Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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4 r«K lutbekan viaixoK JaBubry 1G THE BLESSEDNESS OF OIVINO. bY REV. W. 8ELNER When Paul exhorts the church to support the weak and says, “It is more blessed to Riee than to re ceive, M he quotes a maxim of Christ. In the gospels the evangelists have failed to record these beautiful and significant words. Not every- shing that Jesus did or said while in the flesh is recorded. If it were, the world could not contain all the books. The recorded facts of what Christ said and did are sufficient for our welfare in life and our salvation. The evangel ists simply recorded what the Holy Spirit ordered them to neon). No doubt Jesus uttered the words, “It is more blessed to give than to re ceive,” and His lollowers were familiar with them. The text, may have come t<> the early church by tradition. And in the event that Christ should no' have been the author of the bleesed words the sentiment and thought expressed are so perfectly consonant witnthe spirit and teaching of the Master that we are sefein using them. All nature and God constantly give, and men constantly receive. The good that men do by giving and doing can never be fully real ised in this life, la the immortal life in the great beyond will the benefactor only realize the extent or magnitude of the result of his benefactions. While in the flesh we never know how much good we ate doing. The idea that the re cipient of one’s benefactions alone reaps the benefit is only far too prevalent. While the recipient is blessed the giver is vastly more so. “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” By helping others when in need and in distress we help our selves more than we help them. By blessing others we bless our selves. “He that waters shall be watered himself;” giving to others and helping them bring deep joy and sweet satisfaction. This in itself is a great blessing. Mental tranquillity is very desirable. We all desire to live in the hearts and affections of our fellow- men. The liberal giver is always sure of having a place in the hearts of others, while the illiberal and purely selfish is excluded. While he who gives liberally from the right motive has a gracious reward laid np in heaven, there is already a rich reward in this life. It is said that once a minister of the gospel discoursed very ably and eloquently on “Heaven” on Sab bath morning. Next morning as he was busy in doing pastoral work be happened to meet one of his parishioners who very highly com plimented the sermon, bnt claimed that the preacher had omitted one very important thing; namely, the location of heaven. His pastor pointed him toward a humble building saying, “There lives a poor, sick widow with children around her in destitute eirenm- stances. Visit her. Ascertain her needs, go to the grocery, order what she needs, pay the bill, be present when the goods arrive, read!the twenty-third psalm, kneel down and offer prayer, and then if you irfil to know where Leaven is come and tell me and I will pay the grocery bill.” The mau wisely obeyed the directions if his pastor, afrer which he came and reported that when he beheld the tears of gra'iiude and joy, read the psalm and offered prayer he felt in bis soul that heaven had come down into that room of poverty and suf fering. Yes, by givibg and help ing others in times of need from the right motive heaven comes down into the soul of the benefactor. The blessedness of giving is by no means onesided. The writer once heard a wealthy, liberal Chris tian gentleman say that the great est joy of his lile was that which came from liberal giving to worthy objects. Lutbersburg, Pa. VACANCIES — OLD MINISTERS— ORPHAN HOME. Some time ago an article ap peared in The Visitor relative to the numerous vacancies in the North Carolina Synod that created some thought on the part of the writer of these few lines. The question naturally presents itself, Why is this so! There must be some cause for it. When we look over the clerical roll of this synod we find from six to one dozen ministers not actively en gaged in pastoral work—some ad vanced in years—some not so old. True, we most have efficient men to care for our colleges and semi naries; bnt still there are enough unemployed ministers to fill the vacancies. The result is a large number of idle ministers and a large number of vacancies. Again, will these idle ministers not work, or will the people not have their servicef In some cases, at least, work would be taken if properly offered. Bnt there seems to be a tendency to look for yonog, fashionable, np to date and attrac tive pastors—such as can keep np with these gay limes, while the older ones are laid on the shelf to look out for themselves. Whether, or not this is right or a Chris tian spirit, I leave for them or some one else to answer. We have some infirm and dis abled ministers who have labored long and faithfully in their pastoral duties, and have now in the church many souls as their heirs, or have lefr many churches and congrega lions standing as living monuments to testify to their Christian zeal and success; bnt they are left to seek a livelihood somewhere else, outside of any care of the synod or churches. Again, is such a course rightf If so, then the same measure that ye mete shall be measured to you again. Those now in the active ministry would better save np enough to buy them a home to fall back on when they are laid on the shelf. While the above facts may look a little ugly, a better state of things might easily be arranged. We have an Orphan Home, and I ven- tn^g to say there is not an old min ister in the North Carolina Synod who is not an orphan, especially so if his mother synod will not care for him Why not put these good old bretbreu in the Orphan Home, tafce them there and care for themT Or better perhaps, if they have a home, or can in part take care of themselves, have a superannuated ministers’ fund to be divided among those who are dis abled for duty. Old soldiers draw a pension ; but our old ministerial soldiers do not. The Church should lead the government and not the government lead the Church. The writer is fully convinced that our good laymen have much sympathy for these old fathers in Israel, and that much could be done, and that the laymen would contribute liberally for their sup port if the proper steps were taken and inducements offered. If a brother has no home, give him a home >with our orphans, or if he has a home and can be taken care of there with less expense than at the Orphan Home,give him at least enough to board and clothe him. At the very least, many sacrifices must be made to be a minister of the Gospel. It takes our best and most talented men—men who could make a much more lucrative living somewhere else. But if after t best men have given their liveij souls and lived on a meagrr then when they get np in yJ and unable to make a livio«| other way and nothing to fall 1 on, must be turned out to grsz^l themselves, it is certainly intimidating to young men have the ministry in view, hoped that at the next annual i ing of our synod something^ be done to bring about a state of things. R. L. AUGUSTA COUNTY (VA ) TORAL ASSOCIATION, The Lutheran Pastoral assq tion of Augusta county, Va., its regular quarterly meeting! the lecture room of Ct» church, Staunton, on January! 1902. The meeting was opened byj use of the Matins, led by the ident. The following pastorst present: Revs. E. A. Repasgj A. Freed, G. E. Krauth, o] Shuey, E. C. Cronk, G. A. S. L Keller, A. D R. Han* J. A. Huffard. This being the annual me«{ the first order of business wasj election of officers, which res* in the reelection of all the foij officers. Rev. Krauth read a wt-11 pared paper on the q'te» “What is the idea of the al;« what led to its displacement! i is there sufficient in the ide secure its restoration!” Afteti reading of this paper the asa tion engaged in a' tree diseni of the subject and of relative ters pertaining to churchly ot^ The second subject for dil sion was, “How to mobitiz#! whole church,” which wasl cussed in an interesting paper] pared and read by Rev. J A fard. This paper, too, was] lowed by an interesting disco among the members which 1« the choosing of the subject, advisability of introducing Swedish Church Polity iutoj American Church,” for the meeting. The other qo chosen was “Secret Societies.'! The association was entertl by Rev. E. A. Repass at the} mer house. All the pastor’s! were present, except three, sponse to Mr. Repass’ invitatN The next meeting will b«,| April Isr, 1902, at the ho Rev. G. E. Shuey, near ville, Va. E. C. Cronk, Secret!