present, pronounced the benediction, and the meeting adjourned. The next night when I arrived at the cross roads, I had to elbow my way through the crowd to get even to the church door. Such an excitement had never been known in our neighborhood; it seemed that the people did nothing else but talk "Tithing." Tracts and books had been sent for ; the Bible had been searched, and many an earnest discussion was held over the subject. I hed made between twenty and thirty converts, and these were the most solid and godly men in our County, so that I had strong influences at work on the Bible side of this question. The wide-spread interest taken had filled the Baptist church, and there were as many people outside as in. I. THE JllSTOllY OF TITUINQ. 107 Tlie pastor ut* the (Jhurch presided, and opened the meeting witli prayer and a short address. He thanked me for the blessing T had been the means of conferring upon him personally, in convincing him of the truth of the Bible doctrine of tithing. He knew that it was a law for the Jews, but did not think that it was binding upon Christians ; he was now convinced of his error. His objection, to which he had referred the night before, to the theory set forth in these meetings, was that a man who started to tithe his income because it was financially profitable, would be tempted to look upon it from that standpoint only and thus he would be actuated by the wrong motive, which would produce spiritual lean- ness. I was then introduced, and commenced : -l^ r^T^^ ■/' *mf 't^ ki> n-^t^tstsrs. -^rw^ ,-*.->rw-5^ m -1^. Il[ ^*E'! Im^ > I f: i| I > I ,< ■1 i' 1 * T ■ ;8 •M i^i iii. t^ k^ Hun. WILLIAM McNAgTKB. A native of Ireland .; he left his own country for Canada, a poor young man, and by earnest attention to business became a millionaire. He was a princely giver to Christian and benevolent institutions, and at his death, September 21st, 1887> he be queathed $800,000 to McMaster University. la it :m OBJECTIONS AND QUESTIONS. 109 TALK No. 4. Objections and Questions. "My friends, I am glad to meet yon and greet you in the name of the Lord, who re- quires 'tithes of all.' I consider that a great honor is conferred upon me in being permitted to 'contend for the faith once delivered to the saints,' and to do a little toM^artl bringing back tlie people to God's fundamental law of sue cess for individuals, churches and nations. "I would that I could excite the whole world on this question as this neighborhood seems excited, for I feel that it is the absorb- ing question of this generation. The speedy subjugation of this world to the Lord Jesus Christ depends upon the speedy acceptance of God's great money law by the people. When that law is acc«'pted, and the people 'bring in '!* I i I i. ! I M r {\^: ! j* i tf ! 1-1 ;J . i I < U ■ ; III i«i ill ^^ 110 THE PATH OF WEALTH. all their tithes,' then look out for the 'windows of heaven' being opened in all parts of the world, and such blessings descending that the world itself will not be large enough to con- tain them, 'For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.' "But I am to answer questions and objec- tions to-night, and I will now proceed to do so. I hold in mv hand a number of them ; and, after I'eferring to the remarks of our ex- cellent chairman, I will proceed to take them up one by one as they come. Before doing so, I may state, however, that some of the questions and objections handed in to me were anticipated in former talks ; but, evidently, my arguments were either not satisfactory or have not })een heard by parties who repeat them. I shall, however, endeavor to answer everything as though no previous attempt had been made. "The difficulty which our chairman finds with my theoiy is the one I most frequently meet with from devout people. It is undoubt- OBJECTIONS AND QUESTIONS. Ill edly true that the motive a man has in per- forming a given action gives it moral quality more than the outward act itself ; and, hence, the men who are accustomed to look beneath the surface, and analyze motives in judging of character rather than forming their judgment from actions, most naturally bring up this ob- jection to my theory. "I wish, however, to state that there are times when it is advisable to persuade men who are indulging in wrong acts, to change the mode of their lives and to practise virtue, even though the motive appealed to be simply that of self-interest. There are experiences, conditions and dispositions where a motive of self-interest is much more powerful than a higher one, and if you can induce men who have been living wrong to give up the wrong and conniience on the right course, even though the motive appealed to be not the highest, the effects are salutary, and the motives often be- come ultimately of the purest. There is some- thing in the practice of virtue, unless a man be a confirmed hypocrite, where tlie very out- ; ,i 1' ! 1^ li \ 112 THE PATH OF WEALTfL ■ ; I I ward act lias a tendency to compel correspond- ing inward virtue ; hence, in the training of children, we, of necessity, appeal to lower mo- tives than we do in adults, as thcv have not the capacity to appreciate that which is higher. In such cases, the object is to have children connnence the practice of right acts, and we consider ourselves happy to train them me- chanically good, trusting to time and the grace of God to moukl their motives, and de- velop in them moral purity and spiritual lift\ " Certain it is that the Bible addresses itself to the same motive to which I have appealed in these Talks. Perhaps a full and sufficient answer to this objection will be given by (juoting a passage or two of Scripture, where God appeals wholly to self-interest, and ex- horts His children to give to Him with no higher incentive whatever than the promise of His tjivino- somethino- to them in return. God, speaking through Solomon, says, 'Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the first-fruits of all thine increase, so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses : OBJECTIONS AND QUESTIONS. 113 shall burst out with new wine.' And I sup- pose no person will ol)jeet to the wonls of the wise man, or fin< -^^-^M IIG THE PATH OF WEALTH. U :| " t • of whicli one hundrod dollars, or ton por cent., belongs to God. "'How can a business man estimate his in- come for the purpose of tithing, so as to allow for bad debts or possible shrinkage of values V is the question upon this paper. This, I have no doubt, is a \ery perplexing question to many business men, and yet, if we would act toward God and keep our tithe account with Him upon ordinary business principles, there would be no need for asking me to solve the prol)lem. Suppose the business man who w^'ote this question had a partner, and the partnership was so arranged that his partner's share was ten per cent, of the net profits of the business, w^ould he have any difficulty in settling with him upon a proper business basis ? I think not. Then why should there be any greater difficulty in keeping God's tithe account than in keeping the account sup- posed ? "Wliat I would advise a business man to do is, to tithe the money he draws out of his business weekly or monthly, as the case may ^^ »/X/X/K/N/%|)jj -■X*J OBJECTIONS AND QUESTIONS. 117 be, and once a year tithe the nc^t profits of the business durino; tlie year. If it should ])r<)ve durino- tlu* t'ollowino- yoar tluit some of th(^ accounts or otlier a.ssets w hie) 1 liad been titlied turned out V)ad, then it \V()ul ii mm W f> !•:■;! II I! iili* i -*• I T, 118 THE PATH OF WEAI/IH. tithe his ineomfi, and some «j;oo(l system of keeping the account will suggest itself to him from his own experience. ^ "I am glad of an opportunity to answer the following question : — 'Should a minister of the ( Jospel pay tithes ?' In one of my talks 1 said the Bible most distinctly taught that the priests under the Jewish dispensation were required to tithe their incomes, and I take it that what God then required of those who devoted themselves to the spiritual welfare of the people, he now requires. I refer you to Numbers xviii., 26-27 : 'Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave-offering of it for the Lord, even a tenth part of the tithe. And this your heave-offering shall be reckoned unto you, as though it were the corn of the threshing floor, and as the fullness of the wine- press.* "As I read the Bible, God demands ten per cent, from all men, regardless of their position ULK.-yj^. <)JUi:(TH>NS AND gUKSTloNS. lU) or clmi'Acter. This sum is His tax upon tlu' earnini^^s of mankind tlie world over, and upon the produce of tlie earth; and, undoubt- edly, it is just as protitahle, fiom a money standpoint, to appeal to no lii^dier motive, for a minister of the Gospt'l to pay liis titlie as for men of any other ])rof»'ssion. "Some person lias thou<;lit the folh)wing a /- question of sufficient importance to present to me for answer: — 'If all are under obligation to pay tithes, how can a man who handles no money whatever perform this duty?' Per- haps I can answer this question best by asking another. If God re(juires all men to labor, how can a man perform that duty who is not possessed of arms ? Certain it is, out of no- thing nothing comes. 'It is a fundamental law of God that a man shall earn his living by the sweat of 'his face,' yet if a man is lacking either in brains to la- bor intelligently, or is not possessed of arms with which to perform the labor, it is impos- sible for him to be oV)edient to this general law; but in this case, as in all otheis, the ex- ii Si: ^- ^'Ji 120 THE PATH OF WKAI/I'lf. . ' II eeption proves the rule. If a man luindlos nr> money, but is a pauper upon tlie Itountitvs of liis fellows, it is a matter of impossibility for him to give anythinjjc to (iod's eause ; yet if a pauper should at any time liecome possessed of even twentv-tive cents, tlien a tenth of it would belonir to God. r^ "A man who works for wa^es and his boanl, asks the followino- question: — 'How shall a servant, who is paid so nnieh per annmn and his board, estimate his income in order that he may know how to oive ten pei- cent, of it to tlie Lord ?' I am glad tin's question has been asked, as there are a great many persons, both male and female, who are earning their living in the capacity of servants, and it is most important that such persons should know exactly what God demands of them. "My idea is that a person who derives liis income in the way stated, should estimate what his services would be worth, providing he received the whole amount in cash and boarded himself ; or, in other words, estimate what the board and other conveniences which > I ¥> 1 * >r OIUKCTIONS AND (^I'KSTIONH. Til he receives us part of lii.s pay, nv«)u1«1 cost him providing lie had to pay cash for them. After reaching this conclusion, the way to do is to add liis nionev income to the amount whicii lie receives in the shape of board, and then ten per cent, of this total income would be the amount to pay to God. "I am now to read to you a moat practical question, and one which, I trust, is agitating -x the minds of many in this audience. 'When a man is convinced that it is his duty to give a tenth to the Lord, how shall he manage with the property and money in his possession that has not been tithed V There is only one answer to this question ; and I am sure that answer is supplied by all your minds as soon as the question is asked. I fear, however, that there are but few nien who will act in harmony with the logical answer to this (|ues- tion without a severe struggle, except they are aided by the grace of God. "There is no difficulty in a man rendering obedience to the dictates of his conscience in this particular, if he is not possessed of any or * Mi If! 1 1*' p. rm T^ ■n (i ™nr ,7f; t m H it-; ; f ,1 If i *- *:^' 124 THE PATH OF WEALTH. the tithe, on all hands we should agree that ten per cent, or one hundred dollars of this sum, would be the Lord's. Now, what is the difference between a man tithing what he had when he commenced obedience to this duty, and what he receives one day after he com- menced tithing ? 1 think there is no difficulty in perci'iving the logic of my answei* ; the only difficulty will be in getting the consent of vour mind to render obedience to it, and I jiray that you may be si^ccessful. // "The question I now hold in my hand js undoubtedly written by a man from the city, for he wi'ites as follows : — 'I have to pay rent for a pew in our church; I also pay for ashed in which to stand my horse. Must I reckon this on my tithe account V This question to me is of more importance by what it suggests to my mind, than by the direct question itself, although that may not be unimportant to the person who asks it, as well as tc others simi- larly situated. "In regard to the question, I give it as my opinion, that the amounts paid for the pur- •:^ ss-^ 1^ OBJECTIONS AND QUESTIONS. 12.5 poses stated legitimately belong' to the Tithe Account, notwithstanding my opinion that pew rents are a curse to Christianity, a great injury to our Churches, and totally subversive of the plan and purpose ot* Jesus (Jhrist in propagating His Gospel. It does not enter in my plan to discuss the (question ot* pew rents, but inasmuch as this injurious svstem is an invention of men to make up in some measure for tlieir robbing God of His tithes, there may be some excuse accorded me in expressing my opinion upon the question. "Here is a practical question: — 'Should money paid for life assurance be tithed, or must that first be taken out of a man's income before tithing V If the life assurance is of a business nature, and is taken out for businet. purposes, to secure creditors, or for any other business reason, then the premiums so paid should be reckoned as a business expense and should not be tithed. But if the life assur- ance is carried for personal or family reasons, then the cost of such assurance should be tithed, as it becomes one of the items of per- sonal or family expens*'. 10 T ^:4 m ^ hV ! •{pr ii i yjj ! i;. ^ I 126 THE PATH OF WEALTH. "In answering tliis question, and deciding similar ones, it is only necessary to distinguish between what expenses are purely personal or family expenses, and what expenses can be legitimately charged as business expenditure. Sometimes the two interests are so intimately associated and become so lapped together, that it is a little difficult to tell where business ex- penses end and where family expenses com- mence; but, it' a man is conscientious and does what he verily believes to be right, and makes the division with this spirit, there will be very little probability of his going wrong. "I am now about to read and answer a question which may be a type of many other similar questicns which will arise in the ex- perience of a great )nany business men and mechanics. 'My daughter earns small weekly wages, about <.'nough to clothe her, should her wages be tithed in view of the fact that I have otherwise to maintain her ?' Certainly, this sum sliould be tithe J, provi ''ng you are under either moral or legal obligatioi to main- tain your dauirhter. Suppose she lived at ?^' ^:^ OBJECTIONS AND QUESTIONS. 127 lioinc and earned notliing, and you had to sup- port her out of your own income, tlien such expense would be clearly a legitimate family expense, and all the money used to meet it would be tithed before so using ; hence, the money she earns is simply supplementary to your own income and must be tithed as the rest of your income, no matter from what source it may be derived. "If your daughter were of age and had clear- ly gone beyond your control, and there were neither natural, moral, nor legal obligations resting upon you for her maintenance, then, technically, I should answer the question in a different way. There will arise in the experi- ence of a great many similar difficult ques- tions, but my advice is, to give the Lord at all times the benefit of the doubt, as ten per cent, is the minimum of our givings to God ; and as I shall attempt to show before I get through with all I have to say upon this subject, there is abundance of arguments in favor of gifts and free-will ott'erings to the cause of God, over and above the absolute tax of ten per II ti -?H^- 128 THE PATH OF WEALTH. I- i H, cent, which our Maker imposes upon all man kind. "The next is a practical question, still a lit tie thought on the part of the person askin< it, would brinff its solution very readilv. 'A widow woman, who keeps a boarding house, would like to know whether she must tithe all the money that comes into her hands for board ? ' My answer is, Most decidedly not. Keeping boarders is of the nature of a busi- ness, and in order that this woman may know just what the amount of her tithe is, it will be necessary to lind out exactlv what her business expenses are, that is, what is the ac- tual outlay for provisions, fuel, rent, and other necessary expenses involved in running a boarding house ; then, after^leducting these legitimate and necessary expenses from what is received, you have the net income, and this net income only is to be tithed. The same principle precisely governs such a case as would govern a business man, or a farmer, or any person similarly situated. l^ "We have had several doctors attending ,w^ OBJECTIONS AND gUESTlONS. 129 these meetings, and I am glad one of them lias handed in a (juestion bearing upon the subject under discussion, and with reference to his own profession. 'If a doctor profes- sionally attends pm^r people and gives them his sei'\ ices gratuitously, ought he to charge the value of such services to his Tithe Ac- count ?' I confess this position involves more complications than any question presented this evening, and I could say a good deal on both possible answers presented to this question, Ijut after giving it careful attention I am of the opinion that it would not be fair for a doctor to chai'ge the value of such services to his Tithe Account, for several reasons. "First, it is income only that is to be tithed, and although the doctor may give a small portion of his time gratuitously, still, he has the income from his profession, and this in- come must be tithed no matter how much time is spent in Christian work. If the ser- vices thus rendered from principles of benevo- lence were paid for, there would be just so much more to go to God's Tithe Account. I i. ■■■■ '■■ 180 THK TATU OF WEALTH. "In ihii next place, services given to poor people by a pliysician would bear tlu' same I'i'lation t<^ his income as bad debts do to the income of business men. I suppos(^ there is a good deal of professional service rendered by medical men cliarged on their books which is not realized upon, and although many bad debts may be reckoned into the sum total of a physician's practice, still, in order to get at his income, he first deducts these bad debts, and tithes only what he actually realizes. " Still another reason, medical services ren- dered to the poor are often of the nature of a ^m OBJECTIONS AND (QUESTIONS. 131 son asking them, or whether tliey liave V)een handed in for tlie pni-pose of testing- my theory and seeing whetlier it will apply to all the possible contingencies of human experience. Whatever may be the reason actuating the next questioner, I will now answer this ques- tion : * Supposing a father who had tithed all , "^ he possessed should die, and the property pass into the hands of the son, who also practised tithing, should this property be tithed again when it had already been tithed V " In regard to this question, as well as some others, the perplexity involved is only upon the surface. To my mind there is no real dif- ficulty in answering it. I believe that the Bible does not demand that capital should be taxed at all whether it is in the shape of land, or money, or stock, or brains, but that the in- come from any of these sources must be tithed. You will notice that what is capital to- one, when it changes hands, becomes income to another ; and although the father, in the case supposed, had tithed all his income, and so long as he lived he w^as under no further obli- :l ^ 1 1 ■■ ■fl ' !' I 1 It is-^ ?«• J ;j2 TIIK PATH OF WKALTH. /}' o gatioii to titlio tlu' fjipita! upon wliieli tlu' real tax liad alr('a for onre adopting such a principle, there wtmld he a strong temptation to spend tithe nioney in that direction, when it couhl he used more for the glory of God. I l)elieve the only safe way for a man to give his tenth, is to be gov- erned by principles of love, for ' God loveth a cheerful giver,' and it does not pay to be tech- nical in giving to God who is so wondrously good and kind to us. " I hope this next question is not asked with more of unbelief than faith : ' If a man who ' practises tithing should become poor, how would it affect your faith in the proposition, that one is always better off by paying tithes ?' Well, my friends, let me ask you a question : Suppose a man was in the habit of working every day in the year, and he became converted to God and immediately commenced to rest on the Sabbath day, thus giving to God a frac- tion over fourteen per cent, of his time ; and, after being converted and giving to God one day in seven, he should become a poor man, how would this affect your faith in the salu- tary influence of Christianity ? particularly in 1 1 ii J !t: ■: •ifl* 136 THE PA1H OF V'EAT.TH. the text.'Godliness is pi'otitable unto all things,' and also in the O'd Testament, ' But the sev- enth day is the Sahbath of the Lord thy God : in it thou shalt not do anv work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid -servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates.' " Would you advise him to abandon his faith in God jid Christianity, and regard with contempt God's rest day ? Or would you think it any argument against the profit- ableness and general salutary influence of Christianity, and the benefit of keeping holy the Sabbath day, up(m men's earthly pros- perity ? I think not, and, therefore, please apply the same reasoning to God's money requirements. As a matter of fact, it will be necessary for you to present such a case to me, before I could reallv tell vou -.vhat effect ir, would have upon my mind in reference to the general propositions I have laid down. I have never met or heard tell of a man who has be''<^me poor on account of tithing his income. I have written extensively and ad- ^ k'r OBJECTIONS AND QUESTIONS. 1.S7 ^ vertised some, and h^ve been in cuniniunica- tion wit'i a great many, and on all liands the testimony is, that it pays in every way to ' hrino- all the tithes into the storehouse.' " I do not kn(>w but that the question asked is about as wise as the following one : ' Sup- posing- that the angles of a triangle shcjuld not l)e e([ual to two right angles, how would this art'ect your faith in the infallibility of geomet- rical law ?' Or, ' Supposing a man in a l>al- loon five hundred feet from the earth should drop a camion Iwill of one hundred poinids weight and it does not faH to the ground, how would this alleet \o\xv faith in the uner- ring laws of gravitation ?' If the Bibie be true, the (piestion simply mea;..;, 'Supposing that having trusted the promises of (Jod you find them to l)e untrue, how would this afiect your faith in God's honesty ( \ think the question is inspired by unbelief, and is bom of a lieart, to this ext rhilautlirwptNl. Mr. Pealxxly was lioiii in haiivera, Miissiuliust'tts, l', S., Ffliruary IStli. 17!'"», uinl ilivd in l^-omlon, Kng., Novembor 4th, lsr»!>. His I>o(ly WHS interred in Westminster Abbey, until it \\ii» earrietl to his native home by Her liritannic Majesty's! ship Monarch. His vast toitune was chietly made in London, and there he spent ,tJ»)0.(KK) in erecting a home for the poor. His public benefactions amounted to !J!.S,470,0. I Iff '^r ■••:• riiHi '• I Hi fii 4 t ■ i ^m OBJECTIONS AND QUESTIONS. 141 tithe fwjcouut with God in the following way. He loans considerable money and usually at large interest, and is not as careful in the mat- ter of security as ordinary bankers, and all the bad debts he has, he charges to God's Tithe Account, holding God responsible for all the bad debts he makes, so that at the end of the year he has little or nothing to give to God's cause, having charged up to the Most High all the results of his own blunders. It requires a large amount of ingenuity to create a robe of charity large enough to cover up the incon- sistencies and defects, not to say the stinginess and dishonesty, of a large proportion of pro- fessing Christians. If we are to measure a man's love for a cause by what he does for it, then the real love for God is a very small quan- tity in the breasts of a great many professing Cliristians. " The objection upon this last paper which I intend reading to you this evening, is by no means new, and is, I believe, often stated by good honest Christian people, although to tell the truth, it displays a lack of knowledge of It &' 'I ^?f^ r I ■5 I n 1 1' i^'i Iv 1 il !'''i . ■ 1 \ 1 • ^- ;S '-^i 142 THE PATH OF WEALTH. butli the 01(1 and New Testaiiieuts which is really lamentable. " ' The New Testament puts giving to God upon liigher ground than the Old Testament, and ajjpeals to our love, and in my opinion, under the dispensation of grace. Christian men are left to the promptings of their own hearts in the matter of their givings Paul distinctly states, tliat we are to give as we have been prospered; some can give more than the tenth, while it would be simple injustice to ask ten per cent, of others.' " Here are several propositions in one ; and, for the siike of clearness in my answer, I will analyze the statement and set out the objec- tions it contains in order. It is stfcitcd (1) That the New Testament puts giving upon liigher grounds than the Old Testament, be- cause the former appeals to our love ; (2) Under the dispensation oi' grace, Christian men are left to their own will in the matter of giving; (3) Paul is quoted to the effect that we are to give according as we have been prospered; and (4) Homo can give more than I OBJECTIONS AND QUESTIONS. 14n a tenth, while it would be sirnph^ injustice to claim a tenth of others. " Now, as to the first proposition concorning the nobler incentive of the New Testament over the OM, I cei-tainly have no objection ; for if the incentive be higlier or nol)ler, then the results will be in proportion. We have seen, what I think no intelligent person will dispute, that the minimum sum demanded of all persons in the Old Testament is a tenth. Now, if a tenth was then paid as a tribute or tax, and a stronger incentive is now appealing to us, then surely our contributions to (lod's cause will be greater now than then. But, as a matter of fact, God's money law is like the laws for truth, honesty and chastity, the same under all dispensations, "It, in all probability, started with Adam and w»is certainly observed by Abraham, and ran all tlirough the Jewish dispensation ; it branched out in separate streams in all direc- tions prior to the days of Abraham, as traces of it are seen in Gentile nations. All these streams meet again under the Chriistian «lis > •1« 1 I ™iii !' Mii 144 THE PATH OF WEALTH. pcnsation and form one mighty river. The New Testament does indeed appeal to our love, but there is no room for the exercise of love in this matter until we have paid our actual debt of ten per cent., as demanded in both Testaments. When this is done, then love can prompt us to do generous things. "As to the second objection, that Christian men are left to their own wills, to give as much or as little as they please, it has no foundation in the teachings of Jesus or His ApostK'S, unless we are to assume that the will of the (Jhristian is always in harmony with God's will. Assuming that Christians are al- ways thus sanctified, there can be no objections to the statement; but, unless the great ma- jority of professing Christians are consum- mate hypocrites, and there be but few real Christians, this assumption cannot be correct, for Church statistics prove that the will of the majority is clearly opposed to the will of God in the matter of giving, as the results demonstrate that God's minimum sum even is not reached, to say nothing of the display of -a* '!« !S OBJECTIONS AND QUESTIONS. 145 bouevolence prompted by tlie nobler incentive of love. I, therefore, conclude that it is not safe to put our wills, or the proniptiui^s of our own hearts, as regulators of our duty, but rather, our wills and ini})ulsrs must be formed and regulated by God's will--' to the law and the testimony* nuist be our appeal. "As to the third objection, that we are to give as we have been prospered, this must be used without a proper apprehension of the meaning of the language used by Paul, for it certainly counts the other way. There can be no stronger argument for 'Systematic Giv- ing.' If we give according as we get, it means giving proportionately. For instance, if last your you made five hundred dollars, God de- manded fifty; if He blessed you this year with one thousand dollars, He asks at your hands one hundred dollars ; if you get fifteen hun- dred dollars next year. His mininnnn demand will be one hundred and fifty dollars. If you commence giving to God according as He prospers your business, you need not be sur- prised if your income increases year by year, II i\ ' I n u\ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I la IIM M 2.2 ZO 1.8 1.25 1.4 1.6 <« 6" — ► ^1 ^ /} m. /a e. el ' ^ ^i/ A ■ /> ^^ ^.>'^ # y Photographic Sciences Corporation ^ ^^^^r^^ ^ 33 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. 14580 (716) 872-4503 <^ %> t/j I 146 THE PATH OF WEALTH. > i ' ' i I; '! for tliis is just the way He lumors those who honor Him. "(/oncorning the last ohjeetioii, that some can give more than a tenth, while it would be wi'ong to ask that much of others, I have to say, that some can un.louhtedly give more than a tenth. It would be a great blessing for them to do so, just as some can spend more than one day a week in God's service if they chose to do so, and derive great spiritual blessings in -so doing ; still, God's actual de- mand is a tenth in the one case and a seventh in th<^ other, and all we give over is a free-will offering. To say that it is unjust to ask of any man ten per c nt. of his earnings for the cause of God, is a statement at once narrow and untrue. Narrow, because it leaves God out of the account — the God of infinite re- sources, who has pledged His eternal word that he who gives a tenth shall never lack a tenth to give ; and untrue, because God never demands that which is unequal or unjust, and He most certainly demands the tithe from all mankind. ^^^^^ m^ OBJECTIONS AND QUESTIONS. 147 "And now, my friends, I have done my best to answer the questions and objections handed in, and I must close my Talk I'oi- this evening as it is getting late. I thank you for your very kind attention, and I pray that our Heavenly Father may lead each one of us into the light, and give us glad hearts to 'run in the way of His commandments,' " When I took my seat there was for a mo- ment the same marked stillness which char- acterized this meeting all through, and then it seemed that every man inside of the church, and those looking in at the windows, simul- taneously broke out in the most boisterous applause. The chairman, after much effort, restored comparative silence, and then made a neat and complimentary speech, the sincerity of which was proved by his statement that all his objections to the doctrine of the tithe were forever silenced. Fully a score of men attempted to speak, and many were the sug- gestions made as to the best method of spread- ing this doctrine and stirring up the Churches to the importance of Systematic Giving. Two I i: I .1 ' '^■ i v4m i N I it (ft! 1, :k. ^- 148 THE PATH OF WEALTH. suggestions I made up my mind to adopt: the one was to have a public testimony meeting, and the other was to reproduce the conversa- tions at all the meetings and publish them in a book. It occurred to me that the most competent men to confirm or reject my theory were those who have tested it ; and I made up my mind not to have this testimony meeting for a week, so that ample time could be given to publish it abroad, and invite men to testify who had been in the habit of paying tithes. As to publishing a book containing a full report of the meetings, it seemed the proper thing to do, for the simple Bible truth which has caused such a stir in and around our community, and which has been productive of such good re- sults, will equally stir the entire Christian Church, if the truths can be brought to bear on the minds of the people ; and nothing in this age can do that as well as a book when it is well circulated. I announced for the testimony meeting one week from that even- ing, and told them of my determination to ■ m j^> ' w 1 i The RiKht Kox-reiid M. 8. BALDM l\, l>.l».. Bishop of Huron. A devout clergyman in the Episcopalian Church, and one of her most eloquent preachers, A systematic giver, and a power- ful opponent of modern devices for raising church funds. ^- ^»' OBJECTIONS AND QUKSTIONS. 149 publish the book, and we adjuiuiied at, I con fess, a late hour. The time for the next meeting had arrived, and I was on hand at the proper time. The crowd was much gi'eater than on any previous occasion. We had visitors from great dis- tances, many persons having written me of their intention to be present. From the let- ters received, I knew that we were to have strong testimonies, fully confirming all I had stated as to the effects of tithing upon a man's finances and upon his religious experience. A Church of England clergyman, who had preached and practised the Bible plan of tithing for years, was present ; and, without asking his consent, I called upon him to open the meeting with prayer. From the fervent prayer he offered, we learned that he was on good terms with God, and had been accustomed to address Him without the Prayer Book. Everything being ready, I announced that we would proceed with iip I ■< ! 4 •I <• ;. S y% i 1 ^-" m^ TESriMONlKS A.ND KXFEKIENCES. 151 TALK No. 5. Testimonies a.m> Experiences. "La( ies and geiith'iiien, this meeting is the last of a series of meetings which we have been holding in this commmiitv in the inter- est of God's money demand. The position taken by myself is known probably to all of you. I hold that God has distinctly told us the minimum sum He requires of us, so that no man need stand in jeopardy. God prom- ises material and spiritual prosperity to those who are obedient to His demands, and a plank of prosperity is invariably underneath those who walk out upon the promises referred to. This meeting has been called for the purpose of testimonies and experiences along this line. I need not detain you with the relation of my personal experience. It w^r be sufficient for fa I mm I I 1^ > < i. i i ; ii 1*: ':U i' iPI (ill 162 THE PATH OF WEALTH. me to state, that everything I have stated in these informal Talks is confirmed by my ex- perience, and, in a c^ood degree, is born of my experience. "I now throw the meeting open for any person to speak who has systematically prac- tised tithing. Do not be trammeled by any- thing I have said, or attempt to make your statements conform to my exact theory. Let us have your experience just as it is, and it will support the truth if you are walking in the Divine order. Who will be the first to testify V "I desire to get in my word of testimony while some others may be getting ready. I am a general agent, and I have practised giv- ing not less than one-tenth of my income to charitable, philanthropic and religious enter- prises for nearly five years. I have enjoyed giving in this way more than I did before adopting it; and, although I have given away a larger proportion of my income than for- merly, I have always had more left to spend i TESTIMONIES AND KXPEKIEN< ES. 153 on myself than I had before. I believe the practise of 'Systematic Giving' has been a blessing to me, both temporally and spiritually, and it is my intention to follow the practice as long as I live." " * Systematic Giving * I believe to be the duty of every child of God, and none can do it so well as those who have a system. I have followed it now for over nine years ; and, al- though my contributions have been possibly a little liberal, yet I have not missed the money. I began business nine years ago as a general merchant, and in doing so I got a small box and labelled it, 'The Lord's Treas- ury.* Every night I count the cash taken in, and enter it in a book kept for that purpose. On Saturday night I add up the cash sales for the week, and deduct three per cent, for 'The Treasury.' This is my fund for the Church and benevolent purposes. For the first two or three years I gave three per cent.; then I raised it and gave five per cent., until the be- ginning of last year, when I was rather hard run for cash, and thought possibly that I was I I a ^^T' Hi I I M 1 1<", *. .] ?«- 154» 'IHE I'ATII OK WEALTH. drawiijg too heavily oil the business, and since then I liave given three per cent., and always have funds on hand. T would like to hear from anyone else who may be able to give light and encouragement on the subject, for I do not know whether it was a test of my faith or not when my funds were getting short a vefiY or two affo." I think the brother who last spoke has missed the Scriptural idea of the tithe; be- sides, any given per cent, of the gross cash handled by a business man does not necessa- rily invoh e a uniform per cent, of income, as the profits on different lines of goods vary, and besides there can be no account taken of expenses in the system our brother has adopted. The Bible plan is to "tithe our in- crease " or income. I give it as my opinion that our brother paid more than ten per cent, of his income even when he paid only three per cent. " I am glad that some of the Lord's people ^:^' u ^IH, i r. i , J ^' -:*« TESTIMONIKS AND KXI'KHIENCKS. 155 are thiiikiut^- of tlnur duty in tlie matter of givin^f of tlieii' substance, or, rather, retuniiiijjf of some of their substance to His treasury. When I saw the notice of this meeting I thought that I would like to attend, and say a word to let the leader know that there was one more, at least, of like faith and practice with himself. As to the faith, I do not believe that under the present dispensation we are definitely commanded to give a tenth ; but we are supposed to be energized by a far greater power than that of law, viz.: love; and if our love does not cause us to give willingly as much as the law" called for, it is not saying- much for its marvellous power of which we talk so glibly. We are continually comparing our dispensation with that of the Mosaic, and thanking the Lord that it is so much better ; but is there any reality in our thansksgiving if our estimation of it does not cause us to give up at least a tenth of our income ? " On this question no rule can be laid down that will apply to all parties. While for one man it worJd be right to give a tenth, his I ■\ M m i .^.. :iin i i Iff :' I im •I i :m ■<'■ -J hr 156 THE PATH OF WEALTH. neighbor iiiiglit be doing wrong if he did not give at least a lifth. The affair should be settled in every case with Jesus Christ. How- ever, I could not think much of a man's honesty towards, and love for, Jesus, if he came away from communion with Him on the subject with an idea that he should give less than a tenth. It can be done, and it will be better for the man, no matter how small the income. If it be true that both material and spirituMi blessings follow the giving up of sub- stance to the Lord's work, then, I think, it is safe to say that ninety cents is better with God's blessing than one hundred cents without It. . ' " But, how with those who have an abund- ance of thir world's goods ? Should they retire to enjoy themselves while they have health and strength to make more money? I do not think so. They are stewards, and in that sense own nothing, and will be brought to account for the way in which they have used their Lord's substance. Surely it is the duty of such to make all they can, not that -..f^n^nu^i^. TESTIMONIES AND EXPERIENCES. 157 iJ> they liiay use some of it even in foolish luxuries, but rather that they may give it AU. to the establishment and spread of the Gospel of tJesus Christ. This much about my faith, now a word as to practice. " Shortly after I was converted, about fif- teen years ago, and before I was baptized, I decided to give at least a tenth of every dollar that the Lord gave me. In my new found joy I wanted to give more, but in talking with the Lord about it I felt that I should not do it. I have kept the rule of taking the tenth out of the money as it came in, with the ex- ception of about four years. During that time I gave something, but did not set apart a tenth of all the money that came in, for the simple reason that I did not think it my own. On account of my peculiar connection with a certain enterprise, and its unexi)t'cted collapse, I was suddenly thrown into debt * head and ears.' " I believe in a Christianity that pays one hundred cents to the «lollar, so I made things point to the clearing ot\' of debts. However, 12 ■^I^ 158 THE PATH OF WEALTH. i'': V. I / I got through safely and had about five hun- dred dollars over, which amount I immediately tithed. I do not now, however, think I did right ; debt or no debt, I think now that I should have stuck closer to my rule. In my selling out to contiime my studies at McMaster Hall, I can see several places where I lost quite heavily. It may be that these losses would have been avoided had I been strictly true to the principle. " However, in the meantime, it is my duty to give a tenth, and I rejoice in the privilege, and I hope to see the time when it will be my duty to give more, but that will not be until my income is greater than that of a student. Having usually a little of the Lord's money on hand, I give not altogether as I may be urged by eloquent emotional speeches, but to the departments of work that I believe to be most needy and deserving." I regard the testimony of the young nian who has just taken his seat as important, and all the more so, because he gives it without m *^ ^J^ TESTIMONIES AND EXPERIENCES. 159 knowing- anything of my pai-ticular theory, this beintj the first meeting; he has at- tended. His experience fully confirms the promises of the Bible as interpreted by myself, and is a repetition, as an individual, of the Jewish national experience, for when they paid tithes they prospered, and when they did not, disaster and defeat attended them. Our brother certainly makes a mistake in express- ing the opinion that the New Testament does not demand the same mininmm sum as the Old Testament, and I am sure he will be convinced of his error if he digs a little deeper into the subject. The meeting is now open for more testi- monies. ^r " I am a minister of the Gospel in n distant city, and I gladly give my experience in the 'giving a tenth.' In September, ]8(S3, after having the subject brought before me in some pamphlets that were issued by a ' layraan ' in Chicago, and after earnest prayer, I conclude* I to henceforth set apart one-tenth cf my in- 'I^ \ I . i , i ■ IGO THE PATH OF WEALTH. coinc as the Lord's portion. It required faith to take the step just then, for my finances were in anything but a flourishing condition, and my needs were pressing. However, from that hour, the question of giving was settled with me, and now I have pretty strong con- victions on the subject of giving to the Lord's work. I never had any real joy in giving till I set apart a tenth as the Lord's, and then giving became an easy delightful service. I was at once brought into a new fellowship with Christ, and have been very much blessed in tho Lord's work. The most prosperous years of my ministerial career have been since I sought thus to ' honor the Lord ' with my substance. "For a time I said nothing about my new decision, determining to watch carefully the effect upon myself and giv(^ it a fair trial be- fore saying much about it. In a few months, however, I felt that I could speak, and, as my people know, I am now an earnest advocate of 'proportionate giving,' and think the tenth the smallest proportion that should be set apart as the Lord's. 1 I ::k: • ^ SM- TESTIMONIES AND EXPERIENCES. 161 " I may say since I adopted the tithe system, I have had less worry about finances than ever before, though my salary is below the average city salary." That experience is true to the Bible pattern and is a fulfilment of the promises of God. I am under great obligation to this city clergy- man for his definite testimony. Now let us ■ have another. "I adopted the tithing system seven years ago. Mv income since that time has been abou* idrupled. I may say, however, that while an earnest believer in systematic benefi- cence, I am by no means sure that the tenth should be given by every one, regardless of their circumstances. If it is the proper pro- portion for the poor and the struggling, then, assuredly, a larger proportion should be given by those who are in circumstances of ease or affluence. Some of the vexed and vexing questions of the day would be speedily adjusted if men generally would give as God hath pros- pered them." ! f : ^' 102 THK PATH OF WEALTH. The gentloinan who lias just spoken will pardon nie it' I more fully introduce hiin to this audience. He is a Methodist local preacher, of great acceptability ; he is also a medical doctor, and, I believe, gave up a successful practice of medicine for another line of busi- ness in which he is eminently successful, and has few equals in the same; line. To say the least, it is a strani^e coincidence that his financial success dates from the time lie com- menced tithing his income. Now for another witness. ;?. 11 :!. :f ** My experience of the practice of tithing my income has been so limited that I cannot speak positively of its benefit to me, or other- wise. I have long believed that every cme who professed to be a follower of Jesus Christ, was bound, as a matter of duty, as well as love to Hhn, to contribute of his substance towards the support and extension of His cause. But while giving, as I thought, liber- ally, it was spasmodically and generally un- satisfactory to myself. Some year-i ago I m' TESTIMONIES AND EXPERIENCES. 163 thought this matter over to see if tliere was no definite rule of Christian giving, and came to the condusion that every one ought to devote at least one-tenth of his income to the Lord. " At that time I did not adopt the principle, and whether through that neglect or not I am not prepared to say, but of this I am confident, had I given a certain sum which I felt I ought to have given, and which I then had by me, I would have escaped a great (for me) finan- cial loss. Had I given that money I would not have been in a position to have gone into the venture, which promised very great re- turns, but which proved a great disaster, absorbing, not only the first sum put in, but many subsequent ones, which I was under obligation to pay. For the past two years I have adopted the principle of * systematic giving' of at least one -tenth of my income, and so far have found no reason to I'egret the decision. During the latter period my financial afiairs have been in the most satis- factory condition I have ever had them." ! 5 I i '1 n i ' m )■ f I' ■ ' ■II l' ^ /i ft M ^ iii \w • 164 THE PATH OF WEALTH. As maiiy of yo\i know, the last witness is a leading man in financial circles in our neighboring city, as well as the manager of one of the largest loan societies. Now the gentleman who was on his feet can speak. "I am a farmer, without any education, and not used to speaking in public, but I came to this mooting to give my experience as a warning to others, if for nothing else. When I was giving the tenth of all my income to God I prospered much temporally, and in spiritual experience as well. I am sorry that I did not keep it up; one said that I was crazy, and another, it was not necessary, as I am a poor man, and I did not know myself for certain, so I gave it up. "Since then I could tell you of a long list of failures. I commenced to give the tenth jvgain on the 7th of April, and I intt^id to do so as long as I live. I cannot toll how much it will be, neither do I intend to let any one else know. I will look for the promise in Malachi, and believe what Christ says in the ^^ TESTIMONIES AND EXPERIKNCES. 165 fifth chaptt;r of Matthew, My desire is to be satisfied with my portion, as my life will soon be a thing of the past. God help me to be faithful to the end." You see, my friends, it is the same old story of defeat and disaster while living in dis- obedience, and blessed prosperity when all the tithes are brought in. Now for another witness to the truth of God. " I desire to uifike a statement of my ex- perience. Our family commenced, some years ago, to give, or rather to pay to the Lord the amount which his law has set down as the minimum sum due to Him. Before we were honest towards the Lord in this way, we were constantly meeting with losses, which un- doubtedly we deserved for robbing Him of His dues. First, we lost by fire a house on which there was a very small insurance ; then we were burned out of a rented house and shop, and lost most of our furniture and part of our stock, both of which were unin- ' I^JViJIII If I 9 '- !i I . ■ ii 'f Ml 1 THE PATH OF WEALTH. sured ; shortly after that we lost one liundred dollars in cash, and one of the family took sick and the doctoring was a heavy rost, so that, in one way and another, we had much more taken out of us than we had withheld from the Lord. After these losses our eyes were opened to see our duty in this respect, and we never prospered so well financially as since we set up our tithe purse. Then, it is so pleasant when a call is made asking aid for the Church or benevolent purposes, to always have money on hand for the purpose." A man who stood waiting for his turn to speak said: — "I have for four years past adopted the plan of setting aside one-tenth of my earnings, and I would not abandon it. Instead of being wori-ied every time I am asked for a subscription, I can always say at once what I can do, and have realized what I never did before, the * luxury of giving.' I might say more, but will give way for others." Another said : — " I am from Nova Scotia, I have been giving one-tenth of my income to the Lord for a number of years, and have been > v/>>'v>/^'>i^^<^/v/^ v\^i/v^'«/v/^iy^^/w'< TESTIMONIES AND EXPERIENCES. 167 enabled to give from sixty to one Imiidred dollars per year." Another stood up and testified : — " I am a general merchant. I beg leave to say that I adopted the plan of tithing about two years ago. 1 have given on system for some years, that is, I gave a certain sum, but being in debt, as business men generally are, I did not feel like giving a tenth until I read a tract on Christian giving. I then adopted the plan, and have no cause to regret it. My business has nearly doubled since I started. I can say with the Psalmist, as in the twenty- third Psalm. I have distributed a number of tracts, and others are about trying the plan." A young man stood and testified as follows: " For the past few months I have been tithing my income, although I am in debt and strug- gling to pay up. Formerly I believed that so long as I was in debt I had no business to give to the Lord, but now I regard the debt to the Lord as the fiirst and most important. I believe that had I always adopted this plan, I would to day be in a better position financially. ?♦ I ( ( i ii 110 u 168 THE PATH OF WEAI/ni. When I have withheld the teuth tVoin God, He has taken it from me thr )iif^li sickness or loss of some kind. I believe that a tenth is the leafit that any Christian should give to the Lord, and that every one should go as far beyond that as his income and circumstances will allow." The gentleman, to whose experience you have just listened, is the Secretary of a Y. M. C. A. in one of our cities. If he will pardon me, I will say, that if the Bible is not true, and if human experience cannot be relied upon, he is acting the part of a fool to give away ten per cent, of his income while he is in debt and expect to get out of debt thereby; but if the Bible is tnie, and the testimonies of those who have tested its promises coiuit for anything, then his decision to tithe his income is the outcome of the highest wisdom, and his acts must be approved even by men who look no higher than a safe financial in- vestment. Now we are ready for another witness : " I hasten to enroll myself amongst those ,4 ■ ■( M^ imt.. \ ( j ' ? 1! UE.WI.S MOURK. Born at Grimsby, Canada, in 181(5. and died at Hamilton, in 1887. An earnest Christian, and a leading member of the Methodist Church. A systematic giver from his boyhood, and as a result, we believe, became rich. He gave $26,000 to Victoria CoUei^e, and during life $500 a year to missions, and by will $«,00(). He gave $2,000 to the Y. M. C. A., and $500 to each of the following : Boy's Home, (iirl's Home, Orphan Asylum, and Home for the Friendless. He supported his own church most liberally, and was a friend in need to all poor churches thruugliout the country. The full extent of his givings will not be known until the final reckoning day. TESTIMONIES AND EXPERIENCES. 169 who, for many years, have carried out, aud in some cases doubled the tithe mentioned. My heart goes out to all those who are carry- ing out this rule, not as a matter of duty simply, but out of love and gratitude to Jesus Christ." For a leading stock broker in one of our largest cities, this experience is good, though it be short and given with characteristic modesty. Now the next : — "I am a Methodist minister in charge of a city church. I have made it a rule of my life to give one-tenth of my income to benevolent enterprises. I set aside one- tenth and then use it for the Lord to the best advantage possible. I would not abandon this practice." " I, too, am a Methodist minister, and I beg to say that since the beginning of the year I have been keeping an account so as to prove to myself that I am giving not less than one- tenth. I think one-tenth a low proportion, but I have only this y(;ar begun "systematic giving." T am specially interested in the i i . I - J ' ^^ 170 THE PATH OF WEALTH. 'J; subject, and am doing all I can to extend the doctrine." " I am a Baptist minister, and a returned missionary. If I take up a little more time in this meeting than the average speaker, I trust my long experience and great love for the cause will be a sufficient excuse. Some twenty-live years ago it was my privilege to introduce the Bible system of finance — a pro- portionate part of the income regularly and systematically devoted to God — into a feeble mission in India. Not a few of my native brethren received the teaching eagerly and obeyed it promptly. Among these was one of my native preachers — Bhelsari Naih. This man, prior to tithing his income, was always in difficulty, even complaining of the smallness of his income (he received $4.80 a month for a family of five adults). He began at once to tithe himself. After about three months he and I met in connection with our work amonff the heathen, and the following conversation occurred: 'Well, Bhelsari, how does the tithing system work ? ' ' Capitally, sir.' ' Ah, how is TESTIMONIES AND EXPERIENCES. l7l i that, you were always complaining of being hard up, and even in debt, when you used your whole income for self; now, you give one-tenth to God, you have no complaints.' ' Ah, sir, the nine-tenths, with God's blessing, is better far than the ten-tenths used to be without it.' This brother continued to pay into my hands the sum of forty-eight cents every month as long as he was associated with me in that part of the field. What he after- wards did, of course, I cannot say. " In 1865, in the town of Brunswick, Maine, a young lady heard a sermon on this subject. She was not then a Christian. Some three months later, the minister who preached that sermon heard a lady's voice calling to him in subdued tones on the street. He paused and entered into conversation with the lady. The substance of the conversation is given below: "•You have the advantage of me, Miss, you seem to know me!' 'Yes, sir, I heard you preach at McLellan's Hall about three months ago, on the subject of giving a tenth to God. I am a telegraph operator. I have a widowed i '^'M 172 THE PATH OF WEALTH. I'i :;iyi{.i! ■;| J' ''v i mother and a younger sister to support. Your arguments struck me as being Scriptural and conclusive, and though not then a Christian, I determined to obey, out of regard for the authority of God. I paid my tenth from that time, and I have been wishing to see you for some weeks past to tell you that what you told us was proved true in my own experi- ence. I had not tithed myself two months before my salary was raised without any hint or solicitation from me, to an amount suffici- ently large to more than cover the tithe paid up to that time to God.'" This young lady had been converted in the meantime. " A young man in Calcutta, India, heard the same sermon from the same preacher in 1873, and he became convinced of his duty with reference to paying his tenth to God. He was in the Government Treasury Depart- ment on a salary of about eighty-five dollars a month. His tithe was promptly and honestly paid, hoping for nothing again. Now, mark the result ; he told the preacher that within two months his salary was raised to ninety- 1 , f "^^ TESTIMONIES AND EXPERIKNCKS. 173 ^!« m^ six dollars a month without any solicitation on his part. " In 1863, in Oxford County, a far'iier who tithed himself was sinffularlv saved from loss by the weevil. That insect came into that neighborliood in that year and ate up all before it. The creeps of others all around were trcarcely worth cutting. Several of liis neip:h- bors wondered at the good crops scaicoly touched by the weevil which they saw on neighbor H.'s fields. They ottered him fonr and even live acres of theirs for one of his. Here is a literal fulfilment of Malachi iii. 2. That farmer still lives, an old man of nearly eighty-seven, and can ratify the statement here made. "In my own experience, during a period of over twenty-five years, I have clear and in- dubitable proof that the Lord God means what he says in the passage quoted. For several years the blessing came in the form of occa- sional trifling increases in regular income, and frequently in the shape of extraneous financial aid over and above income, as need required. ? -^ : n - yl i iJ !i i: ;%•'■ r i ! ^' 174 THE PATH OF WEALTH. In 1873, the income was doubled. In 1881, we began to pay one-tenth and give one- fortieth, ec^ual in all to one-eighth of our income, and the blessing has come in increased measure, both spiritual and temporal. In 1879, we had given, above our tithe, under pres- sure of circumstances, nearly one-twentieth, or about one-seventh of all, and just at that juncture were ordered out of India, our then present field of labor. We had to pay our own expenses, and were short of means, lacked nearly five hundred dollars, as we supposed. We continued giving and asked the Lord to supply our well. Just the last two weeks we were in the country, He sent us from extran- eous sources, without our asking any man for help, the sum of four hundred and eight dol- lars, which was enough, with what we had, to pay our way home and have a little left. I could greatly multiply instances of this kind but I refrain. " I will venture to give a recent demonstra- tion of His faithfulness. The one-eighth is i still placed in the Lord's treasury, hoping for ^t^ ' ''m I n kmnp^a TESTIMONIKS AND EXPKIUKNCKS. 175 nothing again, giving bt'cause we love to give, would not be deprived of the privilege of giving. During the tirst three months of tliis year (1887), we were permitted to place, out of comparatively small means, twenty- three dollars in the Lord's treasury, that is, out of our regular income. Now, mark, during that same period the Lord gave us from extraneous sources entirely, outside our regular sti|)end, the sum of seventv-three dollars, two hundred per cent, interest. The Lo d luill allow no nmn to be His creditor! Listead of putting our funds into so-called insurance societies or superannuated ministers' funds, we place it in the Bank of Heaven, the Lord pays the interest while we live, and should the husband be removed, the wife will get the principal, that is, if she personally trusts in Him. Jer. xlixilL" A young man rose and said : " 1 belong to the Congregational Church, and I desire to say that I have practised the tenth plan of giving, for religious and charitable purposes, for two years, and the result has been to re- 1 M ' III i>- \M^\ i L . '' Ji i v ( I i 1 : i Hi ^1 ' .1 ■ ! 1 \ ^' ' 1 i ■; '■ J' ^ 1 ( ^ i T^^K) ■ ■ i 1 H^BI M : .1 : 1 17G THE PATH OF WEALTH. move any doubt wJiicli may have existed in adopting it. Previous to adopting tliis systt?m, I was frequently troubled as to what I should give to this or that object, but now^ I know at once what I can do by consulting my tenth account. At the outset, intimate friends \^ re almost impatient with me because I was, in their opinion, giving more than I was able; I did not feel so, and the result has V»een very satisfactory. It led me to look closely after my expenditures, and I have saved sufficient in that way to more than pay the increased amount given. Then the Lord has blessed me in greater measure during these two years in temporal matters than before; 1 have received, from unexpected sources, outside of my em- ployment, larger sums than I have given. I shall adhere to the plan wliether my revenues increase or decrease, because I believe it to be the right one, and because I can, in the maj( rity of cases, give, promptly and cheerfully to objects which commend themselves to my judgment." A young lady said, with much modesty : " I TESTIMONIES AND KXPKRIKNCPX 177 am a stenographer, and I sliould like to add my testimony to what others have said. It is now nearly two years since I fiist i^ave tli 1 H '^ f i 1; i I I I -ili,. I ^' 178 THE PATH OF WEALTH. can truthfully say that T never miss what I if'ivo m this wav." A Clergyman testified as follows: — "I am a Minister of the Gospel, and I came here on pui'posc to testify in behalf of this faith. I have practised alon*^ this line for about a year, and have scrupulously devoted a tenth of my income to the service of God, and bv reflection ha\e learned to recoonize several thino-s. " (1.) That by dividino- sented as a thank-ottering to God. Th(* joy and rapture that tilled my soul in connection with this act of consecra- tion were more than a compensation for the bestowment of half mv earthly substance for the Master's use, teachino- me these lessons: — (1.) That God does not remain long in His children's debt. (2.) That what we get from God is vastly more than what we give to God, and (3.) That it is always safe to obey tlie voice of the Spirit without question or debate. "Within three days after subscribing the sum named, it w^as all returned to me asfain. This was a matter of great surprise to me, as I had expected to pay the amount in full. Shortly after this I contributed the sum of H i|S u *1 : ^''i :\ -*i^ «5^ ii It- i I ; I in i f -n: m < - 184 ! i SK. THE PATH OF WEALTH. $50 towards the erection of a eliurch on my eliargt', and a few niontlis later, when the same chu)-eli was dedicated, I was led to promise the Slim of $1500 more, which, at that time, was $900 more than all I possessed. Under ordinary circumstances, I admit that such an act would have been one of great imprudence and even fanaticism; but when (lod calls, the measure of our abilitv is never the measure of our duty. The Israelites had no ability to op«Mi up a channel through the Red Sea, yet they were commanded to go forward, and the disciples had )»ut a beggarly supply of food in the five loaves and two fishes; nevertheless they were instructed to feed the hungry multitude. Verily ' where wit and reason end, there faith begins.' God, by His mira- culous power, cut a passage through the Red Sea for the advancing hosts of His people, and tlie Divine Christ multiplied the scanty pro- vision in hand till it satisfied the craving hunger of more than five thousand people. Trust in God always comes out on th(; win- ning side. Having pledged the sum of $1500, '5? •/* , .»;" .. There U a lad here which hath five bax4ey loa.es and two small fishes." — St. John, o : J. vti H ■1r- ' i f! iiiii IL. ^% TKSTIMONIKS AND KX1'EKIEN( KS. lcS"j h my soul was tilled with uimtterablo sweetness and joy. I felt richer than ever, and also that I was a thousand lea<>ues hovond all necessity for human sympathy and commis- eration. Some sympathizing friends, how- ever, regarding my case as a pitiable one, sub- scribed the sum of $600 towards assisting to meet my heavy obligation. This donation the Lord would not permit me to accept, and 1 have never appropriated one dollar of it to this day for my own benefit ; all that was paid on it has long since been handed over to the building fund of the said church. It was the Lord's will that I should pay the entire amoimt of my vsubscription unaided by the kindness of my friends. By a succession of providences I was enabled to pay every dollar and part in advance, finding myself consider- ably better ofi" in earthly substance, to say nothing of spiritual enrichment, than when the subscription was made. Within six weeks after the church to which I ha I given so largely was dedicated, sixty soids were con- verted to God, making me feel, I can assure ;i -•I ■i h I 2S' '^ 5 ' ■ I \ '■ !■( > * .; 1 ■ 1 186 THE PATH OF WEALTH. you, that my investirient for Christ was already bearing an enormous interest. " In the hist ten years I have given away not less than S8,500, and I cannot describe to you the satinf^ ^ion, and joy, and blessing that have come to me and my family as the result. " This is my testimony, that the promises of God, in referci: J I > ,3mporal blessings, are just as reliable as fciAO., percaining to spiritual blessings, pro»dding the t'>j ditionsof consecra- tion are observed,, " In regard to the tenth prineipic, I recognize it as an appointment oi God for the regulation of the property trust, and believe it to be of perpetual obligation. But if our hearts are imbued witli the self-sacriticing love of Christ, our contributions will spontaneously overleap this minimum regulation of the Divine law, and constrain us to place our all in willing disposal at the Master's feet; and we may rest assured that our Father in Heaven, whose generosity knows no bounds, who clothes the lily with beauty, and feeds the young ravens j4~' >^ CLOSING KEMAKKS. 187 when they cry, will leave us amply sufficient for all our temporal needs. ' Praise God from whom all blessings flow.' ' The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof.' " CLOSING REMARKS. I think we have had enough evidence pre- sented here to-night to establish the Bible case, and I deem it unnecessary to call any more witnesses. The amount and kind of evidence we have heard, if presented in any court of law, would ostablisli, to the satisfac- tion of any judge or jury, the most improb- able kind of facts ; but when it is considered that the evidence given is in support of what, without it, is highly probable, the proof is simply overwhelming, and if the human mind can rest with absolute certainty in anything, it seems to me to be in the three general propositions which have been interwoven in all our talks and in all the evidence sub- I H !l. I: • n k '!« I ' ^ / ■ i i i i 1 ■ i 1 1 1 ^1 i 1 ■ m- 188 THE PATH OF WEALTH. mi t ted. (a) That God demands of all man- kind at least one-tenth of income. (/>) That in rendering obedience to that command a man is invariably better oft* financially, and (c) That if a man is a Christian it draws him nearer to God and makes his spiritual experience more real than ever before. I need not comment upon the testimonies which have been given, as they are all clear and unmistakable. I will simply point out to any who may yet be doubters, that all the witnesses, and all the evidence, will bear the strictest tests with which legal minds weigh evidence. There has been no collusion of witnesses, they are all strangers one to the other, and one did not know what was to be the evidence of the other. There has not been a single contradiction, for while a slight variation of opinion has been expressed, vet as to the matter of fact there has been perfect unanimity. The credibility of these witnesses is beyond question, as they are the best men in the various C(^mmunities in which ^ ^- CLOSING REMARKS. 189 they live. You will further n(3tiee that the evidence presented is not of the nature of an opinion, it is not simply telling us what they believe, for in this a man may be mistaken ; the testimony is to the fact that they are better off financially since they began to tithe their incomes. The thought occurs to me as I speak, that it is perfectly marvellous that no man can be found who has become poorer since he began to tithe his income, and yet such is the fact. This meeting was fully advertised, and no pre-arrangement made as to who should testify, and the results you have all heard. Perfectly marvellous to a man of doubt, I should have said, for if one could be found who had become poorer on account of tithing his income, or since he began to do so, then God would have been found a liar, which never can be. Why should it seem a marvel that God's material piomiscs are found to be true ? What is clearer in the Bible than the fact that God promises material blessings to those who obey Him ? What is more reason- 14 w ■m mm 190 THE PATH OF WEALTH. ■i ! m m' ablo tliaii the universal testiinony that those wlio honor God witli their substance are hon- ored by Him in return, and in the same kind? I liave some propositions I desire to make before wc close, to further strengthen the evidence for systematic giving. 1st. It is perfectly reasonable that God should demand a share of our earnings to carry on His cause in the world. We are subjects of His government. He has put us under the fostering care of His church, and as nothing can be done in this world without money, it takes money to carry on the cause of God among men. Now who is there to pay this money but those who are benefited by it ? And who are they ? Surely the answer is, all who have heard the glad tidings of the Gospel; all who live in Chris- tian lands, for what man is there who does not derive benefit from Christianity? Every man is under all reasonable obligation to pa}^ his share to God's cause, in the same way as every man is under obligation to pay liis ^I« ^ss *: CLOSING} REMARKS. 15)1 share of tlie taxt's of t\\v lnii! ■^ *J 1 ' 11 ^ if: \\\^' !|' r I N s- sK> 192 THE PATH OF WEALTH. our own wlurrws or fancies. In all other things He is a God of law, order and system ; and it is not reasonal)lc to suppose that in this im- portant matter there is an cxcei^tion to the rule. Then it would seem that Ood would make tlu^ proportion adecjuate to the needs of the case. In nature all causes are adeipiate to the ertects to be produced, and I am of the opinion that God has established the same rule in the kingdom of grace. From the last three propositions, which cer- tainly appeal to reason, it would have been very strange if God, in His revealed wurd, had neglected to make adequate provision for funds to carry on His cause in the earth. But the clour provision has been made in the Bible, and the demand of God is resting upon the people, and inidoubtedly when the people render obedience the cause of God will make wonderful advances, and the kingdoms of this world will soon become the kingdoms of our God and of His Christ. I will now close the meeting with this m '^ m ^' I CLOSTNfi UKMAUKS. 198 exhortation, which yoii will plonso take in placcj of a honodiction : " Bring ye rJl the titlies into the storehouse that th<'re may be meat in mine lionse, antl prove me now lierewith, saitii the Lor lit >ll SI »/%/>/x/>/^» Hi! il :m 'rl \ : ' ! 204 THE PATH OF WEALTH. ifc was silent because the principle was so thorouglily understood, in New Testament tiiiH'S, and the practice so general that men- tion was not necessary. Is it not a very sig- nificant fact tliat New Testament writers make no mention of the abolition of this law, if it be abolislied ? How easy it would have been for them to mention this, in connection with other matters of whose " fulfilment*' (abolition) they did write! This omission can only be accounted for on the supposition that there has been no repeal of this law. But is the New Testament silent on the subject ? Decidedly not. Read Matt, xxiii., 23: "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith : these ought ye to have done, and NOT TO leave the other undone." The Lord Jesus (Jhrist, in these words, teaches distinctly that "the weightier matters of the law" should receive our lirst attention; but He does not hint, even remotely, that thr { -«s '^'' PAY YOUU DEHTS. 205 i m % "tithe of mint and anise and cunnniii" were of no importance at all, but rather that it was a matter not to be left undone. Ham 206 li . ' ^ ^1 THE PATH OF WEALTH. of our income should be regularly and sys- tematically stored for God. The proportion is not here i^ientioned, because it was well understood. The Corintbian church, estab- lished by Paul himself, was seven years old at the time of this writing ; and surely Paul had not neglected to instruct them in the precious privilege of Christian liberality ! Nay, rather, but his epistles are burdened with such instruction ! (See chapters viii. and ix. of this epistle.) Next to the great subject of Justification by Faith, there is no one thing upon which Paul has so much to say, as upon liberality. Moses taught, " Pay a tithe of all to God for the service of the sanctuary." Paul teaches, " Store it for God every week." Paul and Moses do not disagree ; nor does Paul attempt to modify or improve upon Moses' teaching ; he merely ventures upon an enlargement of the precept. Moses says, "Pay proportion- ally" ; and Paul adds, "Pay regularly and sys- tematically." Moses' teaching was well im- derstood, and Paul needed not to reiterate it m> '■'^ ^^ ■m PAY YOUR DEBTS. 207 He only found it necessary to enforce a regular and systematic observance of it. Paul's suggestion in regard to the weekly observanc ) of the rule is a wise one. A person may be utterly unable to pay $26 a year in a lump, as his tithe, whereas he could, with the utmost ease, pay 50c. a week, and store it for God. We have seen that the patriarchs practised this principle, and that just as soon as God had a separate people. He set His seal upon it by incorporatirig it in His law for their gov- ernance. The reasons for this are obvious. The sys- tem is eminently just and equitable. All raiLst do something for God and His cause, and God places the minimuir in His law, not Ltas than a tenth. Rich and poor alike must begin at this ; and no rich man, paying his thousands, could upbraid his poor neighbour, whose payments were away down in the units. They gave in the same ratio. Again, this system makes it easy for all, especially for the poor man. He gives in small sums regularly, cud does not find it oppressive. -:$ SK' «I* !■ m 1 M ,1 I ! tl 4 <•'! s^^ 208 THE PATH OP WEALTH. Then, the larger ability of the rich man was not shut out. All must pay a tenth, to begin with ; but any man may give as much more as his means will allow, and his love may prompt. If all Christians would only adopt God's method — Bible finance — they would be amazed to find themselves paying into God's treasury many times their present meagre payments on the hap-hazard, give-as-you- please method. It would be difficult to find a person who has once honestly tithed his means for the cause of Christ, and has wearied of it, and gone back again to the no-system way of con- tributing. Would that the Church generally could be induced to adopt this principle and follow this practice ! Beginning with a tenth, no man need stop at that. As his means increase, he can, after paying God the tenth He claims as His own, begin to know something of the luxuiy of giving. No man is so poor that he cannot afford to "W ?s^ m PAY YOUR DEIvrS. 209 do this. Every man can afford to be honest with God ! Will God permit any man to sufter in doing what He requires to be done ? Read Dent, xiv., 28-29, and note especially the last clause, " • • • that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand, which thou doest." A still stronger statement is made in Prov. iii., 9-10: "Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thy increase, so shall thv barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses burst out with new wine." To the obedient a very precious promise is given in Mai. iii., 10-11 : " Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house, and prove me now herewith saith the Lord of Hosts, if J will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruit of your ground, neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, II '■' '^■^ '^ ^^^^'. f t ill If r ili f' i ■ 11 II 210 THE PATH OF WEALTH. saith the Lord .of Hosts." Oh, that professed believers would take the Lord at His word, honor Him with their substance, and trust Him. As a matter of fact, Christians cannot afford to pay less than a tenth, for they will invari- ably find that the remaining nine-tenths with God's blessing would be of far greater value to them than the ten -tenths without it. If God's children would pay up as (jod requires, and then begin to give, as God has prospered them, they would realize the preciousness of that saying of Jesus, which Paul has rescued from oblivion, "It is more blessed to give than it is to receive." They w^ould soon learn to give, not as a mere matter of duty, but because they love to give. God is always giving. God loves to give — always gives His best gifts ; and those who give, and give their best gifts, because they love to give, are, so far, like God. Where there is little love FOR GIVING, there IS VERY LITTLE LIKE- NESS TO God. 'J^ -as ■ii ■i '* *■ 'HI . PI ■ ! '' I ■ * F ' '■; i ■' ■ i ■' 1 ' I ':^' I i t t i 1 i ; / ■ ' : 1 Ill 1 J,-... ■■' x< - * PETEK COOPEK. He commenced life in the City of New York in 1791, and died in the same city in 1883 By his own efforts he made an immense fortune, and spent a large part of it in public and private charities. He is the founder of the famous "Cooper Institute," which cost him $650,000; to which also he bequeathed $150,000 additional, at his death. 5^" . Jiblc Gibing: ITS NATURE AND RULE. BY REV. F. li. BE ATT IK, D.D., Ph. D. ■ [ ] >:$ (< ' 1 ! ■ V <5 I - -IS !lj j^h^-^'v »^-w ■ BIBLE GIVING: ITS NATURE AND RULE. Tn this paper I wish to say a few things about giving to religious and benevolent ob- jects. What I have to say will be drawn largely from my own observation, reflection and experience, which, though by no means varied or remarkable, may yet enable me to say something useful on the subject. I shall also try to express my ideas in as plain and practical a manner as possible. I may say that I have, of late, read a good deal on this important topic ; I have recently looked more carefully than ever before into what the Bible says about giving to the sup- port of religion ; I have tried to preach several times during the past year on difier- ent aspects of this subject; and I have looked (213) r j^l ¥^ 5W^' 'i* ? i I I Sffl-I ■ 214 THE I'ATII OF WEALTH. into the actual piactice of tlic average Chris- tian in regard to his giving to the cause of Christ. The result has been that I am more deeply impressed than ever with the import- ance of this subject, and at the same time I have been humbled beyond measure to find that the average Christian is sometimes con- tent to spend more on a single luxury than he gives to the support of religion. I have observed that the matter of Chris- tian liberality is pres.sed upon us not only by the claims of the institutions of religion at home, but also in connection with the duty of the Christian Church to send the Gospel to the heathen. The people in pagan lands are not, as a rule, at first anxious to have the Gospel preached among them. This entails expense in sending missionaries, and this ex- pense must be met by those in Christian lands who send the missionaries. The energy with which mission work is pushed on is one of the hopeful signs of this age, for I have observed that when Christian people are most deeply concerned about others, they are most ?^^ ^«? mnij-: (jivino. 215 likely to be prospered themselv^es. I am con- \ inced that the Hible is prot'oundly true when it says that "tlie liberal soul shall be made I'at.""^ This being the case, it has occurred to uie that no more important matter, of a practical kind, can be brought before the minds of Christian people than that of Christian liber- ality, I confess that I have got over a kind of delicacy which I once had in speaking about money in connection with the preaching of the Gospel, and the exposition of the Scrip- tures. I am convinced that our giving to the Lord's cause is a distinctly religious act, and our duty in regard to that act ought to be clearly understood. Jhristian people should never forget that they are not absolute pos- sessors of the money or other things which they call theirs. They are only stewards of the manifold gifts of God ; and, for my part, I am exceedingly anxious to learn how I can best attend to the duties of my stewardship. Ever since I was a lad, I have been familiar with several curious methods by means of '4 ! m^ ^^ )l ■ t m\ 216 THE PATH OF WEALTH. which money is raise«l for religious purposes. I can remember my first tea-meeting, and how I thought what a strange thing it was to eat and drink in God's house. I liave been at scores of such meetings since my childhood, and I have seen almost every kind of device In-ought into play, from the bazaar to the cake or cane competition, for the purpose of raising money for Church objects. Since I have grown older, I have looked with some care at those things, and hav(i become more and more convinced that foi* the purpose of raising money for religious objects they are all wrong in principle and injurious in practice. It has, indeed, occurred to me that a general reform is needed in this important matter. I trust this paper may be helpful in doing something in this direction. I shall group my remarks on this subject under two main heads. Under the first I shall treat of the essential vdture of Christian giving; and under the second I shall seek to discover the rule by which that giving should be deter- ^«f J«' ^^ il V imu.i: GIVING. 217 mined. Hence we must, in IIk- first place, seek to get a clear and definite idea of what Christian liberality involves; then, in tlw second place, we must try to find a well- detiiied standard by means of which we may be able to know when we do our duty in re- gard to this important matter. Eacli of these topics will be considered in a separate chap- ter, and in as simple and conversational a manner as possible, so that ordinary readers may be the more fully informed by what is set f(.)rth. ■ ■ ■1 ill, f^ V'M Ifl ! S f 1 1l i i ifll 1 1. ]■ ( , ' : '• ■ ; ; 1 ■ ^' li' ,■ ■I' » \t: ■ 'f ' ll^ ■ ^ iui i ss- *t^ - HhB i n«y|IBIi inH 1 i|| 1 III i 1 i ', 1 Hi. 1 •!'' 1 «. i tMi -^m ill » •(.* . 'ilij ■ ^^»iSfe^ MATTHfr:n VAl^H.iK. The founder of N'assar C/'oUege, I'oughkcejisio, N.Y., at a cost of ><400,000. Mr. Vassal «ii« horn in Knglaud, but was taken to America when four years ohl. He hegan l)U8in(>88 aH an errand l)oy. and unded a very M-ealthy nmn. An active member of the Baptist Church, and rich in gr>od works. HI! m" -as BIBLE GlVliiU; iXb NATUKE. 219 CHAPTER I. BIBLE GIVING: ITS NATURE. In seeking to undei'stand the nature of Cliristian liberality, I wish to take the reader to the Bible at once for instruction thereon, for I am sure that every Christian will agree that the Bible is the best place to get teach- ing on this topic. In this, as in all otlier vital matters, we .should be guided, not by ex- pediency or mere human opinion, but by what God him.solt' savs in His Word. I shall > therefore, seek to find out from the Scriptures what they teach in regard to the real nature of our giving to religious objects. I desire to get a good foundation laid for my practice, so that I shall not bhuider in the exercise of the grace of Christian lilicinlity. I shall only be satisfied, whon T have laid the 220 THE PATH OF WEALTH. foundation, not on the shifting sands of mere human reasonings, but on the solid rock of the Word of God. Having secured a good foundation in this way, I shall tlien proceed to erect a suitabjr and durable building, thereon. In other words, having hiid down the Sci'iptural basis or principle of our giving to God's cause, I shall proceed to make some applications of this principle to several con- crete cases to be found in actual practice. SECTION I. The Bihlc FiHDnlafion. I ask you now to open the Bible, and trace out with me, in a very general way, what it says about giN'ing to the Lord. Let me ask you to turn to the beginning of the Book, for it will be of great moment to find something about gifts and oiferings all through it:;: dif- ferent parts. Turning to the fourth chapter of Genesis, 1 tind the first brotheis of the human race bringing offerings to God. "And in process ^^ '■^^'^ !^' *^J^ BIBLE GIVING: ITS NATURE. 221 of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. And Abel, he also brought of the first- lings of his flock, and of the fat thereof." There is no need to decide, so far as our pres- ent purpose is concerned, why Abel's gift was accepted and Cain's rejected, for what we re- quire is only to observe that these two men, of their own choice and under a sense of duty or obligation to God, brought their respective offerings to Him. I have no doubt that Abels spirit was better than Cain's, but both alike brought an offering. In regard to Noah, in the eighth chapter of Genesis, we read, that after the waters of the flood were dried up, "Noah builded an altar unto the Lord ; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and ofiered burnt- offerings on the altar." In the life of Abra- hani; amongst the offerings which, from time to time, he made, we read that he was rec^uir- ed on one occasion to make a remark?il)lo offering. In the twenty-second chapter of Genesis, we find (xod speaking to Abraham in i Jii 'ill i ' ••(, :i m ^m m- 222 THE PATH OF WEALTH. the following way: "Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and ^^t^t thee into the land of Moiiah ; and offer him tliere for a burnt-offeriny upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of." Here God reijuired a very peculiar and precious offering from Abraham ; and even though a substitute for his son was found in the ram cauoht in the thicket, the idea of an ofierinj^ to God remains. This is what we carry with us from this event. Now, as you read through the rest of Gen- esis with me, you will find that the patriarchs, from time to time and in various ways, made, either by God's connnand or by an inward spiritual impulse, offerings to the Lord. They all illustrate the same thought of giving some- thing which we call ours to the service of God. When we come to the age of Moses, and read on through Leviticus and Deuteronomy in particular, we find ourselves among almost endless offerings and givings required of the Jews in connection with their religious duty and service. I would like to help you to ■lie Jst-" ]i& BIBLE GIVING: ITS NATUKK. 223 study this vast systcin of ufiorinHs, for the purpose of discoveriu*^', as fai- as possible, wliat is the real nature of an ofiering which is acceptable to God, and what should he the spirit of the person iiiakiiiy year unto the house of the Lonl : Also the first-born of our sons, and of our cattle, as it is written in the Law, and the firstlings of our herds and of our flocks, to brinor to the liouse of our God, unto the priests that niiiiisttT in the house of our God." In the eighteenth of Numbers we find an- other curious fact in connection with the giv- ing of what the people possessed to the service of the Lord: "And the firstlings of unclean beasts shalt thou redeem. And those that are to be redeemed, from a month old shalt thou redeem, according to thy estimation, for the money of five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gernhs. But the firstling of a cow, or the firstling of a goat, thou shalt not redeem ; they are holy thou shalt sprinkle their blood upon the altar." Tliis passage emphasizes the distinc- tion between things clean and unclean. Yet at the same time God makes a claim upon both — upon the clean directly, and upon the unclean by redemption. ^1^ ^^ % n ! ' I .; I II t^ 1 ra % ^Ov. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I :f lis IIM 12.2 2.0 1.8 1.25 1.4 1.6 6" ► V. <^ /a VI ^^^v' V o / m '^i /A 7 Photographic Sciences Corporation ^ V s ,v \\ -^ r^ <^ 'V>. 6^ r^^ 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 f^

/%/^ -^ ^1^ li i! i in 1 It. ! -3 ' . ^; 1- i^ '■• ■ 1.^ I'fT ' M, liii «: "Hi i ■ f i ; ! m 230 THE PATH OF WEALTH. This statement is further confirmed by what we find Ezra and Nehemiah doing in their days. In the seventh chapter of Ezra we read, in connection with the return from the Captivity : "And all the silver and gold that thou canst find in all the province of Babylon, with the freewill offering of the people, and of the priests, offering willingly for the house of their God, which is in Jeru- salem : that thou mayest buy speedily with this money, bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meat offerings and their drink offerings, and offer them upon the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem." Nehemiah's words, in the tenth chapter of his book, are equally significant: *'Also we made ordi- nances for us, to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God ; for the shewbread, and for the continual meat offering, and for the continual burnt offer- ing, of the Sabbaths, of the new moons, for the set feasts, and for the holy things, and for the sin offerings to make an atonement for BIBLE GIVING: ITS NATURE. 231 i \ HI V Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God." These quotations of God's Word, which we have made at length, bring out the important fact that evei'vthing brought to God as an offering nnist be our own property, or ac- quired by us in a proper and honest way. The Jews were distinctly taught this, and in our own day we need to observe that not only must we be able to call what we give to God our own, but we must be sure also that we have come into possession of it in a perfectly honest way. God will not honor the ways of injustice, nor will He accept the fruits of dis- honesty. We shall keep this in mind, for we mav have occasion to refer to it ae-ain in the course of this paper. In the second place, you will observe that these offerings were all dedicated to Ood. They were holy gifts, and, as such, were set apart for God and appropriated to His ser- vice. It mattered not if parts of some of the offerings went to support the priests while attending to their duties, they were neverthe- ;i; M 11 ] I! ' I' !■ i ill I ] I - I" H I \t IT a F^^-rf- <. " ^^ 282 THE PATH OF WEALTH. V'' ""-h less all regarded as given to God. They were made as an acknowledgment o£ God's great- ness and goodness, and of the desire of the people to enjoy the favour and fellowship of God. In this connection it is interesting to read the thirty-eighth verse of the twenty- eighth chapter of Exodus. Of the plate of pure gold, which was to be put on the mitre of the high priest, it is said : "And it shall be upon Aaron's forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts ; and it shall be always upon his fore- head, that they may be accepted before the Lord." Here it is evident that the gifts, and the people with their offerings, were to be dedicated to God, before the right to claim acceptance and favour at God's hand was the portion of the people. The people were not to give that they might get similar gifts in return; they were to give that they might render a service or make an offering freely and fully unto the Lord. It is clear, therefore, that these offerings ■;tv;. ■• r-;..-n^;a.. !S- i i BIBLE GIVING: ITS NATURE. 233 had value, not so niucli in tlu'inselves as in the spirit and feelings cherished by the per- son making the offering. The gift indeed may be of great value or of little worth in itself, yet its value in God's sight will depend on the spirit which moved the offerer in present- ing his gift. It is not the gift, but the giver in his gift, which has meaning before God. It is the devout spiritual feelings which the gift expresses that make the real offering which God regards and delights in. For their own sake or value God can care but little for mere material gifts, but the devotion of an earnest, humble, grateful heart is ever a sacrifice pleasing in His sight. There is a passage in Kurtz's "Sacrificial Worship," page 55, which expresses the truth here so well that I caunot forbear quoting it at length, as better than any words of mine could be here: In these gifts, which w^ere justly his acquired property, gained by the sweat of his face and the exercise of his earthly calling, he offered, in a certain sense, an objective portion of himself, since the , I hi '?S? tJi -fn fl: I ' . f ;j ^^ .' : 5K^ 234 THE PATH OP WEALTH. sweat of his owu labour adhered to it, and he had expended his own vital energy upon it, and thereby, as it were, really gave it life. In this way he gave expression to his con- sciousness of the absolute dependence of his whole life and activity upon the grace and blessing of God, and to his obligation to de- vote it entirely to God and to divine purposes in praise, thanksgiving and prayer. He gave partially back tu God what he received en- tirely from God, and had wrought out and acquired through the blessing of God. And in the part he sanctified and consecrated the whole, or all that he retained and applied to the maintenance of his own life and strength, and with this his own life also, to the main- tenance of which he had devoted it." In the third place, the offerings 'were to he of the Jirstfruits of the possessions of the offerer. The lirst produce of field and flock was held sacred, and this, not the last or poorest, was to be dedicated to the Lord. The first- born, both of man and beast, was claimed by God, and these had either to be ^m SI- BIBLE GIVING: ITS NATURE. 235 redeemed, that their price might be set apart for religious purposes, or they had actually to be given to the Lord and His service. There are so many passages of Scripture which bring this out, that we need only quote a few, as samples of the strong Bible basis there is for giving the first and the best of our possessions to God's service. In the twenty-second chapter of Exodus we read: "Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors; the firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto me. Like- wise shalt thou do with thy oxen, and with thy sheep." In the twenty- third chapter of Exodus we read : " The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the Lord thy God." In the twenty- third chapter of Leviticus we read : "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest there I', tliun ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest." The same kind of i! t - ' " ji 1 .| J. in f n !;■: ; t \i ^' 236 THE PATH OF WEALTH. passages might be quoted in great numbers from Numbers and Deuteronomy. In later times we find the principle of the firstfruits enjoined. In the days of Solomon we find in the Book of Proverbs the follow- ing: "Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of thine increase." In the tenth chapter of Nehemiah, and at the time of the exile, we read: "And to bring the firstfruits of our ground, and the firstfruits of all fruit of all trees year by year unto the house of the Lord ; also the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle, . . . and the first- lings of our herds and of our flocks, to bring to the house of our God." From these and scores of similar passages, we learn the very important truth that the first-born of man and beast, the firstfruits of forest and field, were claimed by God, and that neglect to render to Him His dues was really sinful. Not only were the firstfruits to bQ rendered in a collective way by the con- gregation as a whole, but they were to be ren- dered by each of the families of the people m ^. ^m Mi BIBLE GIVING: ITS NATURE. 237 out of the yearly produce which God might . give them. No fixed quantity was required as the proper discliarge of the duty. Each person was left to the promptings of his own religious feelings in this respect, as no doubt God regarded the spirit in which the first- fruits were brought as of more value than the amount of the gifts in themselves. In the • Talmud there are many curious rules given regarding the presentation of the firstfruits. It states that the sixtieth was the least part that could be given ; while a fortieth or a thirtieth was to be regarded as the proof of a willing mind. In later times the firstfruits were often turned into money by the more distant Jews, and the money sent in instead of the firstfruits themselves. It is interesting to note in this connection that the offerings of firstfruits was by no means peculiar to the Jews. It prevailed in many of the leading pagan nations of ancient times. Spencer presents many interesting facts in regard to this practice among other 17 i ■ l r >^ ^^ ll fll 't^ 238 THE PATH OF WEALTH. nations tlian the Jews. His ((notations from ancient writci-s go to show that there seems to have been at the basis of this practice, a convicticm tliat the portions of the fruits which were first ripe were tlie best, and that these belonged specially to the gods, as a token of gnititude, and as a ground of secu- rity for future years. It was n)an's nature gift to nature's God. From these facts in and out of the Bible, it is evident that the feeling which prompted the giving of the first and best of all kinds of produce was a deeply rooted conviction in the minds of men. The Talmud gives extended directions in regard to the way in which the firstfruits should be presented. When the ofierer came near to the sanctuary, we have the following description: "When they were come thither, they took every man his basket on his shoulder, and said, 'Hallelujah, praise God in His sanctuary!' and they went thus and sang till they came to the courtyard. When they were come thither, the Levites sang, *I will exalt thee, O Lord, for thou hast lifted me ^ VN/N/X^« BIBLE GIVING: ITS NATURE. 239 up.' The owner of the basket, while it was still upon his shoulder, made the declaration, 'I profess this day unto Jehovah, tliy God, that I aui come into the land which Jehovah sware unto our fathers to give it unto us.' Then he let down the basket from his shoulder, and the priest put his hand under it, and waved it, and he said, *A Syrian ready to perish was my father.' And he left it at the altar's side, at the south-west horn, on the south side of the liorn, and bowed himself down, and went out." According to this ac- count the presentation of the tirsttVuits was a distinctly religious act. The fourth principle involved in these various offerings is, that they were presented as voluntary or freewill gifts. We have here to note that certain offerings were called "freewill offerings," and were in some respects peculiar in their nature. In the twelfth chapter of Deuteronomy we read: "And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and your heave offerings of your hand, and your vows, t '. ' 1' ! ■?- :1 i .^ I' I m l! : |IfE 1.1 II \ 24jO THE PATH OF WEALTH. and your j'i'cewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks." In the twenty -second chapter of Leviticus we read : "And whosoever offereth a sacrifice of peace- offerings unto the Lord to accomplish his vow, or a freewill offering in beeves or sheep, it shall be perfect to be accepted ; there shall be no blemish therein." In these and like pass- ages we have a special kind of offerings al- luded to, and directions given concerning them. It is not so much to these passages, or to the particular offerings called freewill oflfer- ings, that our attention is turned by the vol- untary or freewill principle. This principle applies alike to all kinds of gifts and offerings to the Lord. It requires that these shall be rendered cheerfully and willingly to God. This principle is found in such passages as the following : — In the twenty-fifth of Exodus we read : " Speak unto the children of Israel, that they may bring me an off*ering: of every man that giveth it ivillingly with his heart ye shall take my offering." Here we learn that .. ^..■^-».».,- BIBLE GIVING: ITS NATURE. 241 only those drifts were to be accepted which were given willingly with the heart. In con- nection with the preparations made by David for the building of the Temple, we have a striking example of this principle. In the last chapter of I. Chronicles we read : "Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered will- ingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy." The rulers and the people alike made their gifts with great alacrity and willingness. In this fact lies the chief value of the offering made. In itself it may be much or little, but in the spirit in w^hich it is offered there must be a willing surrender of the gift to the Lord. We shall see the import of this a little further on. In the fifth place, the principle of represen- tation comes into view in connection with all the offerings before us. The offering repre- f ^nts the offerer, or his possessions, before God. This principle is of deep and profound import in understanding the real purport of these offerings the people were required to make. 1 ft ! ^ S ; 3i 'i f i i ^■^ ill r: i 1 M ill lit "i-^" 242 THE PATH OF WEALTH. I 'I ■''■ I iM A few passages will suffice here. In the twenty-ninth of Exodus we read : " This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations, at the door of the tabernacle of the eon Of r eolation before the Lord: where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee. And there will / meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory. And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God." In the thirtieth of Exodus we read : "And thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation ; that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel before the Lord, to make atonement for your souls" In the first of Leviticus we also read, concerning the sacrifices the people were to bring : "If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd ... he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the Lord. And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering : and it shall he accepted for him, to make an atonement for ^' ^^ BIBLE GIVING: ITS NATURE. 243 him** In these passages we observe that the otferiDg represents the offerer. This is clear- ly evident when the life of the victim is oflfered in place of the life of him who offers it. In many other offerings we have the feel- ings of reverence and gratitude on the part of the offerer represented. These offerings were part of his own property, and, in a sense, they are part of himself. When he makes the offering, his spiritual feelings are really re- presented by the gift made. Then it may be added, that the principle of the firstfruits and firstborn really involves the principle of representation. The first- fruits represented the whole harvest, and the firstborn represents the whole family or flock. In the giving of a part to the Lord, the whole was dedicated to His service. The part re- presents the whole, and at the same time sanctifies it. From the Old Testament we have obtained ^ve very important principles regarding giv- ing to the Lord. First, what a mpji gives must be his own property, honestly acquired. ^15 • 1 'il i i: ., RttaH ^■■ 244 THE PATH OF WEALTH. Dishonest gain, or wealth gotten in wicked ways, cannot be acceptable to God. Secondly, the offering must be distinctly dedicated to God. It is not to be given to a good cause in order to make a good name, or get gain. Thirdly, the giving must be of the nature of a freewill offering. It is not to be regarded as a tax imposed; it is rather a privilege to be enjoyed. The spirit must be entirely vol- untary. Fourthly, the offering must consist of the firstborn and firstfruits. The first and best, not the last and worst, are the Lord's. Fifthly, the offering represents the offerer, and should express his spiritual feelings. The gift may be of little value or much ; the main import of the offering is in the spirit which prompts the giver to make his offering. In order to make the Bible basis of our views of giving to the Lord broad and stable, we require to look at the teaching of the New Testament on this subject. If we find that its teaching agrees with that of the Old Test- ament, then the Bible basis for right views of giving to Christ's cause is understood. -m ^^ 4 ! VI BIBLE aiVINO: ITS bATURE. 245 i At the outset here we must keep in mind, that while many things in the Law of Moses were for Jews onlv, and were fulfilled when Christ came, there are many things also en- joined in the Mosaic Code which, on the grounds of natural religion as well as revealed, are always binding on men. Among those things permanently binding on men in all ages, is the duty of supporting the institu- tions of religion in their midst. It by no means follows that because men under the Gospel dispensation are not required to bring animals of various kinds for sacrifice, there- fore they " ; not now under obligation to give of thcx^ means to support Christian ordi- nances, and to send the Gospel to others in heathen lands. " The labourer is worthy of his hire." "They that preach the Gospel shall live by the Gospel." Again, it must not be forgotten that, in understanding the connection between the Old Testament and the New, we have to ob- serve that what is not fulfilled in nor repealed by the New Testament, is still binding on 4$ ; : *: f'iiHP ■ * ( I- fl I ^' 246 THE PATH OP WEALTH. Christians. Thus the ten commandments, and the Sabbath law in particular, are still obligatory. They are enjoined in the Old Testament, and were binding on the Jews. They stand unrepealed, and are, indeed, em- phasized and expanded in meaning in the New Testament, and Christians are under obligation to observe such laws. The sacri- fices, on the other hand, were fulfilled in Christ, and circumcision was no longer en- joined, and so Christians are not required to submit to the latter nor bring the former. Now, if we look at the permanent ofierings of which we have already spoken, and which were for the continuous support of the insti- tutions and ordinances of religion, and of those who had charge of these institutions and ordinances, we find that they were not abrogated, or done away with. We feel justified in concluding, therefore, that the obligation to support the ordinances of religion is still resting on men under the Christian dispensation. The relation between God and man, as Creator and creature, is an ^IS < r %' -■^ ^lli( ^IS BIBLE GIVING: ITS NATURE. 247 abidinjT[; one It exists in the very nature of things. Out of this relation springs the duty and privilege of worship. This Avorship must be maintained and properly supported. To do this, requires men to bring in their gifts and oftei-ings. The Old Testament gives in- junctions and directions in regard to these thingsr. These have not been repealed, nor fulfilled, in what the New Testament teaches; nor have the circumstances of worship so changed, as to render gifts and offerings of no use. Hence we assume that the obligation rests on the Christian Church to maintain and support her ordinances. Now let us look at the New Testament, with the view of finding out whether the five prin- ciples discovered in the Old, are implied or set forth in the New. In regard to the first, that the gift pi-esented to the Lord's cause must be our own property honestly acquired, it is self-evident that this principle must apply to the New Testament and to the givings of Christian people to the support of religious ordinances. But we find ■ ?il5[ I ; V 1 i 1 I. 1 'ITI''''' 'In i ■- n ?^ il 1 1 ^^S iw' ' 1 : f i f ; f '. } t > 1 f! i ;|i u ■i ;' 1 ' I iii I 1 11 ?SI w,^ 248 THE PATH OF WEALTH. distinct recognition of this principle in several passages of the New Testament. In tlie fourth chapter of the Acts we read : " And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resur- rection of the Lord Jesus ; and great grace was upon them all. Neither was there any among them that lacked ; for as many as were posses- sors of houses or lands sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold and laid them at the apostles' feet." Here we see that the gifts offered were the possessions of those making them. The property was turned into money, and the money was given. The case of Ananias and Sapphira, recorded in the fifth chapter of Acts, involves the same principle. Concerning it we read : " Whilst it remained was it not their own ? and after it was sold was it not in their own power ? Why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart ? Thou hast not lied unto men but unto God." Here we find ownership emphasized, and the mistake Ananias made was in professing to sell and give all the proceeds of his property to the apostles, and at the same time he was 4$ BIBLE GIVING: ITS NATURE. 249 keeping back part of it secretly. But the property was his own, and from this he was making a partial offering when he should have given the whole. In II. Corinthians, the eighth chapter, we find the Christian liberality of one place help- ing the need of the Christians in another place. " For to their power, I bear record, yea and be- yond their power, they were willing cf them- selves ; praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints." The gift here spoken of was no doubt from the property of those making it, so that from the abundance of some the need of others might be supplied. We have thus shown with some little care that the principle of ownership which seems so simple and self-evident, is clearly implied in the New Testament. The reason why we have emphasized this poiht is, that it condemns many modern methods of raising money for religious purposes. The aim of many of these methods seems to be to get as much money as m i^^ww wvy» x& < I Mi :■ !• ! i (' ■: J t\ ¥ ; 1. . t ' ( i t i\ m^ 250 THE PATH OF WEALTH. possible from outsiders, and tiius save the purses of the church members. These methods are rather schemes by which others may be led to give, and tlius what is giv-n is not our property, and has not the stamp of ownership upon it. This point will come before us again, and we leave it with this mere hint now. In regard to the second principle, that all offerings are to be dedicated directly or indi- rectly to God, we need only say, that it is as clearly involved in the New Testament as in tlie Old. It, too, may be taken to be self- evident, yet it will do no harm to recite a few passages which enjoin this truth. The New Testannnit basis of this principle will then be unquestioned. We have Christ's remarkable words in the twelfth chapter of Mark : " And Jesus answered and said unto them. Render unto CaBsar the things that are Cesar's., and unto God the thinos that are God's." Elere we have the principle involved, that religious offerings are not a mere transaction between man ami man, but an act of consecrating' the gift and service to God. fn [I. Coiinthians, ^ta M- ^n \ : '^ -x^c Epaphroditus bringing gifts to St. Paul. ' ' j : i 1 1 '1. m : I 1 i ;' i -fj t ! {■ *l I ■fi PWifi ninth chapter, we read in the same line: "Being enriched in everything to all bountifulness, which causeth tluough us thanksgiving to God. For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God ; while, by the experiment of this minis- tration, they gk)rify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men." Here the givings of Christians to relieve the need of their suft'ering brethren is regarded as an otFering to God, producing thanksgiving and bringing glory to Him. Our eating and drinking, our serving and giving, should all be done unto God and for His i-lorv. In the last chapter of Philippians we see how Paul regarded certain otierinus which one of his friends and fellow-labourers bi-ought him, when he says: "But I have all, and abound; I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odor of a sweet smell, u sacrifico acceptable, well- pleasing to God." Here what the Christian ^1 II m. .•>.-N^^>. -v %/>/^/^/"v'N/V -m ' i-k .^»/"^. BIBLE GIVING: ITS NATURE. 253 sist in the iii'stfruits and firstborn. They were to indicate in this way, that the best of man's produce and of his service was to be set apart to God. , The Christian presents himself and his pos- sessions to God. Thus, in the eighth chapter of II. Corinthians, we read : " Praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the minis- tering to the saints. And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God." Here the Macedonian Christians are said to have first given themselves to God, and then to have given their property, and particularly the collection for the poor brethren at Jeru- salem. In giving themselves, they gave the best that was theirs. This principle, which was very prominent in the Old Testament, stands unrepealed in the New, and hence it is binding also on the Christian. This principle runs all through our Lord's teaching, and it re-appears in the writings of the Apostles. It also condemns 18 ■. J 1= . 5 ■ I Ml \ ; f, 254i THE PATH OF WEALTH. :'mw ,.■ ' , • ■Ml k the practice of some outwardly respectable Christians, who give as if the ^asifruits rather than the ^?'s^f ruits are the Lord's. Such peo- ple, when their income falls below the average, begin curtailing outlay. The very first place where they begin to curtail, is in regai- 00 words the apostle brings out our Lord's teach- ing into clear and practical effect, in the case of the givings of Christian people. In the ninth chapter of the same epistle, we find it written : " Every man according as he hath purposed in his heart, so let him give ; not grudgingly, or of necessity ; for God loveth a cheerful giver." Many other passages might be quoted from the New Testament in support of this principle, hence we conclude without further discussion that all our gifts to God and all our givings to His cause, should be d'stinctly freewill offerings. That which is given with a grudge is of little value in God's sight, while that which is freely and cheerfully given, even though it involve sacritice, is of very great value in His eyes. In regard to the last principle mentioned, that of representation, little need be said con- cerning its New Testament basis. Our gifts should all represent our possessions on the one hand and our feelings on the other. The offer- ing, to have any meaning, must be the expres- sion of the devout and reverent feelings which till i h i ? ■■ j % 4 I m ]■• ' I t III :^* 256 THE PATH OF WEALTH. exist in the heart of the offerer. Here, all those passages which speak of Christians as stewards of God's mercies, temporal and spiritual, come into view. Concerning the good servant, in the parable of the talents, we read : " His Lord saith unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful ser- vant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things ; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." Here the use made of the talents represented the real spirit of fidelity on the part of the faithful servant ; while the man who hid the talent in the earth, by the use he made of his gift, displayed the opposite spirit. In the New Testament, as in the Old, we find that the gift should represent all our property, which we hold in stewardship at God's hand ; and it should also represent our feelings, and express them in suitable outward form. If you read carefully the eighth and ninth chapters of II. Corinthians, you will find running all through them the same twofold application of the prin- ciple of representation. We need not, however, ^t" »!^ BIBLE QIVINQ: ITS NATURE. 257 dwell longer upon it just now ; we will have something more to say about it further on in our discussion. We have thus sought to lay down what seems to us to be the Bible foundation of our giving to the Lord and His cause. The five important principles found in the Old Testa- ment have also their place in the New, and thus the true Scriptural nature of Bible Giv- ing has been unfolded. For the permanent support of the institutions of religion we get, in these principles, the key as to the manner in which these institutions should be provided for. In further treating of this subject we shall endeavour to see how far these prin- ciples now rule in the methods employed by the Christian Church to raise money to sup- port ordinances in the community. We, no doubt, will find ourselves called upon to ex- amine some of the ways by which religion now~a-days is supported, and pei'haps some of these will be condemned. In our examination we shall be careful to apply the test of God's Word as expressed in the principles of owner- 1 • S :i' i-^ ■ i ' I ■J|P .'|i.|j!j i \i ,< i' 258 THE PATH OP WEALTH. ship, of consecration, of firstfrnit, of freewill, and of representation. To this task we now proceed. SECTION IL Practical Application. In making some practical applications of the principles which form the basis of Bible Giving, we intend to look at the condition of affairs in any average Christian community, and try to discover how near we are keeping to Bible teaching in our actual practice and methods of raising money generally for the Lord's cause. This will include the raising of money to build churches, and pay the general running expenses of maintaining divine service and religious ordinances. It will also include all contributions to the sup- port of colleges to educate the ministry of the Church ; and it will also cover all money given to the cause of missions to the heathen These are the chief items pertaining to the support of th- p rmant^ut institutions of reli- ..'»• .'>•.?>,- '^ 'ii$ m BIBLE GIVING; ITS NATURE. 259 gion, and we now wish to get at the Bible method by which these are to be kept up. It is, of course, taken for granted that these ordinances of religion are of permanent obli- gation upon men. They are not matters which men or nations dare neglect save at their great peril. It is also taken for granted that the Scriptures make provision for the support of duly authorized teachers in con- nection with religion. In the Old Testament we find that the priests and Levites were to be supported by the people. In the New Testa- ment the ministry of the Christian Church is to be supported by the liberality of the people to whom they minister. In return for the spiritual things which this ministry gives the people, the people are to give their carnal things. They that devote their lives to preaching the Gospel are to get that which they need to support them from the people. The ox which was used to tread out the corn in the olden threshinof floor was not to be muzzled, but was to be allowed to eat what it liked ; so in the Gospel harvest-field the \ I •i. .if * m lil . jii iifii t ':i ; ^1 260 THE PATH OF WRALTH. labourer therein is to have his hire in the form of suitable maintenance. Now for some practical applications. First, let us look at the matter of church building. In early times the Jews had the Tabernacle and Temple as the places of wor- ship ; and in the days which followed the captivity they had their synagogues all over the land. At the time of Christ, and in the early days of Christianity, we find that the Gospel was preached in the synagogue and in private houses or rooms hired for the purpose. By degrees, as Christianity gained strength and separated itself from Judaism, it was found necessary to have suitable meeting places provided. This was specially the case when Christianity extended among the pagan nations, where there was no synagogue that might become the home of the Christian Church. During the dark middle ages it is very interesting to observe, that when spiritual life seemed to be at a very low ebb, church building and architecture appears to have BIBLE GIVING: ITS NATURE. 2G1 reached its highest excellence. It was then that those cathedrals were reared, which to- day, whether in ruins or repair, arc the ad- miration of all who look upon them. The mechanical skill and architectural genius dis- played in many of these medirev.rl piles are still a standing wonder to the world ; while the amount of money necessary for such struc- tures must have been very great, at a time, too, when money was scarce. In our own day, we find church edifices of all sorts and sizes, from the plain little chapel to the vast modern cathedral. No particular style prevails, but people build according to their taste and means, unless they do what we fear is sometimes done, go beyond their means. The question before us now is, how should the money needed to erect the church building be raised ? Along witli this question, others closely related to it arise. Should all the money be in hand before the building is be- gun ? Should the present generation pay all, or is it justified in leaving a debt as a legacy to future generations? Can money used to 'tfe ii I" I i \ 262 THE PATH OP WEALTH. !V ^' pay interest on such debts be regarded as given to the Lord at all ? Is there no danger of extravacrance in some of our modern luxu- rious church buildings ? No exhaustive discussion of these questions is here possible, yet the principles of Bible giving already set forth will help us to at least a partial answer to some of them. It is admitted that God's service should have our best, even in regard to the matter of church building. When people were living in log houses it was all right to worship in log build- ings ; but when people became better off, and live in houses of brick and stone, it is fitting that they should have edifices at least as good to worship God in. At the saine time there is danger of needless luxury, and needless expense in our modern church buildings. In their furnishings especially, they are so rich and expensive that plain people do not feel at home in them, and poor people cannot pay what is requisite to keep them up. The consequences are already seen in our large towns and cities. Many of the labouring '^ ^^ ^)r ? M:V i!ll THE OLD LOO CHURCH. in :» r' \ I i 1 1 HS ^; 1 ! ' 1 'iff r ' ',« 1 j If ',!;■ i 1 h f i' i Tr Ihi l_ BIBLE QIVINQ: ITS NATURE. 263 and moolianic classes have drifted away from the regular churches, and are to bo numbered among the non-church goors. To bring the Gos pel to these we find the mission hall erected, and earnest evangelistic work undertaken. This is good so far, yet I am persuaded that it will not turn out I 'est in the end. The result will be that in the fine church we will find the rich, and in the mission hall we will find the poor. This brings class distinction where it should never be found, for in divine worship and reli- gious instruction the rich and poor should meet together, for " the Lord is the maker of them all." In regard to church debts, I have no hesita- tion in saying that they are had, and that continually. They are a constant drain upon the resources of Christian people in paying interest, and they paralyze the liberaUty of the people in almost every respect. The ex- istence of a debt will keep people from joining any congregation thus burdened, and by the people of the congregation, the fact of their havinor a debt will be made a standinor excuse o o n'X ■ » r t M-] I i J • ! \ h 1 Vl> ^ 204 THE PATH OF WEALTH. why they should not give to mission a^d other deserving schemes. Any one who has had any experience in this matter will endorse what I have just said. People naturally feel that paying interest on church debts is like putting money into a sink-hole. It is not even the same in some respects as paying in- terest on money borrowed to invest in busi- ness. In the latter case, the profit made may be sufficient to pay the interest and leave a margin of profit, but in the case of church debts, they seem to make constant demands, but give no return. Of all debts, therefore, church debts are the worst. It is always best to have no debt in view when church building is undertaken. Church boards and building committees should exer- cise the utmost care in regard to the financial burdens they incur for themselves and others, and Christian people should open a liberal hand io provide cheerfully and promptly suit- able church accommodation for themselves and those who meet with them. It would be a mis- take, however, to conclude that new churches BIBLE GIVING: ITS NATURE. 265 should not be built where people are selfish and mean in their giving to the Lord. In such cases, the great thing is that these illib- eral people should be stirred up to a ^ense of their duty; and then, according to their ability, let thein rise and build, paying for all as they go. It is poor policy for a man to build a large house for himself and family to live in with borrowed money, so it is exceedingly improper to have a debt on the house in which we wor- ship God. The example of the Jews in preparing to construct the Tabernacle and in building the Temple, is full of instruction in this connec- tion. In the case of the Tabernacle, in the thirty-fifth chapter of Exodus we read : " And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made will- ing, and they brought the Lord's offering to the work of the Tabernacle of the congrega- tion, and for all His service, and for the holy garments." Further on in the same chapter, we find it written : " And the children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the Lord, every m 11$ . u ^hm: ^^ II iV 1- |; i; 1 . m^ ^•' »66 THE PATH OF WEALTH. man and woman, whose heart made them will- ing to bring, for all manner of work which the Lord had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses." Here we have the proper spirit and manner of giving to the I^ord for the pur- pose of making a place of worship. In the following chapter of Exodus, we find the result of this spirit and method of giving brought out in a very striking way: "And all the wise men, that wrought all the work of the Sanctuary, came every man from his work which they made ; and they spake unto Moses, saying. The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work which the Lord commanded to make. And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be pro- claimed throughout the camp, saying, Let nei- ther man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the Sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing. For the stuff* they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much." Would that we might see something like this spirit among Christian people at the present day ! Alas, that under ^t^ i^ BIBLE GIVING: ITS NATURE. 267 the full light of Gospel truth, we have so often to be urged and pressed to do what is only sim- ple duty, in giving for the erection of places of worship ! When will we reach the ideal the old Jews have put before us in connection with this very matter ? Shall we ever have to soy, stop, friends, we have more than enough ? In order to reach this position we must get nearer the Bible basis of giving; and by working out the principles of Bible giving already set forth I believe that we may yet see like liberality among Christians. May the Lord hasten that happy day ! In connection with the building of the Tem- ple, we find the same spirit exercised in the last chapter of the book of I. Chronicles. The account runs all through the chapter, but is summarized in David's own words : " As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered all these things : and now have seen with joy thy people, which are pre- sent here, to offer willingly to thee." Here all the money and material was ready before the work was undertaken, giving us the hint that fci;i 'ii 'ta II ^' ^s 268 THE PATH OF WEALTH. we should have the funds ready before we go on to build our churches, and showing unto us that if we have the right spirit, the money will be forthcoming. If this be attained, then debts on church buildings would be unknown, and the willing liberality of the people would be amply sufficient to supply every need. Many questionable methods of raising money for church building purposes must stand con- demned by these principles, but of these we shall speak at length further on. In the second place, we proceed to apply these principles of Bible Giving to the Pew Rent system. Concerning this system there is little or nothing directly set forth in Scrip- ture. Neither in Tabernacle nor Temple ser- vice had the custom of paying for a particular place any existence. Nor do we read of any such method of raising money in the early history of the Church, contained in the Acts and hinted at in the EpistbiS. If we desired to be very critical in regard to the modern pew rent system we might justly say that it is unscriptural, in the sense at least that the ^1k IS IP BIBLE GIVING: ITS NATURE. 269 i ' " !;■ ■ ' mi ' 'I ': ; ; ' . t'f f ''■<: r I fa ,1 -. « Uj - ', ♦ u H, 1 . < i-r M 270 THE PATH OF WEALTH. quest secures or is granted a right for himself, and sometimes for his heirs after him, a kind of vested or property right to a certain pew in the Lord's house. There are many instances of this in Britain, some in the United States, and a few oven in Canada. A^ain, ./a find the pew rent system in the foi*m of a mere rental, with no real proprietor- ship in it. This plan of working the system takes differeij;. forms, some much more objec- tionable th /n ^^^htr?,. In some cases it is a simple fixed rati, whore so much is charged for the sit^Tit's, aLv 'uese singly or as whole pews are let out to zh' BIBLE GIVING: ITS NATURE. 276 as it is possible to have it. The feeling will lurk in the mind, that the pew rent simply means so much money for so much room in church ; and the conviction that all we give for the support of the permanent institutions of religion, is a gift consecrated to God, will be further removed from the mind than it should be. The effect of this upon the spirit- ual life of the person making the payment will be far from helpful. It follows from what has just been said, that the principle of representation cannot have under the pew rent system, such a large place as the Bible gives it. If a man pays his pew rent as a mere financial transaction, the money paid cannot represent so fully as is desirable the devout and earnest feelings of the very soul of the giver. As we have already seen, the gifts we make to the Lord have value in proportion as those feelings are imported into the gifts, and expressed by them. A man may pay a large sum as pew rent, but if he pays it with a kind of grudge, there is then no proper and acceptable feelings represented I ' ' ^N ^:^ rrT m iif if i 1% L t..:{ I '* ■r'-fiii' ti ^^ S»^ 276 THE PATH OF WEALTH. by the payment. It is these suitable feelings, rather than tlie mere material wealth as sucli, that God is pleased with; and our gifts, to have value in the treasury of heaven, must represent such feelings. This again will have an effect on our spiritual life. In proportion as a man feels that his very heart is repre- sented in his gifts, will he grow in grace. In the third place, the pew rent system in- troduces an unscriptural distinction betiveen the rich and poor. The rich man can pay for the best pow, and the poor man must be con- tent with the inferior location in church. The consequence is that all the wealthier people are gathered together in one place, and those not so well oft' are grouped together in ano- ther. The result is sure to be that the richer people will tend to despise the poorer, and the poorer people will incline to envy the richer in the house of God. This separation between the two classes — found more or less in every congregation — will be carried out into every- thing connected with Church work and Chris- tian fellowship, and many churches to-day ^:^ ^5; BIBLE aiviNa : its nature. 277 lament what they say that they cannot help, and what we belifive to be due in some mea- sure to the pew rent system. Jf tliese evil effects follow the working of that system, and if the money needed for Church purposes can be raised in other ways, as we believe it can, then there is good reason for abolishing the system. While we advocate this position, we do not shut our eyes to the fact that in the nature of things there are distinctions in society, and various classes among men ; but we do main- tain that the place, of all others, where these worldly distinctions sLould least obtain, is the place of divino worship and religious ordi- nance. The rich and poor are to meet together here, and on coi imon ground ; and as needy men and women before God are they to as- semble themselves together for worship and instruction. The rich man is not to pride himself in his worldly goods, and despise the poor man ; nor should the poor man be envi- ous or jealous of the rich man. Stripped of all earthly distinctions they should both seek Iff' ^5$ i !' I ii \ * '. » ^• m^ 278 THE PATH OP WEALTH. to appear before God as men, and as sinful, needy men sensible of common wants. It is to be feared that churches sometimes unconsciously foster this spirit which we are condemning, by paj^ing a little more attention to, and making a little more of, a rich man and his family than of the poor man and his family. If any are to have special attention shown and interest taken in them, it should surely be the poor rather than the rich ; and, if ministers and churches forget this or act in the opposite way, the lines of distinction al- ready naturally existing will be made all the more painfully manifest. No church should " have men's persons in admiration because of advantage," and special care should be taken to avoid treating lightly "the poor of this world who are rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He hath promised to them that love Him." The Apostle James in the second chapter of his Epistle clearly has this in view when he says : " My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ with respect of persons. For ^J^ '^■ BIBLE GIVING : ITS NATURE. 279 if there come into your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment ; and ye have respect unto him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place ; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool." It is to be feared that too often this striking de- scription is fulfilled to the letter almost in some of our modern churches, and that the evil here spoken of is due in some measure at least to the system of renting pews. To avoid any danger in this respect, it is far better to have the pews all free, with no fixed rental and no permanent ownership. If class dis- tinctions do arise, then the churches by their mode of raising money will not be to blame for it. No one will complain of unfair treat- ment, and no excuse will be left to any man for not attending religious services. In the last place, the pew rent system is unequal or uvfalr in its operation. Accord- ing to this system a certain sum of money is expected for a certain amount of room in the ^t^' 11 It ':, ! tj I ( ' ) \ I li u I 'I i fcl: ; J ^^ U 280 THE PATH OF WEALTH. sanctuary. Now, suppose there are two me^ possessed of the same means, and able to pay the same sum for the support of religious or- dinances ; and suppose, further, that the one has no family, and the other has a large fam- ily. The one may need only two sittings, and the other six, or a whole pew, perhaps. In the working out of the pew rent system, the one is required to pay only one-third the amount of the other, while they are of equal financial ability. If they should seek to harmonize matters by each taking and paying for four sittings, then the man with no family would be appropriating room which he did not re- quire, and the man with the large family would not have sufficient room for all his household. In my experience I have often found the latter to be the case. Good sensi- tive people, who shrink from occupying any more room in church than they can pay for, where the pew rent is in vogue, are compelled to leave certain members of the family at home every day, and the result is irregular attendance, and all the evils arising therefrom. 't« BIBLE GIVING: ITS NATURE. 281 If the seats on the other hand are free, in the sense that whether a man is able to pay a large or small sum, he shall have enough room for himself and all his family, all difficulty on this score is avoided. And the rich man, too, whether he need one sitting only or a whole pew, is then free to give according to his abil- ity ; and, in doing so, it may be that he will give what would be equal to the rental of two whole pews. In this way equality and fair- ness would be secured to a far greater extent than is possible under the ordinary pew rent plan. The effort which some churches make to overcome these difficulties by having, in the gallery or in some corner, certain seats marked " free," cannot be called a success. Nor does it deserve to be a success. No person with any independent spirit, no matter how poor he may be, cares to have his poverty declared openly, by being put away in the pews " free for the poor." It is surely better far to make the room all really free in God's house, and have all the monev needed raised bv volun- I ^11 < '■ ^R^^f^^m^P^^PPOH^H ::«'!■; I '% rr I- p 282 THE PATH OF WEALTH. tary offerings. This is now generally done in the case of missionary money, and why not adopt the same method for the ordinary reve- nue to support religious ordinances ? By doing so there is little doubt that more money would be forthcoming, and that people would feel their giving to be less burdensome because properly equalized ; and above all the people would feel that whether they gave much or little they were giving not to a Church Board or for so much sitting room, but for the sup- port of religious ordinances, and as an offering to God. We cannot in the limits of this paper pur- sue this very important topic further, though many other points might be profitably consid- ered. We conclude that the pew rent system should be abolished as a means of raising money for the maintenance of Gospel ordi- nances in the congregation. The reasons we have adduced are amply suflSicient, we believe, to show that the system is not in harmony with the spirit of the Gospel, nor consistent with the principles of Bible Giving as already ^S5 'tk S" ^m BIBLE GIVING: ITS NATURE. 283 set forth. There is, we believe, " a more ex- cellent way" of raising the money needed. In the third place, we proceed to consider the various indirect methods, by means of which money is raised for religious purposes. In the later ages of Christianity there has grown up a great system, which may be called the commercial, or quid pro quo system of gettmg money for Church purposes. We find this system ready to adapt itself to almost any circumstances, and prepared to invent any and every expedient by which money may be obtained from saint and sinner alike. The devices of this system are ingenious, and sometimes quite sensational. It is to be feared also, that the methods by which it works will sometimes not bear careful scrutiny, nor stand the test of even honest business transactions. It is time the Christian Church was thorough- ly aroused on this subject, and brought back to the Bible method of giving for the cause of religion. There are signs of awakening in some quarters already, and we trust that the movement against this system of indirect giv- i ■ III I / { t ;• I i 5i^ 284 THE PATH OF WEALTH. ing may go on until it is banished from the Christian Church entirely. To make plain what we mean, it may be necessary to describe some of the main forms this system assumes, and then we shall exam- ine these in the light of the principles of Bible Giving already unfolded. In describing some of these indirect meth- ods in order, we may first mention the bazaar ^ which is usually regarded as a somewhat res- pectable institution, and even capable of being used in a very proper way to raise money for religious objects. The bazaar appears in many forms ; some very simple and unadorned, others elaborate and imposing in their nature. The idea of the bazaar in general is, that there will be made a great variety of articles, use- ful and ornamental, and these will be exposed for sale at a certain time and place. These articles are usually in charge of some ener- getic ladies, who seek to make the best possi- ble sale of them, and thus realize as much money as possible for the good object in view. To enumerate all the species of the bazaar '^. ^^ BIBLE GIVING: ITS NATURE. 286 *:$ sw- race, would be out of the question. We have the bazaar in general, and the special bazaar. The special bazaar may be an apron bazaar, a necktie bazaar, or a doll bazaar. Along with the bazaar, as a kind of adopted child, we sometimes find the autograph quilt, with so much charged for having one's name put in it, and then the whole sold for a handsome price. In this way a sort of double price is obtained from it. Then we may next mention the Soiree, or Tea-meeting. In connection with it the peo- ple come together to eat and drink, and to be entertained with music and addresses. Some- times the provisions are all bought for the meal provided ; in other cases the people pro- vide all or nearly all the supplies. For days before, there will be baking and cooking, boiling and roasting to no end. On the occa- sion of the tea-meeting, the crowd will gather from all quarters, and Jew and Gentile will mingle together, and for a time the sanctuary of the Lord is turned into a place of feasting and merriment. I need not describe this in- 20 ■ M ■ il^W', if St' a^ 286 THE PATH OF WEALTH. stitution at length, for every reader has had opportunity, no doubt, of beholding it in full force in his community. The idea of the tea- meeting is to raise money, and to get a social hour together ; but the financial element is usually so prominent, that the social is largely overlooked. Then we have, next, the Church Social, or Sociable. This is a kind of minor, or half- grown tea-meeting. It is sometimes held in the house as a parlour social, and it sometimes goes to the church and invades the sacred place of worship. Every conceivable kind of refreshment and amusement, and many meth- ods of raising money are pressed into service. Money is too often obtained in very strange ways, which need not be here enumerated. Then the Concert and Lecture, though in many respects much better than the institu- tions already named, mnst after all be men- tioned in the same category, if used to raise money. Thus, if a church wishes to raise money, it will get some celebrated lecturer, or musical troupe, and pay for their service a !« BIBLE GIVING: ITS NATURE. 287 large fee perhaps, relying on the good fortinie which may give them a balance, after paying all expenses, to go into the treasury of the Lord's cause. Then, worst of all, we have the Church Lottery. This worldly and wicked affair some- times puts on the garb of religion, and endea- vours to pass itself off as a proper method of. raising money for the Lord's cause. Along with the lottery, we couple the cake and cane competitions. A fine cake is made ; two young ladies are set up, and votes at a fixed price for each, are called for and taken, as long as people are found who are willing to buy the votes. The cake then goes to the lady who has the most votes, and the money is dedi- cated to some religious object. In the other case a handsome cane is procured, and two public men, usually on opposite sides of poli- tics, are named, and votes are taken at a cer- tain price for each as long as one is found willing to take and pay for a vote. The suc- cessful politician gets the cane, and the church treasury is swelled by the money thus gotten. ■ ; in ■ ii' ? ■^n H \ } '■ ■1 1 1 1 i' V * 1 - ) , 1 1 1 1 . 1 L: ist" 288 THE PATH OF WEALTH. This very brief sketch will bring before the reader the general outline of the indirect methods of raising money for the purposes of religion. We must now enqufre whether these methods are consistent with the principles of Bible Giving. We are satisfied that a little careful consideration will show, that all these methods are unsciiptural ways of raising money to support the ordinances of religion, and to carry on the Lord's work. A few brief remarks may suffice to show this. In the first place, they are all indirect, not direct ways of giving. From the side of the giver, he may often never give one thought of the object towards which his money is to go. One buys his bazaar article, perhaps at double its real value, and that ends the mat- ter so far as he is concerned. Another gets his supper, hears the music, or pays for his vote, and goes his way with not another thought of a religious nature ever in his mind. We maintain that the principles of Bible Giving require us to give directly to the Lord. All our givings, to have religious -;« w BIBLE GIVING: ITS NATURE. 289 meaning so far as the giver is concerned, must be given or dedicated to the Lord. They must be gifts made intentionally to Him, and we maintain that ^1 indirect methods of giving render this almost impossible. On the part of the church receiving money made in this way, it may be admitted that such money will do some good. If the finan- cial transaction was an honest business one, and if the money obtained is dedicated in a proper way by the church getting it, that money may do good. But at the same time, the church adopting these indirect methods, even the very best of them, is educating her own people and outsiders in a wrong way of supporting the interests of religion. Such being the case, it is far better for the Church to abolish all such methods, and seek to have all giving direct in its nature. Then the teach- ing effect on the people will be good, and the offering can be made more readily as an ofter- ing unto the Lord, to come up as a sweet smell- ing savour before Him. In the second place, all these methods are TL)M \ m "I ■ i'i ^m I ;*iH f'M> ' 5^' w 290 THE PATH OF WEALTH. 1 ' I! I 1 ! *';( .^1^ m inconfii stent with thefreevnll principle, which should mark all offerings made for religious purposes. On the part of the person who gives money at a bazaar, soiree, stcial or con- cert, it is a mere business transaction. He gives so much, and gets so much in return. It is a transaction between man and man, and nothing more. Then, on the part of the church obtaining such money, the freewill element cannot be present in the same way as if the people gave freely and spontantu dsly. It may even be doubted whether the Church is justi- fied in going outside of her own people to get money for religious purposes. Some excellent people are inclined to favour this view. But leaving this aside, we are convinced that the freewill element in our offerings is destroyed by these methods, and therefore they are un- scriptural in their character. It is said, of course, that money is obtained in this way which would not be secured in any other; but if the money is drawn from people in any indirect way, the Bible ideal is not reached, and the offering can in no sense be tenr 1 % 1^ 'm . 'f J'. l'W\ m I m I • ' i f I a f'^.^^^^.'.:\ ^ ^■^* /- Rejecting meats offered to idols.—/ Cor. S : 10. BIBLE GIVING: ITS NATURR 291 freewill offering. This is a very important point, and it condemns all these modes of get- ting money. Id the third place, some of these methods are in themselves lui'ovg, and should never be mentioned in connection with religion or the sanctuary. In this category we must place all kinds of church lottery, no matter how refined and seemingly pious the method may be. All sorts of raffle sales, where fancy prices are often extorted by schemes nothing less than immoral, are likewise to be classed here. Every species of cake and cane competition, where money is taken without scruple, and no proper value given in return, comes under condemnation here. In regard to these and all kindred methods we need only say, that, if they are wrong in themselves, then their use to raise money for church purposes must be wrong. To use them under the garb of religion can never sanctify those things which, in their very nature, are inherently wrong, or essentially unholy. It is one of the everlasting disgraces of the Chris- taS i ',: I 'm sKs ' i«' 292 THE PATH OF WEALTH. tian Church, that she will tolerate schemes of raising money, which the ordinary business morality of the world will utterly condemn. Surely this should be remedied without delay, for there can be no doubt that great harm has been done to the interests of religion by the very methods we are now denouncing. Let every lover of Christ's cause seek to keep un- sullied the pure morality which He inculcates; and specially, in all plans for raising money in support of His cause, let every church by her plans, and every Christitsu by his actions, keep up the standard of the morality of the Gospel, and of Christian conduct. In the fourth place, these methods of indi- rect giving are in danger of leading people to think that the end justifies the means. These various plans, having in view raising money for a good object, tend to lead people to over- look, or to try to justify, the means taken to get the money. Money is needed, sometimes very much needed, and the people are nig- gardly in giving, so that some scheme, more or less doubtful in its morality and as novel m- ■f BIBLE GIVING: ITS NATURE. 293 as possible, is set on foot to secure the money. It* the money comes, by fair means or foul, people will shut their eyes to the real nature of the means, and rest satisfied that, as they think, the end has been secured. We need not spend many words in exposing this vicious principle, which, alike in ethics and theology, has had too often a place and an influence in the councils of Christian people. If a thing is wrong or unholy in itself, no pur- pose — good or bad — for which it is used, can make it right or holy. If the opposite were true, then all s'^rts of crimes might be justified in the name of religion, and even murder might be considered a divine service. In the case of these indirect methods of getting money for religious purposes at church fairs and in other ways, there is great danger that this false view of the relation between mean? and end, which we now condemn, is put be- fore the minds of people. This danger con- stitutes a strong objection to them all. In the fifth place, these methods tend to check the free and spontaneous liberality of If! • r- ■• tl ft s S I J! II St^ i/>^/x/>/^£2 i.ij m ;t i'-'i' ' n 51^ ST*- 294 THE PATH OF WEALTH. the people. If money is needed for any reli- gious object, instead of giving the sum directly, the people say. Come now, let us get up a church fair, a bazaar, or a tea-meeting, or something else! Let us get all the money we can, even from people outside the church ! Let us do something that will draw the crowds, and enable us to draw their money ! Let us also take good care that our own purses do not suffer ! If we can get all we need from other sources, we may just as well save our own money for some other purpose ! Who has not heard talk like this ? It is easy to see that the result of this is to dry up the springs of liberality in the people themselves ; and the longer this is allowed to go on, the less liberal people will become, until we find the meanest people in the world in the Church, which surely is the last place on earth to look for the meanest man. Many a church is suffering to-day on account of this very thing, and it often takes many years, and much earnest teaching, to again develop the spirit of spontaneous Christian liberality, "rsi St" *« BIBLE GIVINa: ITS NATURE. 295 and turn its streams into the proper channels. If we would guard against these evil conse- quences, let us away with all these indirect ways of raising money, and let us seek to cul- tivate, in ourselves and others, the spirit of hearty and cheerful giving directly unto the Lord, and to the support of religious ordi- nances and mission work. In the last place, it may be seriously doubted whether, after all, these methodfs are really the cheapest in the end. Take a church fair or a bazaar, and count carefully the material used, the woik put on that material, and the time occupied in connection with the making and sale of the various articles prepared for sale, and I doubt very much if the amount would not be more than is actually realized from their actual sale. In like manner, let the cost of the provisions prepared for a tea-meeting, together with all the various items of time and expense, be reckoned up, and I venture to think that in most cases it would have been cheaper to have given the money directly to the good cause at first. It does seem a curious I m {^■■^ >i»i "'^ •1 ffm !; !•■!■ ^^ ■4"! II 5i- 5 - if m l(^ iW!| Mr fi i:ii^ f < ^5^ ^^ 29G THE PATH OF WEALTH. thing to do, for people first to give the provi- sions, and then go some distance to God's house and there pay to eat it. Better, surely, to eat the provisions at home, and give the money without further trouble to the Lord's cause. If people wish to give the result of their work, or anything else to the Lord for reli- gious purposes, it is far best to convert that result into money, and give that money for the good object in view, whatever it may be. Let people make the articles they prepare for the church fair or bazaar, and sell them at the market price in a purely business way. The money thus obtained would then be the pro- pei-ty of those who sold the articles, and could be given as their property freely, directly and unreservedly to the support of any good cause. This would also secure the very desirable re- sult, that buying and selling, eating and drinking, would not be carried on in or about the sanctuary, and all danger of our deserving the treatment which Christ meted out to the money changers and dove sellers in the Tem- ple will then be averted. 18 BIBLE GIVING : ITS NATURE. 297 Everyone who has a tender regard towards the place of worship, where God has put His name and has promised to meet with His peo- ple, will surely lend a helping hand to bring about tliis condition of affairs; and all who cherish a spirit of sincere reverence towards the place where their minds are occupied with holy thoughts, and their hearts stirred with devout emotions, will do all in their power to remove everything which is not in keeping with the proper sanctity of that place. It only remains to be added, that in all I have said, I do not wish to be understood as saying a single word against the careful de- velopment of the social element in connection witli our church life and work. It must be confessed that there is often a lack of this in many congregations. Strangers are not made to feel at home, no great interest is taken in those who arc in trouble, and the stream of warm Christian sympathy is not allowed to flow freely in its rightful channels. Religion has perhaps sutlercd not a little from the cold- ness and indifference of its professonj. i • ; :■ ' I :v 11 ^ ■W-V ^.'V^V^^/X^- <^. 'V.^N.^. ' ••^^'^Ji? \> i^ vi' Hi If !' iii nlii ' ppi! 1 MM '' Wma 1 n[ n! sli ' 1 1 HI; 1 i L 'M 298 THE PATH OP WEALTH. To secure this social and friendly inter- course, and to give the members of a congre- gation an opportunity of getting acquainted with each other — and particularly with new comers — a pleasant gathering at the church, and in the lecture room there, hell from time to time, is of the utmost importance and value. At such meetings a little light refreshment might be served, and the meeting given almost entirely to making acquaintanceships, and in- terchange of friendly Christian feeling. This can be secured far best when not a word is said about money, and when it is no part of the object of the meeting to raise money. The effort to com! line the two things — social inter- course and money raising — is usually a failure, so far at least as the members of the congre- gation are concerned. Let the money required for church purposes be given in accordance with the principles of Bible Giving already obtained from Scripture, and let care be taken to develop the warm sympathetic social life of the congregation, and we venture to say that a far healthier state of matters will soon exist in regard to everything pertaining to religion and philanthropy. 'US 4* 't» BIBLE GIVINa: ITS RULE. 299 CHAPTER 11. BIBLE GIVING: ITS BULK I now come to the second part of the dis- cussion, in which, at no great length, I shall make an attempt to unfold the Rule, according to which our giving to religious and other kin- dred objects should be regulated. This is a very necessary thing to have settled ; for a per- son may have a very clear knowledge of the Nature of Christian Giving, and be possessed with an earnest desire to do what was right in regard thereto ; and yet, if ignorant of the Rule by which his giving should be regulated, he will be at a loss to know when he has really discharged his duty properly in this matter. In a few brief pages we now endea- vour to give some directions on this point. And here, as in the former case, I shall take ilii iri-i . I'' 1' t^ii f ' '! ill tj i i 800 THE PATH OP WEALTH. the reader to the Bible, and try to gather its general teaching on the subject of the Rule of Bible Giving. Much of our giving is in the dark, and often good people give without any kind of rule or system to guide them. They are often moved by circumstances rather than by intelligence, and sometimes they are af- fected by personal considerations rather than by the teaching of God's Word. The result is, that the real giving power of God's people is never brought out, and the burden too often falls on the few, instead of being distributed over the many. Many questions arise in connection with this subject, but we can only take up the three main ones. These are : First, how much should be given — what proportion of our in- come ? Secondly, where should we give — at any particular place ? Thii'dly, when should we give — at any definite time ? To these three questions we now turn the attention of the reader, and we will consider each in a separate section. ^^^^^vx^^f )r its lie of i the any rhey than ) af- bhan ;sult ople ften ited vith the luch • in- — at )uld iree the rate ^X/N/X^X/NnJlc i 4 •■ Hi hi 'i It! « 'i.&»».* w l/t$ I II .lOHN H. MTBATiOKII. A native of Oswego, N. V. ; he whs born May l.Sth, 1840. A successful business man with a philanthropic heart. He built an Hospital, costing between $20,000 and 80,000, and presented it to the City of Brantford, Canada, iu which city he has lived for many years. BIfiLU UIVINO: ITS RULE. 301 SECTION L The Rule of Giving : How Much t From a practical point of view, this is one of the most important questions which come before us in this paper. The giving power of the Christian Church has never yet been at all fully developed, and much of the giving is very unintelligent and desultory. At the same time there are some good men who are giving largely to the Lord's cause, and yet the total result is very meagre indeed, when we reckon what it is per head, even of professing Chris- tians. Sometimes only a dollar or two is given for the support of religion at home, and merely a few cents to send the Gospel to the heathen. For one dollar spent on religion, we often find even Christian people spending ten on selfish indulgence. We are satisfied that if rule and system could be fully introduced into the mode of our Christian giving, much more money would be raised, and no one would feel that he was '21 ' ' ^ : ■ ii 1 4 u w^ 3 Hi ui ■ I t i? H i IN ' i ff fuf i!?!" / ivijit 1 1 ^^ 302 TliE PATH OF WEALTH. more burdeued, than under the existing con- dition of things. One great need of the Church is greater system in the method of her liber- ality. The general spirit of the Christian community may be in a measure alive to the impoi'tance of the grace of liberality ; yet, either thiougli imperfect information as to the need, or through defective plan in regard te; the way of opening up the channel for this liberality to tiow freely, this spirit does not manifest itself as it otherwise might. What is needc^^, therefore, is the ditfusion of informa- tion regarding the spiritual need of the world, and a good system or definite rule for getting the money required for religious purposes. In setting forth a few things on the rule of Christian Giving, thore are two points which call for special attention. The first relates to the propriety of all giving proportionately according as the Lord sends worldly pros- perity. The second refers to the precise pro- portion of income which should be given, and raises the important topic of Hiking, or giving ut least one-tenth of our income. BIBLE GIVING : ITS RULE. 303 i In ivgaiNJ to the Hrst of these points, only a few brief remarks may be made. One of the great weaknesses in our Christian liber- ah'ty meets us here. In ahnost every congre- gation we find that a comparatively small number give the larger part of the mo!:"\ which is contributed for religious purposes. This is specially true of what is given to the support of missions at home and abroad. Take almost anv sul)scriotion list to missions, and you will find that perhaps one-tenth of the contributors give over one-half of the amount given, wliile perhaps one-half of the contributors giv^e so little that it is net vorth while taking it into account, when their means and al)ility are considered. And it is not always the riclu b that give the most. Sometimes, in some ])laces often, we tind those who are in the medium circum- stances of life giving tlie highest average, while in not a few cases the working man gives far more than his wealthy employer, in proportion to their respectivo abilities. The introduction of some good system, by means 11 i ^^ :» ff ^ i i il i * i^n 304 THE PATH OF WEALTH. of which the stream of voluntary liberality might have opportunity tt) flow in from every source, large and small, in the Christian com- munity, would be a great boon. The second, and main point of which we wish to speak here, when dealing with this phase of the rule of Christian giving, is the Tithing System. The adoption of this system would do a great deal, we believe, to remedy the evils just alluded to, and it is surely wor- thy uf serious consideration by Christians who sincerely desire to do what is right in the mat- ter of liberality. This system is cften alluded to in the Bible; and, in so far as any definite rule is laid down in Scripture, in regard to the proportion to be given to religious objects, is concerned, we have this in the tithe. It has, therefore, general scriptural autliority ; and, if not absolutely binding as a positive law, it is of gre«t use in giving to each individual Christian conscience the proper rule to follow. The fact that it is enjoined in the Old Testament and not re- pealed in the New, is also of significance, and ^tii > ^^^^W^^^^^^^^^'Wi Wi BIBLE GIVINC4: ITS RULE. 305 the tithiug system, which consists in giving the tenth of our income to the Lord, should not be lightly set aside, as in no way related to the duty of a man, in i*egard to giving un- der the Christian dispensation. It is worthy of special remark, for we can- not speak at kngtli of this subject, that the ii'ivinoof a tenth in connection with the insti- tutions of religion is a custom much older than tile Mosaic Law. It comes before us in the days of Abraham, when Melchizadek of- fered l»im tithes of all the spoil. From the way in which this is spoken of, it seems to have been a custom well understood at that time. When the Law was given by Moses, this tithing system was incorpojated with the Mosaic Code, and given a larger scope therein. Then, during the history of the Jews, down even to the days of Malachi, when tiiey de- clined in their religious life, one of the things which they were condemneti for neglecting was the giving of titln.'s to the Lord. In tht; New Testament, when the Apostle is enjoin- ing systematic giving, it seems retisonable to '»( m-^ i II ■H|U'nTfi|^f wl i fpfp ' ^' 11 ' iii ^H^^^H < ■f'« !' S- «* 306 THE PATH OF WEALTH. suppose that the people were so familiar witli tliis I'ule, that there was no need of such spe- cial reference to it as we would naturally ex- pect there would be, if it were an entirely new thing in the Christian Church. We also find hints of the same rule of giving in the ivliofious customs of heathen nations. Amonixst the Arabians and earlv PlKvnicians this custom prevailed. The rule amongst the Egyptians was one-fifth, or a double tithe. How are we to regard these customs ? It seems at least reasonable to suppose that these heathen customs have come down from earlv tiTues, when, perhaps as the result of a very early revelation, God made this rule known to men. They are thus the shadows of a great reality, or the echoes, as the sacrifices are, of a very early voice, wdiich spoke from heaven a great fact, and found in mail's need a ready response thereto. These two considerations, one fi'om Scrip- ture and the other from the pagan leligions, justify us, we believe, in putting tiie tithing requirement on the grounds of natural, as ^Wi BIBLE fUVING: ITS RULE. 307 distinct from positive ivligioii. By tliis is meant, that tho givino- of the tcntli of one's income is a ' i\ m- "4 308 THE PATH OF WEAI.TH. It means that a man with an income of one thousand dollars shall pay one hundred for the support of religion. It means that a con> gregation of one hundred and fifty families, with an average income of live hundred dol- lars each, and having thus an aggregate in- come of seventy-five thousand dollars, would give seven thousand five hundred dollars to the Lord's cause. How many come up to this proportion, I wonder, and yet this is only the minimum of what I believe we should give ? The benefits arising from the adoption of the tithing system are very many, but wc have not time to set them forth at length. We may merely mention some which, I trust, will com^mend this rule of giving to the earn- est and prayerful consideration of the reader. In the first place, it would (secure system in our giving. The poor man, with his limited income, would give his tenth; and the rich man, with his large income, will give his also. In the second place, the giver ivill be able to act intelligently in making his offerings. He will know what he ought to give, and will not m^ .^. BIBLE GIVING: ITS RULE. 309 ■I- be troubled debating the subject of the amount he should give every time he makes a contri- bution. In the third place, it will pat at uur dis- posal such an increased sum of money, that the treasury of the Lord's cause will he much better JiUed than it no\v is. I am sure I am quite within the mark when I say that the amount would be more than doubled. Our religious institutions would be much better supported at home, and we could do far more in mission work. The tithe would revolu- tionize matters in this connection. In the fourth place, the expeiience of those who have tried it is that it is a blessing. To scores of testimonies that might be quoted here, I can add my own, to the effect that ever since I adopted this rule of giving, my income has increased. Surely it is true in this connection, that *' there is which scatter- eth and yet increaseth." Never has one con- fessed that his temporal affairs were injured by adopting the tithing system as the Chris- tian rule. Ill Si I mo THE PATH OF WEALTH. Tn the last place, the experience of those who give the tenth is that they are benefited spiritually, and enjoy giving as they never (lid before. This is one of the best tests of its excellence. Anything which advances our spiritual interests is surely, by that very fact, stamped as having divine approval and sanc- tion. Wo du, Ihereforo, put in a strong plea for the tithino- system, and will rejoice to see many of God s people adopting it. Section ii. The Rule of Giving : Where ? This question need not detain us very long, yet it is worthy of serious consideration. The answer to this question will in a measure de- termine what the nature of the act of giving really is, while a proper understanding of the nature of giving for religious purposes will help us to understand the proper place to make our offering. Is giving for such pur- poses a religious act ? Is it an act of worship ? If it be, then the proper place to perform that "I^ r^ ^'M --^^ -M HIHLE (HVrNG : ITS RULE. nil act is in coniK'ctinn witli the services of Gods liouse, and wo should rejL^'ard it as an act of vvoiship. TIh* paying of pew rent as a kind of business transaction during the week, or even the Ljivin^ of missionary money to col- lectors, effective as this latter plan may be, does not lift up our giving to its proper place as an act of worship. It is evident, also, that all the various ujcthods of indirect <»ivino', such as cluu'ch fairs and sinnlar institutions involve, can scarcely, in the nature of the case, be made acts of worship, and hence these stand con- denmed on this iiround, as well as on the other grounds already mentioned. Brief reference to the Mosaic Law confirms the opinion that our giving for religious pur- poses is an act of worship. This is involved in the general fact, that all gift:^ made by the Jews were to be laid down by the altar and consecrated to God. The altar was the way to God for sinful man to present himself and his gifts unto God, and it was thus the cen- tral point for worship. All offerings made there were sacred, and the act involved in presenting the gifts was an act of worship. I « m^ ^^ ^ ^s 812 TIIK HATH <»F WEALTH. In later times among the Jews, we lind the Temple the great centre round which the worship of the people was gathered, and all the gifts for religious and benevolent pur- poses were to be brought to the Temple, and dedicatcnl to the Lord there. What was given for the support of the priests was brought there, and consecrated to the Lord first of all. This gives tluj hint that what is given for the support of the Gospel ministry should be re- garded as a gift to God, for the maintenance of the permanent institutions of religion. Even what was given for the relief of the poor and needy was also brought to the Temple, and given to the Lord, as it were, for the purposes of benevolence. This gives us the hint that charity is also a religious act, and should be so regarded in relation to the Lord's deserving poor. In the New Testament, we find collections of various kinds spoken of, and you will ob serve that they all have close connection with religion and the place of w^orship. In the opening verses of the sixteenth chapter of I '^ ^« 't«5 ^' blHLE (ilVINO : ITS RULE. 313 Si Coiinthiaiis, we read: "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatin, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as Ciod hath pros- pered him, that there be no gatherin<:;s when I come. And when I am come, whomsoever ye shall approve l)y your letters, them will I send to bring your lib-n*ality to Jerusalem." In this passage it is clear that the offerings were to be made on the Christian Sabbath, here called the first day of the week. It is altogether likely that, as the early Christians met for worship and religious edification that day, the offerings would be made in connec- tion wMth these services. It is also hinted that the matter of giving should be attended to with careful forethought, and not left to mere chance, nor to the hurried subscription list. From these considerations it follows that the proper place to make all offerings for the purposes of leligion is the sanctuar\', and at a religious service. Here, not at some man's 5 i BMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I m my 111 12.5 lllllk |||||_2^ m mil 2.0 1.8 1.25 1.4 1.6 -m 6" — ► V2 A>^ x^' V Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. 14580 (716) 872-4503 *P /MS> 'M \ ^t^ 314 THE PATH OF WEALTH. Ml! i't M office or house, should all that is needed to pay the minister's salary, and to provide tor the running expenses of the church and Sab- bath school be given. Here, rather than by missionary collectors, should all money given for missions be contributed. In this way, we are satisfied our giving would be looked upon, not simply as a mere business transaction, but would be regarded as an act of worship. The exercise of the grace of liberality in this way would be a far nobler and more spiritual act than it is often considered to be, and in pro- portion as it .s regarded as an act of worship w^ill our suitable feelings be expressed by that act, and in tuiui we will find benefit, and de- rive pleasir^'e from our giving to every religious object. It is important that con regations, by the methods they adopt for raising their money for various purposes, should keep in view the iireat truth we are now setting forth. In no case should they do anything to encourage the merely conunercial spirit in the method in which the contributions are made. But we cannot dwell longer on this practical topic, and m^ BIBLE GIVING : ITS RULE. 315 would close by commending it to the careful and prayerful consideration of the Christian community. Section iil The Mule of Giving : When ? The only question which now remains is as to the time at which, and frequency with which, the offerings should be made. From the general references to the offering of gifts in the Old Testament, it would appear that no religious service was unaccompanied with of- ferings of some kind. The Jewish ritual clearly involved this. In the Book of Psalms we find it written more than once: "Bring an offering, nd come into His courts." Such passages clearly imply that, when the people came on the Sabbath, at the annual feasts and at other sacred times, they were to come with devotion in their hearts, and an offering in their hands. 1 In like manner, in the New Testament, the passage already quoted in the preceding sec- tion exhorts Christian people to make their I ; i :. I ', i- i-i fj 1^1 I ?St' m> 316 THE PATH OP WEALTH. offerings on the first day of the week, which is the Lord's day or the Christian Sabbath. The inference, further, is that this should be done every Lord's day, and at all religious services, and that everything so given should be dedicated to the Lord in this way. Whe- ther it be money to build a church, pay the pastor, or support colleges and missionaries, I am convinced that it should all be made as a voluntary offering at the sanctuary, and con- secrated to the Lord thereby. What emerges in this connection, as the reader may already perceive, is the system of Weekly Ofterings. By this system we be- lieve the spirit of Christian liberality can be best fostered, and the Bible Rule of giving will be best followed. Equality and system will be secured in the givings of the people, and they in turn will feel the amount to be less and more easily given than under any system yet adopted.^ I am fully convinced that all our giving for the support of Christ's cause at home and abroad, should be given in v/eekly instalments, and at the public services )f the sanctuary. 5^' ^'^ BIBLE GIVING : ITS RULE. 317 be I need not enter into a discussion as to the details of working out this system. It abol- ishes pew rents, and makes all ofterings purely freewill in their nature. If one man can give twenty cents a week, and needs five sittings in church;^ let this be his portion ; if another can give a dollar a week, and needs but three sittings, let that be the arrangement for him. And in regard to missions, let each one reckon carefully what he can give per week, and let this be laid aside and given every week, and the result at the end of the year will be an astonishment to everybody. The use of envelopes, one set for ordinary purposes and another for missionary money, makes the system simple and easily worked, and the uniform experience of those who have tried this plan is that it is far the best from every point of view. Even if there were no such Scripture as there is in its favour, we are sure that expediency would indicate that this is the best method of raising money. I am aware that there are prejudices against it in certain quarters, yet I am sure that, when II ; ■jfl^sn^ry-n^ro." 22 ■H y •"' ' ! ■ ! 1 . i ! I ji 318 THE PATH OF WEALTH. it is universally adopted by the churches, a ^reat advance will be made in the matter of (/hristian liberality. My space only permits me to commend the envelope or weekly offer- ing system to the earnest consideration of Christian people. If rightly managed, I am satisfied from experience that it will commend itself wherever adopted. I > if ' I i i I I I I SK' CONCLUSION. We need only add a line or two in conclu- sion. We have tried to set forth the teaching of Scripture in regard to the important duty and privilege of giving of our means to the Lord for the support of His cause. We have entitled this paper " Bible Giving," and have dealt with its essential 7iatu7'e, and have un- folded its proper rule. In regard to its nature, we have found in Old Testament and New five important prin- ciples. These are the following: oivnership of our gifts, dedication to God in the act of gi\ ing, freewill in the spirit in which we r'^ MISH AMIiiKLA <;KOK(il\A BIIKDETT €01 TTS. A Christian lady, who inherited a fortune of between two and three million pounds sterling. She has spent this enor mous sum in works of charity, and for the extension of Christ's kingdom, and is the founder and supporter of several diocesan missions She was born in England in 1814, and ia still living. t 'i in ^'', m IM :1 ji! ?y* ■^ BIBLE GIVING: ITS RULE. 319 give, Jirstfriiits in i-egard to that which is gi\en, and rcpi'esentaiion in regard to the real meaning of the gift. In the application of these principles to several modern customs in regard to giving to the Lord's cause, we dealt with church debts, the pew rent system, and the various methods of indirect giving. It was seen that church debts are a very bad thing, that pew rents should be abolished, and that all indirect methods of raising money should be given up. All giving should be a freewill offering, made of our best gifts to the Lord, as an expression of our devout feelings towards Him and His cause. In the second part of the paper we treated of the Rule of Bible giving, and took up three points in regard to it. First, the amount to be given ; secondly, the flace where the gift should be made ; and, thirdly, the time when the offerings should be presented. In reply to the first question, we set forth the tithing system as the rule for the amount ; in answer to the second, we unfolded the idea that giv- ing should be an act of worship performed at U^ '^ ''i ^iiffir^ if \ f ^1 :i Ui ■I III ii m. 320 THE PATH OF WEALTH. God's house ; and in response to the third, we advocated the weekly offering system as the best and most scriptural rule in this regard. In closing the paper, we would remind our- selves that all power and blessing in Christian work and liberality is from the Lord. We may have our plans and machinery perfect, and yet if God's Spirit does not rest on these in answer to our earnest prayers, little will be done. As in the storming of a fortress, the assailants may have the munitions of war all ready. The cannon may be there, the pow^der may be in its place, and the shot and shell also ; but, unless the match be touched, there will be no damage done to the fortress. But let the match be set to the powder, then there is the flash, the crash, the dismantled fortress, and the victorious army. So in the conflict with the evil which abounds in the world. We may have all our church machinery in excellent order and well arranged, but unless God's power rests on these there will be no real blessing. We may even have all our plans and arrangements about giving in the »' ^t^ BIBLE GIVING: ITS RULE. 321 beat possible order, and yet, unless God's Spi- rit — as with a live coal from the altar above — touches the whole, there will be no real headway made against evil in the world. We must never forget, that it is not by might nor by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord, that we can do His work and gain the victory in the end. N I' ■5 .' ii «e H^^ I mm '}' ' ■ I if'i I •, i; i 1 i ■ i i i? ^ 1 ^.x.x/J5 lil'' nliv 1 i:i >'■ ,;. ■! ■■■» .." i l"i •M I i WILLIAM 4;OOUERHAM. '' Gooderham was born in England, in 1824, but has vesi d in Toronto, Canada, f"r many years. He is a princely civei- to all forms of Christian work, and especially to the Salvation Army. ■M ^^is THE f rop^rtg Urust BY BEV. R. W. WOODSWORTH. : has ncely ► the I iff 1 m i il 5i' ^a« THE PROPERTY TRUST. CHAPTER L i^ Out of the free and abundant gifts of God to us arise obligations on our part of the most sacred and imperative character. Christ has redeemed us with His own blood, therefore we are under infinite obligations to serve Him with heart, and head, and life, and means. Freely we have received, therefore if we would avoid being guilty of the basest ingra- titude, freely we must give. " The love of Christ constraineth me," was the lofty senti- ment, and undying impulse of the Apostle Paul in all his heroic, self-denying toil ; and the same mighty motive shoulc'. actuate us in every work we perform, and in every sacrifice we make for the Lord Jesus. The Holy Scrip- (325) . M'.;- 14 i*'. i ' S«* 326 THE PATH OF WEALTH. tures furnish clear and ample instruction for our guidance, in the management of the pro- perty trust as the responsible stewards of God. We need therefore experience neither confusion nor perplexity in answering the question, " What should be the extent of our giving to the cause of God ?" The Jewish law of tithe or tenth, together with ancient exam- ples of freewill offerings, throws a great deal of light on the subject of systematic benefi' cence. The " tenth" principle is one of very ancient obligation. It was adopted by the patriarch Abraham, and, later on, by his grandson Jacob; it was enjoined on Israel by formal injunction, and the regulations in regard thereto, having been framed into a law, were placed on the statute books of the nation. It is clear, then, that this law was not merely a part of the ceremonial economy of Moses, but one, the observance of which dated back to time im- memorial. It was evidently designed to be a regulating precept in all future dispensations of the Church — a principle never to be set aside. k^ -ttg ^' THE PROPERTY TRUST. 327 It is true, it was re-enforced under the Mo- saic economy, just as was tlie Sabbath law ; but as the Sabbath law is just as much a law of the Christian Church as it was of the Jew- ish Church, so the property law, or tenth sys- tem, is of perpetual obligation. No moral precept has ever been repealed. God's law, which regulates the property trust, is as strictly of a moral character as that which regulates the question of time. If, therefore, the moral precept pertaining to the trust of time ' ^ still binding, what authority have we tc v^oiare that God's moral precepts in regard to the disposal of property have been cancel- led ? They are equally parts of God's moral law, and as such stand or fall together. But they both stand, because Christ said, " I am not come to destroy the law or the prophets, but to fulfil." It is evident that God claims for Himself at least one-seventh of our time, and one-tenth of our income, and neither of these laws can be violated without entailing loss and suflTer- ing on the transgressor. >■■ f- ■1 t I ; m^ m^ i 328 THE PATH OF WEALTH. Tf the Church under the old dispensation, with its inferior privileges, gave so largely to the cause of God, surely the Christian Church, in the possession of higher privileges and with a commission to evangelize the world, should not adopt a smaller scale of contribution. We contend that the obligations and motives for liberality have been immeasureably intensified under this new dispensation, by reason of our vastly increased privileges, and also in view of the enlarged field of operation which God in His providence has opened up before the Church. Never before in the history of the world was there such a demand for the con- secration of property on the part of the Church as now, in this latter part of the nineteenth century, because never before did God give her such a magnificent opportunity for reacEing and saving a lost race. The sphere for the exercise of Christian benevo- lence and missionary enterprise is extending with amazing rapidity, and God calls upon the Christian Church everywhere to concentrate and consecrate all her forces for active service, ^m ?s^ 't^ THE PROPERTY TRUST. 329 that she may measure up to the glorious emer- gencies of the hour. It is universally acknow- ledged that with increased privilege there comes increased responsibility. That being the case, the Christian is under obligation to devote his property to God, in larger propor- tions than were those who only enjoyed the feeble light and inferior privileges of the Jew- ish dispensation. It is quite evident that the early disciples, under the Divine illumination of Pentecost, were prepared to go a long way beyond the bounds of Old Testament liberality. The cir- cumstances were peculiar, requiring an entire and universal surrender of their earthly sub- stance for the benefit of the Church. The Church had been inaugurated, and already embraced a membership of over three thou- sand souls, but her coffers were empty. Funds must be secured in some way. What a beau- tiful picture of self-sacrifice we have in that Church under the constraining love of Christ. Those primitive Christians advertised their property for sale, and as soon as possible ^^ II k ' ■ill i !;)^ 'iMm 'i' iSKt ' H H ' j I'i ^^1 k flH t. 'WM j^^^H ; fl ff- M"- 1 ■ ■ 11 il: I liu *si- 330 THE PATH OF WEALTH. turned their real estate into cash, and handed the money to the Apostles to meet the press- ing needs of the Church. Think of a man selling a house, or lot, or part of a farm now-a-days to raise funds for the extension of God's cause in the earth ! What a stir such an act of sacrifice would make in the community! Yet just such occur- rences were the order of the day in Apostolic times. The whole church was embued with the spii'it of unselfish love, and nothing in their estimation was too precious to sacrifice for the name and cause of Christ. No wonder it is written, " And with great power gave the Apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus : and great grace was upon them all." The New Testament dispensation with its antitypical realities, its Pentecostal baptism, its sphere of action wide as the circumference of the globe, certainly aftbrds no shelter for narrow covetousness or illiberal contribution. We speak advisedly, when we say that there is nothing so dishonoring to God in the Church to-day, and hindering the salvation of the 't^ ^tM ^«f THE PROPERTY TRUST. 331 world so much, as the glaring and almost uni- versal disregard of the property trust. " Cov- etousness is the plague-spot, the brand-mark of the Church's present condition. It is an all-con- suming cancer in her soul, eating up the vitals of her piety and bliss." If we could only get covetousness out of the Church, we should soon get power and soul-saving efficiency into her. God is not chargeable with the slow pro- gress of the Church. He is bending with in- finite concern over a dying sin-stricken world, but His plan of operation is to save by the agency of the Church, which, alas ! is only to a very limited extent embued with the self- sacrificing spirit of Christ. The work of evangelization progresses just as fast as the zeal and love and liberality of the Church increase, and no faster. But is it not evident to every spiritual mind that the Church, in many instances, is so steeped in the spirit of selfishness as to effectually hold the grace of God in restraint ? Grasping cov- etousness forms the granite barrier which pre- vents the grace of Christ from flowing out to refresh and save a famishing world. ivww* »s- 332 THE PATH OF WEALTH. Hi ■! ^ I * -;ii M ill Let us consider more particularly the old Jewish regulations for the 2)roperty trust, in contrast with the meagre givings of Chris- tians in the present day, and in this the most highly privileged dispensation that the world has ever seen. " It is commonly supposed that the devout Jew gave a tenth of his means to God. A careful examination of the facts convinces us that his yearly offerings to God were on a scale of liberality far greater. There was the ransom for Lis firstborn son, and also the firstfruits of his flock. There was the first- gatherings of his harvest, estimated at one- sixtieth, and the corners of his field left in reaping, another sixtieth. Then whatever dropped from the hand in reaping was left for the poor; and once in seven years the lands were allowed to produce spontaneously for the poor. Then there were the trespass- offerings, sin-offerings, half-shekels of the sanctuary, and the remission of all debts every seventh year. Then came the tithe for the priesthood — a tenth of the produce of the JR. 5K' THE PROPERTY TRUST. 833 fields — and of what remained another tenth for the Temple and the poor." A careful summing up of all their givings, shows that the honest Jew was in the habit of consecrating at least one-third of his in- come to God. We find, therefore, that under the Jewish dispensation laws regulating every department of giving were not only clearly and accurately defined, but were solemnly and rigorously enforced. " In this, shall we say, advanced age, it be- comes a serious question to what extent the laws that regulated the givings of the Jews are binding upon us. Many of those laws were for the support of difierent objects in the Temple service, but this service, with its various details, has passed away, and of ne- cessity such laws have become null and void. All that was ceremonial and local has been repealed. We venture, however, to affirm that the principle, the duty of giving, is not com- mercial, but moral in its nature and influence. Let it never be forgotten that to give is a moral duty, and part of the moral law. With 23 9m» ^' >.-%<-W-W>^N/>/+J? 334 THE PATH OF WEALTH. ■f:« < ;. no sanctuary worship and its half-shekels, " sin-ort'erings," etc., and no Jewish priesthood, the letter of the law lias been abrogated, but the spirit of the law — the law itself — still lives, and is binding. We have temple wor- ship and a living ministry, and the various institutions of the Church to be supported in this age of Christian activity and life ; and it is really a grave question whether the earn- est, prayerful and believing Christian of the present day, in the possession of means, is not under obligation to give to God as much as the honest and devout Jew of a former day." The above quotation contains the opinion of a devout minister of Christ in this Do- minion, who has given a great deal of time and thought to the investigation of this ques- tion. We think that no Christian, who appre- hends his superior privileges in this Gospel dispensation, and whose heart responds with Christ-like sympathy to the crying needs of a perishing world, will regulate his contribu- tions by a narrower scale than that which governed the ancient Jew. I' THE PROPERTY TRUST. 335 It would appear from a careful study of this whole question, as it relates to the dif- ferent dispensations of the world's history, that we are morally hound to lay aside as a minimum, one-tenth of our income for God, and then to supplement that tenth by further contributions and thank-offerings ac- cording to our resources, and according to the demands of the Church in her ever widening conquests for Christ. There is perhaps no law in the Bible that is more thoroughly misapprehended, and more generally disre- garded than this very law, which is designed to regulate God's claim upon the earthly sub- stance, which He has permitted man as His steward to handle for the time being. Chris- tians should be exhorted to study the Word of God on this important subject, that they may form proper conceptions of their respon- sible duties pertaining to the management and distribution of their material wealth. Let us briefly review the situation. In the earliest history of the remotest dispensation, the claims of God in this regard have been ^fSi m (1 m^ 336 THE PATH OF WEALTH. Li prominently set forth. At the very gates of Eden the godly Abel oftered up sacrifice to his Maker. Abraham gave one-tenth unto God, and when called upon to surrender his only son Isaac, immeasurably dearer to him than all earthly substance, he promptly obey- ed the command. Jacob when at Bethel, on that memorable night when he had the vision of angels, vowed a vow unto the Lord, and this was the purport of it : that if God w^ould be with him and give him food to eat and raiment to wear, he would surely serve God and consecrate one-tenth of his substance to the Giver of all good. The Mosaic dispensation, which a^orJed higher privileges than that of the Patriarchal, imposed a tariff of systematic tithing that claimed about one-third of all the property possessed by the Israelites. The regular stated annual contributions of the Jews to the service of God were very large, and yet, on special occasions, when thank-offerings were called for, how readily and nobly the people res- ponded. Witness the scene at the erection of 58. ^n THE PROPERTY TRUST. 337 the Tabernacle. The people gave in such abundance, that the building committee of the Tabernacle complained to Moses of the surplus, and accordingly the leader of the people issued a proclamation throughout the camp to this effect : — " Let neither man nor woman mcike any more work for the offering of the Sanctuary." " So the people were re- strained from giving. For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much." It is not often now-a-davs that a trustee board, in building or repairing a church, is constrained to send a notice to the pulpit, kindly requesting the people to with- hold their gifts, inasmuch as the contributions already made are amply sufficient to meet all the demands in full. But the time is coming when the treasuries of the Lord will be flooded; when railroads, and steamboats, and manufac- turing establishments, and all the industries of Christendom will be run for the glory of God, and the extension of Gospel light and truth in the earth. As another illustration of special liberality iK^ ^^ ?«' 338 THE PATH OF WEALTH. '■ .4 i i. . r I u > over and above the regular contributions, we might instance the building of the Temple at Jerusalem. David and his nobles headed the subscription list with over two hundred and forty millions of dollars, and this enormous sum was augmented by subsequent contribu- tions, till it reached an aggregate of three thousand millions of dollars. Coming down the ages to the dispensation of the Holy Ghost, the highest dispensation the Church has yet enjoyed, we find the primitive Chris- tians transcending the bounds of Old Testa- ment liberality. They literally sold out for God, put their property into a common trea- sury, and from this source distribution was made to all men as every man had need. And yet, with the precepts and example of the ancient Church before us for a period of four thousand years, with the sacrifices of love made by the early Christian Church under the wonderful illumination of Pentecost, with the increased privileges and wealth of the present dispensation, with a commission that is not narrow and circumscribed like that of THE PROPERTY TRUST. 339 the Jewish Church, but aggressive and uni- versal, a commission to publish the Gospel to all nations — with all these features of the case before them, some have the assurance to declare that God does not require His people in the present day to contribute so large a proportion as even one-tenth to His cause. We claim that the whole tenor of Bible teach- ing, from Genesis to Revelation, contradicts and overthrows the position of those who take this narrow view of the subject. With in- creased privileges, increased ability for doing good, a sphere of operation as wide as the globe, how can it bo otherwise than that the obligations of the Church in the matter of property consecration should be greatly in- creased. The question is sometimes asked, " Should a poor man, or a man that is in debt, give one-tenth of his earnings to God ?" We would reply by asking another question, " Should a poor man, or a man in debt, keep the Sab- bath ?" The poor or embarrassed man might defend himself against the claims of the fourth ^^ 'liK If^ '■Hi ^^ i? 340 THE PATH OF WEALTH. Commandment, by an argument like the fol- lowing : — " To me time is money. I can make a dollar a day. There are fifty-two Sabbaths in the year. To keep the fourth Command- ment and thus suspend labour for fifty-two days, means simply fifty-two dollars out of my pocket. I don't think that God requires a poor man to set apart so large a proportion as one-seventh of his time for religious pur- poses, and, therefore, on what I regard the principles of common honesty and justice, I feel that I am guiltless in working at my business on Sunday as well as Monday." Could such a line of argument be accepted in harmony with the teachings of the Chris- tian faith ? Would not the practical outcome of such sentiments utterly destroy the very foundations of Christianity, and make every man a law unto himself ? It cannot be that any man is more likely to improve his earthly condition, and pay off" all his debts by a sys- tematic violation of the Sabbath, than by the strict observance of that holy day. There certainly can be no gain in deliberately set- ^m m^ ^« THE PROPERTY TRUST. 341 ting at defiance the law of an infinitely wise and benevolent God. If the voice of the fourth Commandment were the voice of des- potism, rebellion would be justifiable. But if the command is reasonable and benevolent, it is at once a matter of wisdom and prudence on our part to yield a willing obedience. Our liberties, our enjoyments, our prosperity, our growth in every department of life are all afiected by the character of the government under which we live. To surrender our lib- erties, our freedom of speech and freedom of conscience to the sceptre of tyranny, is to live the crushe 1 and degraded life of a slave. On the other hand, to bow in joyful homage at the throne of a government whose laws are wholesome, broad, liberal, consulting the highest freedom and dearest interests of the subject, — to bow in homage at such a shrine is to confer upon ourselves honours and bless- ings untold. Now, it will be found on inves- tigation that such is the unselfishness and benevolence of the Divine government, that every law on the statute books is framed in m^ ^^ (■■! ^^ ^J« .342 THE PATH OF WEALTH. Ml the interests of the subject. Not in some of their interests, but in all of them, down to what mijjht be termed the most insisfnificant items and trifles of life. And further, so thoroughly are these laws based on the mental, moral, spi- ritual and physical constitution of man, that whilst obedience thereto invariably brings blessing, disobedience just as invariably brings trouble and penalty. The Sabbath law is an illustration of this thought. This law claims one-seventh of our time for physical rest and sacred purposes. This, we claim, is pre-emi- nently a benign and gracious law. Such is the physical constitution of man, that his body cannot stand unremitting toil, without serious injury. Man will live longer and do more work by a strict observance of the Sab- bath, than if he disregarded this regulation of the Creator. The human body demands the periodical rests indicated in this great time- law of God. No individual, no community, nor nation can set this law at defiance, with- out entailing upon itself untold misery and disgrace. The Sabbath law, then, is a highly H •^-' ;m' m THE PROPERTY TRUST. 343 salutary and beneficent law as far as the body is concerned. Still higher are its spiritual advantafjes. For the time beinor man is lib- erated from the usual employments of life, and with thoughts and energies withdrawn from secular pursuits, he is afforded special opportunities for communion with God, and with His people, and for the devotional study of Divine truth, and through these channels incomparable blessings come to his heart and family and home. The hands of this Sabbath law are full of benedictions for the children of men. What is said of the Sabbath law may be just as truly said of every other law of God, viz., that it is framed in the interests of the subject. " The Commandments of God are not grievous, but joyous, and in keeping of them there is great reward." Our argument then is this, that if it is profitable for the poor man to keep God's time law, it must also be profitable for him to observe God's property law. Both precepts come from the same Great Lawgiver, and are richly laden with blessings to those who keep them. i! ■ta 344 THE PATH OF WEALTH. 5^ (M It always pays to be on the right side of God's law, whatever the character of that law may be. Obedience to divine instruction, whe- ther that instruction pertain to the consecra- tion of time, the stewardship of property, the regulation of the bodily appetites and passions, or the direction and control of all the higher spiritual faculties of our being, — will prove the enrichment of human nature in body, soul and estate. that the children of men would learn to trust und obey God ! Then would they find that all along the line of obedience and faith, the smile of Jehovah illuminates and the rich benedictions of heaven fall. On the other hand, all along the line of disobedi- ence we discover darkness, trouble and curse growing out of the very nature of things. No man need hope to outwit God or contravene the tendency of His laws, by looking for bless- ing on the side of disobedience. As all God's laws are designed to uplift and bless, an indi- vidual will be enriched rather than impover- ished, by consecrating at least one- tenth of his substance to the cause of Christ. ■^ THE PROPERTY TRUST. 345 This subject might be iUiistrated largely from practical experience. Let the citation of one or two instances suffice. I was ac- quainted with a man who lived on one of my early charges who adopted the tenth principle, though at the time his income was very small. He lived in a log house and owned a small farm of twenty-five acres. He had been in the habit of giving the scraps to the Lord, — a five cent piece or a ten cent piece that he might happen to have in his pocket when the demand for the cause of Christ was made. His attention having been directed to the subject of proportionate giving, he resolved to govern his contributions by the new light he had received. Accordingly, when he sold five dollars' worth of market stuff", he put aside fifty cents for the Lord. If he only sold one dollar's worth, he laid by ten ceuts. One-tenth of all sums, whether large or small, was faithfully deposited in a separate drawer for God. He soon found that his contributions on the new plan would be vastly in advance of his former givings, and what surprised and J^ ^isi f! I; m. m^ 346 THE PATH OF WEALTH. delighted him was, that notwithstanding his greatly enlarged scale of liberality, he had more left for himself than when he gave only the trifles to God. About this time the annual missionary meeting was held in his neighbour- liood, and when the subscription paper was cir- culated he contributed the sum of seventeen dollars, which was more than all the other farmers in the neighbourliood, put together, gave that year. I knew another man who adopted the tenth principle when in debt. A few weeks after his new decision, a note of one hundred dol- lars came due. The party holding the note came to him and in the course of conversation remarked, " You have done a great deal for me, and I never intend to ask you for this money." So saying, he opened the stove- door and consigned the note to the flames. It is really wonderful how much this man and his two sons, both of whom have also adopted the tenth principle, have given of late years to the cause of Christ, and their testimony is this, that God has abundantly blessed them — 1» THE PROPEUTY TRUST. 347 both materially and spiritually — as the result. During a ministry of twenty years, I have met with a number of persons who have ob- served this system of contribution, and every experience corroborates the beneficence of the law, and the absolute reliability of the pro- mises connected therewith. ** One-tenth of ripening grain, One-tenth of tree and vine, One-tenth of all the yield From ten-tenths' rain and shine. One-tenth of lowing herds, That browse on hill and plain : One-tenth of bleating flocks, For ten-tenths' rain and shine. One-tenth of all increase From counting room and mart ; One-tenth that science yields. One-tenth of every art. One-tenth of loom and press, One-tenth of mill and mine ; One-tenth of every craft Wrought out by gifts of Thine. One-tenth of glowing words That glowing guineas hold ; One-tenth of written thoughts — That tui-n to shining gold. One-tenth ! and dost Thou, Lord, But ask this meagre loan, "When all the earth is Thine, And all we have Thine own ?" i ^W? 1 Hi V m\ • t 1 i ^r-irl r i;- : 11 ^p^ ^ 1^ THE PROPERTY TRUST. 849 CHAPTER IL ♦i The disregard of God's claims upon the pocketbook is a crying evil in the Church to-day, and one that leaves a blight upon every department of Church work. Profes- sors of religion are not, as a rule, doing busi- ness for God. They are doing business for themselves and devoting their incomes for selfish purposes, whilst the cause of Christ receives a very small and insignificant con- sideration in their financial plans. They de- clare that their property is their own, and they have a right to do just what they like with it, and this thoy affirm in spite of God's published and repeated declarations to the contrary. Listen to Jehovah's version of the matter : " The gold and the silver are mine." " The cattle upon a thousand hills are mine • 24 m> \ 'IS ^r ^m 350 THE PATH OF WEALTH. it' I were hungry I would not ask thee." " The earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof." " Ye are not your own, ye are bought with a price." In all these passages the absolute proprietorship of the Almighty is asserted. How significant and opportune was Jehovah's charge to His ancient people, in view of the wealth and prosperity of their future settlement in Canaan. " Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses and dwelt therein ; and when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied. And thou say in thine heart, my power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember tlie Lord thy God : for it is He that hath given thee power to get luealth" "Would that every prosperous business man realized and practically recognized the secret spring of his ever growing gains. Human independ- ence is a myth. " My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth," is w ^ THE PROPERTY TRUST. 351 a vain and wicked boast. Well indeed may God rebuke the folly and impertinence of such self-commendation, with the reminder, " Thou shalt remember the Lord thy God : for it is He that giveth thee power to get wealth." How readily could the Almighty unnerve the right arm of industry, and render the cunning workman a helpless invalid ! How soon could He smite the brain with paralysis and transform the shrewd business man into a driveling idiot ! One touch of God's retribu- tive providence would wither human beauty, and blast humaji greatness, and close up every avenue to weaith and prosperity. Should the refreshing dews and genial showers and gol- den sunshine be withheld, all vegetation must necessarily cease and barrenness and death universally prevail. Trading in the rich resources and varied treasures of Divine bestowment, man cannot afford to raise the cry of self-derived success. All the capital by which earthly possessions are multiplied is furnished by the bountiful hand of Providence. ;i ' 352 THE PATH OP WEALTH. Muscular strength, brain-power, mechanical skill, inventive genius, atmosphere, soil, light, rain and heat, — the essential factors of human wealth, are all the gifts of God, and should never be overlooked in considering our obli- gations to the Author of all good. If the generous bestowal of material bless- ing renders our obligations to God so great, what shall we say concerning the strength and perpetuity of those claims that grow out of the gift of Christ to our fallen race, and the whole plan of human redemption with its unutterable and eternal benedictions ? Who can describe the narrowness of soul, the want of appreciation, the consummate selfishness of the man who can summer in all these Divine blessings, and yet begrudge even one-tenth of his annual income for the extension of Christ's Kingdom in the earth ? " Will a man rob God ?" The fact is, the entire system of Church finance requires revision. It ought to be the easiest thing in the world to raise money for the cause of that blessed Jesus, who went ^^ '«? THE PROPERTY TRUST. 353 down to poverty and agony and death, that He might lift us to riches and joy and life. Instead of that, it is a matter of great diffi- culty to maintain the institutions of the Christian Church as they should be main- tained. It is far easier to raise money for a political club, for holiday recreations, or a band tournament, or even for a miserable kalithumpian procession, than it is to secure funds for carrying the Bread of Life to a starving world. There is nothing that seems to grieve some people so much as an appeal for money on behalf of Christ's Kingdom on the earth. Thousands would like to see the cause pros- per, but want a kind of success that costs nothing — "a cheap and inexpensive success that will support itself, and leave their cupid- ity untaxed and undisturbed." Let us remem- ber that there is no success in any department of life without sacrifice, much less in the exten- sion of Christ's Kingdom, which has its very foundation in unselfish benevolence. What sacrifices men will make at the shrine s»- "^ WW fl'M J:. J i| •!f ; li "1' ~> >.^^<%/nM/\/VV^S 854 THE PATH OF WEALTH. of self! What sacr.fices the commercial man will make to put more working capital into his business ! What sacrifice the farmer will make to buy another farm, or to pay for the one he has ! What plans and self-denials many a man will resort to in order to build a fine house and adorn it with elegant furni- ture ! What downright hardships and terri- ble exposures men vfill submit to, away off in the gold mines far from the blessings of civilization and the comforts of home, in their resolute determination to dig a fortune out of the earth ! We have no fault to find with all this. Self-denial, sustained courage, persever- ing toil constitute the highway to success in every avenue of life. But we enquire, should the motive of the merchant, or the farmer, or the fortune seeker be stronger than the mo- tive of the Cross ? Where is the proof of our attachms^nt and love for the Saviour, if the motive of the Cross does not move us with an all-absorbing impulse to do large things for Him ? Have you thought, dear reader, of those words, so -m THE PROPERTY TRUST. 355 often embodied in Christian song — " I gave my life for thee," and then of the question which follows — "What hast thou done for Me?" This statement and this interrogation reveal the generosity of God and the ingratitude of man. Here we have Infinite love on the one hand and human selfishness on the other. How grasping covetousness is confounded in the presence of Calvary ! It is with the mys- terious, unparalleled, infinite sacrifice of Jesus before our gaze, that we gather the highest inspiration for Christian liberality and Chris- tian work. " Sweet the moments, rich in blessing Which before the Cross we spend." '* Here we learn to serve and give, And our narrow self deny ; Here we gather love to live, Here we gather faith to die." It is beneath the vertical influence of this manifested love that human selfishness re- treats and vanishes, and the whole man — with all the powers and possibilities of his life — is surrendered to God. ^- •tft ^' ^m i;.: f ■ I 356 THE PAITI OF WEALTH. ;. J;- Hi E t Dear reader, if your heart rebels when you are asked to do anything for Christ, if your givings are small and contributed reluctantly at that, I pray you take a long and lingering look at Cross. Look at it till you see its glory ! Look at it till you feel its mysterious power melting and subduing your heart, and breaking all ^he bands of selfishness that have so long .mr»i^<5oacd your soul ; and then, with the generosity yhicb an all-pervading love ins^j^ires, \ 3i\ will ,">;reciate the sentiments of the ChristitvU po( i a \.;'^. he cried : — ** Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a present far too small ; Love so amazing, so Divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all." The love of Jesus Christ transforms the mat- ter of giving from an irksome duty into a refreshing privilege, — a spiritual luxury. Of all potent forces in the universe of God, love stands forth in unrivalled strength. It will carry more burdens, it will endure more suffering, it will accomplish more work, it will win m^re victories, it will give more money it will encounter and conquer more diflficul- ^^• THE PROPERTY TRUST. 357 ties than any other moral force that can be named. It has been truly said that " To love, more than to anything else, this world owes what blessedness it enjoys." O that the love of Christ might extend the empire of its divine influence from the centre to the circumference of every Christian heart! In that case the questions of Church finance and Church work would soon be effectually settled, and the conquest of the world for God would be an event of early date. Love knows no burdena Measured by this test, how pro- fessions of attachment and loyalty to Christ come short ! Should a faithful, loving wife ask a wealthy husband to procure her some article that she was very much in need of, and he should churlishly reply, " I cannot afford to get it for you," you would conclude that he did not love his wife much, or he would have granted her reasonable request. And when Jesus Christ, with his pierced brow and bleeding hands and wounded side, approaches His professed fol- lower to plead on behalf of His needy suffer- ^|j< ■ 0.' im U ^ V 1 ■ % f ' 'I 358 THE PATH OF WEALTH. ing cause, and that man ties his purse-strings and shuts his heart and sets himself like a flint to resist the most pathetic entreaties, what is the verdict? Why, that Mammon has a much stronger grasp on that man's heart, than the love of Christ. The most cha- ritable mind could reach no other conclusion. I could wish that all Christians would in- vestigate this property question, not only in the light of scriptural command and scriptural promise, but especially from the standpoint of the Cross; for, then, I am convinced,they would be prepared to transfer the whole matter of contribution to the institutions of the Church, from the legal basis of duty to the higher plat- form of joyous privilege. " Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He l^ecame poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich." "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart so let him give ; not grudgingly or of necessity : for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you ; that ye always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound in every good work." -« H:H Hon. W. E. SAXUFOKD. Mr. Sandfoid was born in the City of New York, in 1838. He was sent to Canada when a boy, and in this land he has made the fortune of which he is possessed. He is a great giver to church and missionary enterprises, £is well as to public and private charities. ^^ ^w THE PROPERTY TRUST. 359 CHAPTER III. We now wish to call attention to some of the Divine pledges of blessing on behalf of those who faithfully observe the claims of His property laws, and to the indirect pen- alties that follow the violation of these laws. There is a remarkable passage in the third chapter of Malachi's prophecy, that demands more than a passing notice. The Jews had been withholding from God His prescribed proportion of the income, and, as the result of this sin, the land was visited with destructive insects and other pests, that destroyed the fruits of the husbandman's la- bour. At this juncture, when there was sore distress and scarcity throughout the land by reason of failure in the crops, Jehovah charged His people with the worst kind of robbery and having commanded them to bring all the tithes into the storehouse, He flung out the notable challenge : " Prove Me now herewith, ^m ''I J* In 111 < .!!. , 1 it 'Il ' . i I'll * I f ' < .il ^^ flll V Hj 1i R:l ' !l ! I 360 THE PATH OF WEALTH. saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." "And I will rebuke the de- vourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground ; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed : for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts." It is a fact worthy of special note, that in temporal as well as spiritual things, God places trust first in the order of events, and blessing afterwards. " Prove Me by trusting Me and I'll honour you by blessing you," is the sub- stance of the Divine challenge. It might at first sight, seem unreasonable for God to demand all the tithes of the Jew- ish system, under the circumstances. Never- theless, that is just what He did. It was done to promote humiliation and excite trust, and also to show His people their entire depend- ence upon Him for all the good things of this life. The same principle of action is illustrated in God's dealings with His people, about one ^«f ^■ ^ja THE PROPERTY TRUST. 361 hundred and twenty-five years previous to tlie above mentioned tost, in the days of Hag- gai the prupliet. The Jews had returned from captivity, but instead of ti^i Him, the tide of their calamities should be arrested, and an era of temporal and spiritual prosperity should be opened up for them by a smiling Providence. " From this day will I bless you." Oh that men would recognize the hand of God in all relations of life. Were the people to ob- serve the property laws of the Bible, we should have such scenes of commercial and agricultu- ral prosperity as the world has never seen. •• The sun gives ever, so the earth What it can give — so much 'tis worth : The ocean gives in many ways — Gives baths, gives fishes, rivers, bays ; So too the air, it gives us breath, When it stops giving — comes in death. Give, give, be always giving, — W^ho gives not is not living ; The more you give. The more you live." ** God'H love hath in us wealth unheaped, Only by giving is it reaped ; The body withers and the mind Is pent up by a selfish rind. Give strength, give thoughts, give deeds, give pelf, Give love, give tears, and give thyself. Give, give, be always giving, — Who gives not is not living ; The more you give. The more you live." [We regret, that want of space, prevents us from publish- ing the full paper on " The Property Trust."] THE PUBLISHERS. 3uld be piritual hem by Y will I of God J to ob- should icuJtu- en. epelf,