Christian Giving, PAYING'WHAT WE OWE. BY 1" LAYMAN. *■ “ Why should I give or pay the One-Tenth of my income to Christian j^nd Benevolent objects ? ” * . The first and very much the most important reason is, because it is; God s law, and the second, because you thereby promote your spiritual* and temporal interests. In short, it pays. Pays in the highest and best • sense word. Pays in spiritual blessings, pays in temporal prosper- Uy, pays in peace of mind in having a question of duty settled. Transfers. = from you to your Heavenly Father the responsibility of hmumuchyo\x give. Permits Him to decide whether it shall be little or much as he ^ro^ers you. . u I am afraid I cannot afford it.” You are right in naming that objection first, as it is the chief obstacle xmong nine-tenths of all Christian® But you If you will try it,, you- will keep it up because you will find that you cannot afford not to do it— I mean m dollars and cents. Your objection is from the temporal stand- point and so is the reply. Did you ever try it? Ever, know a business, man, professional man, or farmer, who tried it and was not thereby pros-' pered ?^ Ever hear of one? Thousands, tens of thousands of laymen in, the United States and England are practicing it, so that if there are any exceptions they ought to be known. . . .| not i«i^lVgl6 "ap^^tWtey love of gain in this matter ? " Do4'oiy^£(frax og on your temporal affairs ? Do you r^e^what yw sayjtfen yq$i do ? foo youmot daily ask for the promised *n aI1 your duties? Do you keep our business, ar.daffly^g^gfyour profession, separate from your reiig- on ? Don't you woj^o^Pfl^MlGain, that you may care for those you love and tho^ewh^p! dependent upon you ? Gain that you may train and educate tnefllmthe best planner possible ? Gain, that you may give them every advantage within your power? Gain, that you may do even more than this ; that you may have to give and do for others ; that you may the more liberally aid and support those who give themselves to char- itable, benevolent and Christian work; that you may give more for the spread of Christs Kingdom in the earth? Is it wrong to pray for tempo- ral prosperity with these objects in view ? “But are there not higher motives ? ” Certainly; plenty of them. Your minister doubtless appeals to them at almost every service. But it is the temporal side of the question we are talking about, the practical side to you and me. You and I are laymeny not ministers; we don't preach; we are not missionaries. We may have to work hard Sind constantly to make ends meet, and care for our house- holds and loved ones. Yet we owe something to others do we not? Something to God, which of course we cannot pay directly to Him, but only to others, the church, the poor, the heathen. “ How much do'we owe ? " God says One-Tenth. He should know. “Is this all we owe ? Do we not owe everything to Him ? M Certainly, inasmuch as everything really belongs to Him. There is only so much money, so much property in the world. That which you now czA yours belonged to some one else before. He gave it to you, and will belong to yet another when you leave it, but while in your possession you are accountable for its use. God does not ask you to give or pay it back, or transfer it to others. Whether you accept the fact or not, you are His steward for the entire amount, and you, and not another must render an account for all He lends to you. “But did not our Savior tell the rich young man to sell all he had and give to the poor ?" Yes, and God told Abraham to offer up his son Isaac as a burnt offer- ing, but he did not let him do it. Suppose the young man had started in good faith to obey this command. Do you think the Savior would have permitted him to do it ? It was simply a test of his faith and to show him his own heart3 “ Was not Tithe paying only a Mosaic law, and hence abolished by Christ? ” No. No more than the Sabbath, Abraham paid Tithes hundreds of years before Moses was born. So did Jacob. So it is fair to suppose did all the Patriarchs. In giving the law to Moses the first mention of the Tithe is the simple statement: “The Tithe is the Lords.” Not shall be, but />, and it was twenty years^ after this before God directed that the Levites should be supported from it.' “ What other ancient authorities are there for the Divine origin of the Tithe?” The Arabians and Phoenicians in Asia, the Ancient Britons, Romans and Grecians in Europe, and the Carthagenians in Africa, all paid Tithes to their Gods. Remember these nations existed hundreds and some of them thousands of years before Christ s advent. In the language of a learned historian, “ Instances are mentioned in history of some nations which did not offer sacrifices, but in the annals of all time none are found who did not pay Tithes.” “ Did Christ command or commend the law of Tithing? ” Indirectly and inferentially, yes. He said of the Pharisees who boast- ed how careful they were to tithe everything, “These ought ye to have done.” Can you find in his teachings any stronger language than this re- garding the Sabbath ? Can you find any so strong ? “ Is there any reason why our Savior did not more strongly commend the law of the Sabbath as well as the law of the Tithe? ” Yes. The conclusive reason, that the Jews did not need such teach- ing. They scrupulously observed both laws, and he reproved them for re- garding the form too much and the spirit not enough. “ Do you mean to say that I should expect greater temporal prosper- ity if I scrupulously devote one-tenth of my income to the spread of Christ's Kingdom in the earth and to charitable and benevolent objects, and that the remaining nine-tenths will go further in the support of those dependent on me than if I should try to keep all for my own use ? ” Yes. That is a plain question in plain English, and I mean just that. “ Can you explain the reason ? ” No. Or at least not fully, and there are many more of Gods laws which I cannot explain. Gravitation, for instance, or how vegetation grows, or how flowers are colored, or to come nearer to the subject, I can- not explain why men and beasts can do more and better work in one or five years working six days in the week, and resting, doing nothing so far as work is concerned, every seventh day. “ Do we not need the rest ? ”4 Certainly ; I agree with you as to the facts, and facts, not theories, are what we are dealing with, and the facts are that it pays in temporal bless, ings to observe the laws'of Tithes just as it does to observe the laws of the Sabbath. But can you explain why we need the seventh of time for rest? Why not the tenth or the sixth ?‘ The seventh of time and the tenth of income, or “ increase ” as the Bible has it, belong to God, and while we cam work seven days in the week and keep it up for years, and we can keep ten-tenths of all ws make, we are poorer for it morally, physically and financially all the same. “ Are there not strictly business reasons that will at least partially ac- count for the increased temporal prosperity of those who .tithe their in- come ? ” Yes. And yet it is hard to separate common sense and strict business matters and principles from God’s laws. “ Whatsoever a man soweth,. that shall he also reap.” Tithing the income leads to system, is in fact system itself, and the harvest or reward of system in business, or farming, or professional life, is prosperity. Tithing our income is a tangible recognition of God’s real ownership of our substance, and his blessing naturally follows such recognition. It is a practical acknowledgment also of the claims of humanity upon us, and human nature is swift to respond to such evidences of sincerity by hearty words of encouragement and helping hands. But these are results rather than causes. “But are there not other and deeper reasons than these?,r Yes. You believe a thing is right In other words, you believe it to be your duty and have faith in it. By doing the thing itself you step into the line of your faith and duty, and you are at once and consciously a stronger, better and more self-reliant man. Your mind and heart broaden. Instead of receiving, you give favors, and you begin to realize the wealth of meaning in the Saviors words, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” “ Do not the promises of the Bible for the payment of the Tenth of income back to God refer solely to spiritual blessings ? ” No. They refer very largely—I . am tempted to say almost wholly—to temporal blessings. The 3rd chapter of Malichi is perhaps the plainest in the Bible on this subject. Read it carefully and see if you can torture its meaning into promises of spiritual blessings only. “Would,not your arguments lead me to pay the tenth from selfish motives ? ” They are not my arguments. It is the Almighty who says: “ He that honoreth me I will honor." “ Honor the Lord with thy substance, so shall thy barns be filled with plenty.” The liberal soul shall5 be made fat, and he that watereth shall be watered also himself. ” “Give and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down, shaken-to- gether and running over, shall men give into your bosom.” “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine hpuse; and prove me now, herewith, 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 the vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of Hosts.” It is right to keep in mind the reward that always follows doing right, and the Devil is at the bottom of nearly all suggestions that you are doing your duty from wrong motives: “Suppose I concede that I should pay Him the Tenth of my income, am I doing it when I give it to others ? ” Yes. To them it is your gift, to Him it is your payment You can pay Him nothing directly. He is now the real owner of all you have, and your account will be as a steward only. “ Is not ‘ Give as God hath prospered you7 the New Testament rule? ” Yes. That is God’s rule in both Testaments. In the Old Testament He directs just what proportion of your income you should return to Him —One Tenth—and our Savior directly sanctions the same proportion in the New Testament. “ Did the early Christian Church observe the law of Tithes ? ” Yes. This fact is stated by Origen, Jerome, Augustine, Chrysotum and many other ancient authorities. Bingham in his “Christian Anti- quities” says, “This is the unanimous judgment of the Fathers*and the voice of the Church uncontradicted for more than a thousand years, or un- til the usages of the church were alienated and perverted by the Papal Hierarchy during the dark ages.” “You claim that the payment to God of One-Tenth of our income always results in increased temporal and spiritual blessings. Suppose I concede the spiritual; are there no exceptions so far as temporal blessings are concerned?” I do not believe there are any exceptions. I submit the following facts as evidence which you would doubtless* accept as conclusive on any other subject. During the last six years circulars have been sent to at least three- fourths of all the Evangelical ministers in the United States in all of which was the following statement and question: “ My belief is that God blesses in temporal as well as in spiritual things the man who honors Him by set-6 ting apart a stated portion of Jhis income to His service. I have never known an exception. Have you?** The same question has been asked of many of these ministers two and even three times. Several little pamph- lets similar to this, and on the same subject, have been carefully distributed by these ministers among more than 2,000,000 laymen, and in every one of these pamphlets the same statement was made and the same question asked. I now ask the same question of you. Do you know of any excep- tion? If you do will you not write the circumstances to the address on the last page of this pamphlet, or relate them to your minister and ask him to write? “ Have any replied as to these facts ? ” Yes, many hundreds, perhaps thousands, and not a single authentic ex- ception has ever been given. Perhaps half a dozen cases were given where parties who practiced this rule had met with business reverses,* but in nearly every instance it was.added that they were recovering, and bid fair to be even better situated than before. A few extracts from these letters are published in the latter part of this pamphlet. Perhaps ten times as many of similar import have been filed away for possible future use; but the replies have been so uniformly of the same character that for a year or two past none have been preserved. “ Am I to infer that I may hope and expect to get rich if I practice this system ? ” Emphatically, No. All that is claimed is that you will be more pros- perous in your temporal affairs than if you do not. Pay the Tenth pre- cisely for the same reason that you observe the Sabbath, /. e. because it is God's law. You do not keep the Sabbath to get rich or to make money, neither should you pay the Tenth for this purpose, yet you know you are better off in your temporal affairs for keeping the Sabbath, and all who have ever tried it are uniform in their testimony that paying the Tithe brings God's blessings upon their temporal affairs. In short, they have found by experience that He keeps His promises. Now, right here, I want to emphasize the fact again that we are dis- cussing only the temporal side of this subject, and I cheerfully admit the inestimably greater importance of the spiritual blessings that flow from and. follow honoring God with pur substance. “ Is any progress being made in awakening public thought on this subject, and are there any apparent results ?99 Yes; and especially within the last two or three years. I have abundant evidence for believing that there are, at least, ten times as many Christians now tithing their income as there were five years ago, and the results are becoming apparent in church finances. Naturally7 * they are most marked in the financial reports of those denominations in which most attention has been given to this subject. “What would be the result were all Christians to devote One-Tenth of their income to God ? *’ In reply to this question I give a few statistics, basing them on the reports of the Presbyterian Church, as I happen to have them before me. First—I will say that the Government Officials estimate the annual in- come of the entire population of the United States to be a little over Seven Billions of Dollars. This gives to every man, woman and child an annual income of a little more than $175.00, or 55 cents a day. Now, estimate the nnmber of active members in the Presbyterian Church at 500,000, chil- dren and adherents 500,000 more, making a total of 1,000,000. Multiply this by 55 cents, the annual daily income of each, and you have the sum of $550,000 as the daily income of the Presbyterian Church. ' One-Tenth of this is. $55,000. Multiply this by the number of days in the year and you have, in round numbers, more than $20,000,000 as the one-tenth of the annual income. This means that the membership and adherents of the Presbyterian Church in this country should pay annually for charitable, benevolent and Christian purposes at least twenty million dollars ; as no one will claim that they are below the average in wealth or material prosperity, “ How much do they pay now? ” They pay for congregational purposes, which includes the building of churches, and pastors' salaries, about $6,500,000. For the different boards of the church and miscellaneous objects connected with their church workf about $2,500,000, making a total of about $9,000,000. “ Is this all they pay ? ” No; it is safe to say that they bear their share in society of other charitable and benevolent duties, but this in the church as a whole, would probably not aggregate more than three millions. “ This would leave the immense sum of ci%kt millions, or more. What would be done with this ? ” By far the greater part of it would or should go directly toward the spread of Christ's Kingdom in the earth, establishing and supporting Christian schools in home and heathen lands, educating, training, sending out and supporting Home and Foreign Missionaries. And now let me ask you a question. Suppose all Christians of all denominations tithed their income; how long would it be until the gospel would be heard by every man, woman and child on the earth? How long until the Millennium? “Are all religious denominations becoming interested in Proportionates Giving?” Yes; ail the leading Evangelical bodies, and many of the smaller ones, and the interest is rapidly increasing each year. The facts are, that in almost every community there are more or less sensible, practical, pro- fessional and business men, as well as farmers and mechanics, and also large numbers of Christian women, who have become tired of the so-called 44 liberty ” of giving spasmodically or impulsively, giving a little, or nothing, according to circumstances, and have quietly decided to adopt Proportion- ate Giinng as a rule of life. In some cases, almost whole congregations have so decided. So far as known, all, without exception, are delighted with the change. Giving, or 41 paying,” becomes a positive pleasure instead of an unpleasant duty, and instead of trying to decide to what objects they must give, and how little will answer the purpose, they are always ready, .are cheerful givers, and only desire to be guided aright in the bestowment of their gifts upon the best objects. They also soon have abundant evi- dence that they are receiving the promised reward, both in temporal and spiritual blessings. 44 When should I commence ? ” Now—to-day. Count what money you have on hand and put aside one-tenth of it Add to this store one-tenth of all you receive from day to day and draw from it as you have calls for aid in behalf of benevolent and Christian work. 44 Do you recommend tKis as the best«method ? ” Yes; for most people, especially farmers, mechanics and all persons who are not accustomed to keeping accounts. Professional men, trades- men and business men who keep a record of their income and expenses prefer as a rule to open a 44 Benevolence ” or 44 Tithing Account,” charging this account with one-tenth of their entire nett income and crediting it with all sums paid out for Christian and benevolent work. 4< You speak of 4 nett income.* What constitutes my nett income.” If you are a farmer, it is all the money you receive for the products of your farm, the cash value of all your family consumes, and also the fair cash value of all you obtain by barter or exchange. From this gross amount it is fair to deduct before tithing, all money paid for hired help, and also whatever interest you pay or balance due on your farm, but not fair to deduct interest on anything else you may owe. If you are a professional man, it is your entire income. If you work on a salary, whether by the day or year, it is your entire income. If you are in business, it is your entire income less your business ex- penses only. Plot your personal or family expenses.9 44 Should I deduct insurance from my gross income before tithing it ? ” If upon your property, No. If upon your goods or stock in business, Yes ; as that comes under the head of business expenses. If on your life, No. “Taxes?0 No. 44 House-rent ? " If for your business house, Yes; if your dwelling, No. /4 Interest ? ” If on money borrowed in your business to enable you to produce income, Yes ; if a personal matter, or on old debts, or on anything aside from your income producing business. No. 4' Suppose I am a farmer and my lands and stock increase in value ? ’* Take no account of it until you sell them, or a part of them, then tithe the price you receive. 44 Suppose J exchange the products of my farm for articles other than money ? ” Estimate the cash value of what you receive, and put aside one-tenth of it. If you do not have the money, make a 44 ticket ” of one-tenth the amount and place it where you keep your Tithe. When you next have money to redeem the ticket, do so and destroy it. '4 Should I ever borrow from my Tithe fund for personal or family use?” I very strongly advise against it. Many instances have been reported of this kind, and invariably with bad results as regards temporal prosperity. Your faith may often be tried in this direction, but you can and should withstand the temptation. A somewhat parallel case would be to suppose that you had borrowed money of some one and after paying the interest, should go to him and ask to borrow the interest back again. Remember, after you have put aside the Tenth it is no longer yours. You are simply an agent for its wise bestowal. 44Is there not rather too much of ‘business 1 in these arguments?” You and I being laymen, our religion and our business are inseparably connected. We cannot separate them if we would. Besides, the Bible is full of “business.” It contains the finest and most practical business maxims and directions ever written, and they are meant for practical use by practical men. :< Suppose I am in debt. Should I not pay my debts before tithing my income ? " No. As well talk about not paying the interest on the money you borrow to use in business because you owe other debts. Your Tithe is of all debts the most sacred. Under such a rule, all you would have to do to escape all obligations to give or pay anything,- would be to keep in debt. Besides, the absolutely universal experience of the very large number who have commenced tithing while in debt has been, that with the remaining nine-tenths they were abie to pay their other debts more easily and10 promptly, than if they had tried to keep the whole for that purpose. “ Should I tithe my capital ? '* No. Whether your capital is in money, or property, or in brains or hands, or in all of these, it is that from which you produce income* Pay proportionately from your income only. “ Should T ever give more than the One-Tenth? ** Yes. When you can afford to do it without endangering your ability to produce income. When you do this it will be a “ free will offering.*' But be “just before you are generous.*' In other words, pay what you owe before “ giving *' anything. Giving or making free will offerings can- not commence until the Tenth has been paid. # “ Suppose I am able to support my family only by close economy, should I pay One-Tenth?" Yes. And if for no other reason, because the remaining nine-tenths will go further. “ Strange logic that. Can it be really true ? '* I believe it to be abselutely true, and my reasons are based on che per- sonal testimony of hundreds, perhaps thousands, who have tested it. Will you not try it and prove its truthfulness. Now I admit that if you should do it for this purpose only, you would or at least you ought to be, disap- pointed. But I take it for granted that you are a Christian, that you do want to honor God with your substance, that you do trust his promises and that you want to do your duty. With these motives you will not be disap- pointed. Do not the Mormons pay Tithes ? '* ' Yes. • Compelled to pay by their leaders, and yet, considering the*\ sur- roundings, can you point to a more prosperous people financially than they? And is not their ability to send proselyting missionaries all over Europe, and their amazing success as propagandists due wholly to this fact? They pay Tithes to the Mormon priesthood who devote them to infamous pur- poses. That Mormons pay tithes can certainly be no argument against the rule. It is rather an aditional evidence that paying the Tenth does not impoverish, and also that if Christians paid Tithes to God, and for his cause as faithfully as do the Mormons to their priests, the world would soon be converted to Christ. “ Should I pay the Tenth to my minister or pastor, and let him become my steward for its wise bestowal? " No. Not as a rule. You must render your own account, and not another for you. You cannot transfer or shirk the responsibility. “ Should not the rich give proportionately more than the poor? " The obligation to pay the Tenth is binding upon the rich and poor11 alike, but the gif is after payment has been made, or in other words th efree will offerings, of the rich, and those in comfortable circumstances should be very much greater, 44 Will the greater gifts bring upon the givers greater blessings than Ihe small offerings of the poor?” No, by no means. The poor widow had doubtless paid her Tithe. The two mites was her offering, yet what a wonderful reward she received. 44 Should I confine my gifts to my own church ? ” No, nor to your own neighborhood. Such a course tends to dwarf your Christian manhood and narrow your views. Many ask if Pew Rent should be counted. Most certainly; it is your method of supporting your own church and pastor. “Should I husband the tenth so as to be able to give largely to certain objects?” As a rule, No. The heart needs to be kept warm by constant giving, and only a very few can be both constant and large givers; but as regards both the objects and the amounts of your gifts—“ if any man lack wisdom let him ask of God.” 44 Suppose that for the present I am not quite decided to adopt tithing my income, but that I resolve to be liberal ? Will not that answer ? ” What is “being liberal,” and are you sure your Heavenly Fathers estimate of liberality will agree with yours ? 44 Suppose I give until I feel it? ” Possibly you have inherited or acquired a “close” disposition and would “ feel ” the giving of a nickel or a dime, when you ought to give a dollar,.or you might 44 feel ” the giving of a dollar when you ought to give ten. Or, on the other hand, you may have a naturally generous nature, and in order to 44 feel ” it, would have to give, say, ten dollars, when one, or two, or five would be nearer right. Feeling, and even conscience are not safe guides. God’s law is a safe guide, and it pays, literally, and in every sense to obey it. “ Should every one, and by this I mean to include those who are not professing Christians, pay the Tenth, and if yes, have they, too, the right to expect the promised rewards?” Yes; why not ? A great many people who are not professing Chris- tians keep the Sabbach, and are not only benefitted thereby, in every re- spect, but for that reason are brought nearer to God, and their reconcilia- tion to Him and acceptance of the Savior is made more probable. The same results would naturally follow observing the law of Tithes. Will you not carefully read the following extracts from God’s Word and especially notice how much He makes of temporal prosperity as the reward of giving.12 . REWARDS OF GIVING. “ Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive ; and he shall be blessed upon the earth; and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies. The Lord will strengthen him on the bed of languish- ing; thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.”—Ps. 41-1. “ Trust in the Lord, and do good, so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.”—Ps. 37-3. • . “ 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 shall burst out with new wine.”—Prov. 3-6. “ There is that scattereth and yet increaseth; there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. The liberal soul shall be made fat, and lie that watereth shall be watered also himself.”—Prov. 19-17. “ And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy* the afflicted soul, then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon-day; and the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones; and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters fail not.”—Is. 58-10. “ 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 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 fruits of your ground, neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of Hosts.”—Mai. 3-10. . “ Give and it shall be given unto^you—good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure you mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” —Luke 6-38. “ I have showed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to sup- port the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, 1 It is more blessed to give than to receive1, ”—Acts 20-35. “ Every man as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudg- ingly or of necessity; for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace (the word “ grace ” here refers to temporal blessings) abound . towards you; that ye always having all sufficiency in all things may abound to every good work.”—2d Cor. 9-7.13 The following testimonials are taken from thousands of similar import. They came from all over the United States and are selected at random ns far as locality and religious denominations are concerned. No conflicting testi- mony worthy of tne name has ever been received, though the question “ Have you ever known of any exceptions to the rule that God prospers in their tem- poral affairs those who honor Him by setting apart one-tentn of their income to His service" has been asked of not less than three or four million persons during the last seven or eight years. Could human evidence be stronger? Will you not make a practical test by adopting the rule? “Can you send me 150 copies? My church started from nothing two and one- half years ago, and voted last evening to assume self-support November 1st, and add $500 to the pastor’s salary making it $2,030. Our 180 members, not one wealthy 1 gave $10.75 each for benevolence last year, and your tracts greatly aided in this grand result." “Among our ministers and churches this subject is rapidly increasing in inte- rest, and occupying more and more of the attention of the people. A number of .our ministers practice it, and each of these is a centre of influence. The same thing I think is true in the other denominations. It is very common now to hear one speak of “my tithe." Some very interesting instances of its adoption by young men have come to my notice." “The interest on this subject as compared with former years is very high and rapidly increasing. Causes—“WhatWeOwe," “Thanksgiving Ann," and numer- ous sermons with the ford’s blessing. Expect an increase of tithers next year." “I know two families* who testify to their much greater gratification in giving on this plan, having] more to give, and being blessed in their temporal affairs since adopting it." j “I have tried the jtithing plan for over a year during which time I “got ahead " more than I had for tie three previous years of my ministry." “I distributed “What We Owe" last year and it awakened much interest. Many say: “ I n^lger appreciated the luxury of giving before." “The number of proportionate givers may be larger than my figures. I have given the number 3>f families of whom I have personal knowledge. In 79 the benevolent collections aggregated $60.00; in '82 $346.00." “A firm of two brothers (Quakers) have been surprised by the effect of applying the tithe to their income." “This subject used to be little thought of: at any rate but seldom spoken about. But now it is constantly made a subject of conversation, and questions asked in regard to it at prayer meetings, etc." o “One of our members having decided on giving a tenth increased his subscrip- tion from $10 to $40. He says he never enjoyed prosperity as during the last two years." “I think God is doing a great work through you in the distribution of these tracts. I have influenced more than twenty persons to adopt this course by only one of your No. 1 tracts, and it came to me aceidentily." *T began the tithing system when a freshman at Oberlin twelve years ago. I was poor, working my own way, and I found it a constant burden to decide what I ought to give, and a constant temptation to scrimp my beneficence. I decided that so long as I could, in justice to my creditors, I would lay aside a tenth for the Lord. From that, day it has been a delight to give." “When I left the Seminary in July 1880, I owed $825 more than I was worth. The indications now are that I shall be even with the world in another year. My creditors knew my plan of paying the one-tenth, and I felt that it did them no injustice." * “I had a young man in my church the first year I came here who tithed his in* come, and has been greatly‘blessed in it. He is getting rich,"14 "You ask for facts in regard to Proportionate Giving. I have only lately adopted the plan. It is wonderful how God blesses me in it. I have just learned from one of our young business men that he has been giving one-tenth for some time and finds that he has been wonderfully prospered. He says it pays not a hundred per cent, but a thousand; he is working for a salary ana finds hundreds in the Lords treasury which he takes great pleasure in distributing to home and foreign missions and the support of the gospel at home. Lately this young man and his wife have taken two orphans in Japan to support. He is pur most liberal giver to Church and Sunday school work.” « “About three years ago .I read your tract on "Christian Giving, No. l,”and since that time I have been paying a tenth of my salary to the Lord. I never was so blessed both temporally and spiritually as I have been during that time. I cir- culated fifty copies of the pamphlet No. 1 among my churches two years ago, and am satisfied that many were blessed in reading it.” “About one year ago I received a pamphlet from you on " What We Owe.” ’As I was a little in doubt as to my duty upon the subject it was studied very carefully. It did me much good and I was led to consecrate at least one-tenth to the Lord. As I look back over the time since the pamphlet was read it seems, wonderful how the Lord has blessed me.” '''More than twelve years ago my wife and I determined to pay to the Lord one- tenth of our income. We began when our salary was very small, yet we were always able to restore to Goa his own. We have been blessed both temporally aud spiritually. Paying has been a means of grace equal to praying or any other form of worship. We began because we saw it was duty, we continue it for the same reason and one more, the Divine blessing flows moire frcjely through tni* channel than any.other in our experience.” . “In a.former charge after preaching upon the subject ojPropi I had a long talk with a member of my church who was tf ~ ’ receiving a very moderate salary and having a wife and port A few days after our conversation he said to me “ I have Co the one-tenth.” Six months after this he said to me: "I tfavo n \ save as much "money in the same space of time aslhav* jrtionate Giving; king in a store ^ildren to sup- luded to give r been able to the past six save as mucn money in me same space oi ume as j. flaw months, or since I adopted giving the one-tenth.” This oceilrrr rJihout four years Hq is now carrying on in his own name a very prospOTor^&uriness.” ... and has been uniformly prosperous in ] happiest and most devoted and spiritually minded Chrisjiua I have ever known. During the years of "hard times” when many business firms were suffering,” his business was as prosperous as ever. I have heard him repeatedly express his belief that his practice of Proportionate Giving was the & jret of his success in, business.” -v *** “I have been too busy to write you before now, and am now in the midst of a ... *'■*'' ’ * “ * ' * ' ’ ‘ “ ' men who One of l two years ago in a revival here ancTbegan at once to set aside one-ienth of all he ma'de to the Lord and. has -been-wonderfully prospered in his business ever since. He had been in debt for some years, was pajdng it off very slowly, until the time of adopting this rule, since then he has paid very rapidly. He now Owes only a small sum. He has expressed to me time and again his surprise as to the wonderful manner in which the Lord has prospered liim. He has many times spoken to me of the joy he finds in giving* He is bringing up his two children to give a tenth of what they make. The other two are young men; one of them started business in Pcnsylvania for himself about two years ago. He is being remarkably pros- pered and is rapidly building up a large trade. Is a grocer. The other is a book- keeper for a firm oi hoot ana shoe manufacturers of which his father is senior member in a neighboring town. , .He is being remarkably prospered in some ven- tures of his own m connection with the business of his firm. He is one of the most promising Christian young men I know. He is not only a most efficient Christian worker but takes great delight in his giving and in efforts to induce othereto adopt the rule of the tenth.” was 3-xen15 “ I commenced the practice when in a condition of deep financial embarass- ment, and the way brightens in that direction every step I take.” “ My father livied by that rule and prospered. I have for eight years, since leaving the seminary and have prospered: the wealthiest man in my church and community has lived by it.” “ One brother in my charge made a written contract that he would give the Lord one-tenth of his annual income. He was poor then, he now gives hundreds * of dollars annually “ I have been personally acquainted with but two men who made it a rule bo give unto the Lora the tenth of their increase, and they prospered exceedingly.” “ During a recent pastorate in Baltimore City, I was struck with the fact that the one business man in my church not seriously affected by the hard times, was the solitary individual who gave proportionately.” “Mr.—:— told me that from the day of his conversion he commenced giv- ing one-tenth to the cause of God,, and during the following eleven years he gave more than he was worth when converted, ana God prospered him so that he was worth after eleven years of giving ten times more than before.” “I have an uncle who, until he decided to Rive systematically cme-tenth of his income, was in straightened circumstances. For several years of late, giving as above, he has been greatly prospered spiritually and especially financially. He is now quite independent.” ' “In a former charge I had one member who* gave a tenth of all to the Lord, and to-day he is worth forty thousand dollars. When I first became acquainted with him, twenty years ago, he was worth perhaps two thousand dollars. He is a farmer.” “One of the richest and most influential men of this State, is a layman of the M. E. Churchy \n -------. He has religiously adhered to the one-tenth plan, and great prosperif arid honor have been ms. Numerous such instances have come to my kno wW *y4;i& ,my ministry. ” “ Ihroportk&L^ giving, as it has passed under my observation, has been in every instance at *