The Lutheran visitor. (Columbia, S.C.) 1869-1904, January 23, 1902, Image 3
THE LWTHERAN VISITOR
LIF* IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT.
Jannary 23,- 1902
MERCHANDISE IN GOD’S HOUSE.
Have church fairs and the like
seen their dajt If straws^tell
which way the wind blows, they
have. The trustees of a. Baptist
church in WiUiamsport, Pa., have
adopted the following heroic reso
lution: “We hereby prohibit the
holding of fairs, festivals and sup
pers for the purpose of raising
money for the support of the
church, believing that moneys
raised in this way are a hindrance
to the spirituality of the church
and also a violation of the scriptu
ral way of giving to God’s cause,
and that the selling of tickets for
such purposes has become a nuis
ance.” And here is another straw
from a Lutheran source Aeon
ference belonging to the General
Synod, when assembled at Easton,
Pa., adopted a resolution, “That it
is the sense of the meeting that
church fairs and church suppers
have no beneficial effect on the
development of Christian life.”
Amen! Amen! (The Lutheran).
It is a lamentable fact that so
many congregations of Christians
have resorted to questionable meth
ods for supporting the church. It
is to be regretted that the Church
of the Reformation, which stands
so firmly on the Word of God,
would ever so far depart from
scriptural teaching as to entangle
itself in these unchurchly and un
godly ways. No great amount of
logic is required to show that sup
pers and fairs and festivals in the
church are unchurchly. What
would we think cf St. Paul or one
of the other apostles of Christ
writing to the different churches
advising them to give a lawn party
or hot supper, or some kind of
theatrical performance for the bene
fit of the church T There is an idea
in many minds that it makes no
difference if there is cheating and
unfair dealing so long as it is be
ing done for the church. Is it
right to encourage those very things
which we so earnestly wish to
abolish! Surely the church of
Christ should not have less com
mon honesty than is found in
worldly business affairs.
We need some of the spirit that
was in the Jews when they went
back from captivity to build again
the walls of the temple. They
were too zealous for their God to
accept offers of aid from their
heathen neighbors (Ezra, 4:1 3).
On another occasion they all wil
lingly tore off their ornaments of
gold and silvbr and gave them for
God’s service. They didihis with
out compulsion. If Christians
would 8how.tbe„love which they
profess by sacrificing a part even
of ^their finery ^there would be no
demand for a traffic in, the house
of God.
The cause of Christ] may be suf
fering for lack of support, but not
near so much ;as ^theiindividnais
who through their neglect are re
sponsible] for its [condition. The
necessity) is.great, but the oppor
tunity is stillj’greater.feThe neces
sity may continue, but your oppor
tunity for growth m spirit, and the
expansion of your power for enjoy
ing the world to come, will soon
pass away.
We come to this conclusion : It
is not a matter of necessity on God’s
part, but on ours. He can do with-
our gifts, but, we cannot afford to
.do without His. Sc. John said to
some such who bao the opposite
view, who came to him in the wil
derness/ “God is able, ofjftbese
stones to raise up children unto
Abraham.”
If we are giving for our own
benefit, primarily, rather than
God’s, and from a motive ot| love
rather than one arising from neces
sity, the question then is should
we give in a way so that we do not
know we have given, or give direct
ly to the church. “Every man as
he purposeth in his heart, so let
him give; not grudgingly or of
necessity: for God lovelh a cheer
ful giver.” This is the^apostolic
rule andjuntil we can find a better
let us hold fast to it. If a man
does not purpose in his heart to
give any thing, and has to be en
ticed into it by a show or some
other similar something, then
let him keep bis gains and enjoy
them until God calls him hence.
All we have is the Lord's. Not
bow little but how much can I
give. God says to his people who
bring their offerings, “Prove me,
if I will not open you the win
dows of heaven, and poor you out
a blessing, that there shall not be
room enough to receive it” (Mai.
3 10).
Let ns hold fast to the “formal
principle of the Reformation,”
God’s word our rule for faith and
practice. W. B A.
Truth and nature are in their
very nature mighty and intolerant,
and must fight with and conqrer
falsehood and sin in any region of
this many regioned universe where
.they may meet.—Phillips Brooke.
Crime brings ita own punish
ment and.’.obedienc* l r >* own re
ward. * L Yet.man is h|i. » io see and
loth to accept this law of cause and
result. “Whatsoever a man sow-
etb, that shall he also reap.” This
is none the less true.today than it
was nineteen hundred years ago.
I r is true that men often suffer be
ta of others^sins, yet the chief
cause >>r our happiness or misery
must be^ uight, not without, but
within. Enemies and false friends
may cheat and malign, but there.is
something within beyond their
reach—conscience. This they can
not touch. ^ While conscience ap
proves, we are happy, though for
saken and alone. When shorn of
earthly wealth and honors, we in
stinctively look up up. The wounded
soldier lying on his back upon the
battlefield can look neither to the
right nor to the left, but he can
look up into the face of Deity.
The criminal whose conscience no
longer approves, but condemns,
when adversity comes, is bereft of
all. Sinful pleasure, money or
honor is his god, and when his
god no longer serves him or is
separated from him, [then comes
bitter despair. Little wonder that
many such seek to put an end to
their troubles by suicide. Even
if there were no life beyond, if we
would get the most out of this,
we must live virtuously and up
rightly. ‘ Godlinesses profitable
unto all things, having promise of
the life that now is and of that
which is to come.”
Some weeks ago au otherwise
good man, who had followed the
drink habit for a long time, said to
his friend: “The world seems so
much brighter to me now since I
have reformid and quit drinking.
Life is again worth living.” 0,
my friend, whatever sin or bad
habit you may have fallen into, re
form and stop it. Even this world
will put on new life and interest
for yon. You will see sunshine
throngb the cloud, you will hear
music in the breeze; you will find
a friend even in a supposed enemy.
And what moie! Eye bath cot
seen nor ear heard the things that
are in store for you in the beyond
J. P. Miller.
To be lost is to live in an un
regenerate condition, loveless and
unloved, and to be saved is to love;
and he that dwelleth in love dwell-
eth already in God. For God is
love.—Drnmmond.
THE CHILDREN AT CHURCH.
The Bible is the book for chil
dren in the Sunday school; is it
any less so when it is explaimed,
expounded and enforced iu the
pulpit! Our children eat the same
food with their parents at the table;
wby cannot they be fed with the
same spiritual food.if the minister
has the good sense; and the grace
to prepare it! All mere sensa
tional devices fail as completely
with the young as with the old;
they degrade God's house and Gos
pel m the estimation of sensible
people. “Preaching up to this
age” is a ivill o’-the wisp; the hu
man heart is just what it always
was, and God’s heavenly message
must come down to it, in all sim
plicity, burning earnestness and
winsome love.
Pastors and parents, the chil
dren must be reached, must be
brought to church, and must be
saved! The future of both church
aud ^country requires this. The
vital importance of this is not re
alized as it ought to be, and the
purpose of this plain article will
be reached if it sets both pastors
aud parents to thinking about it.
Cold, dry and formal services will
kill any church Warm, earnest,
practical services — in sermon,
song and prayer—will bring old
and young to church and bring
down the blessings of the Holy
Spirit —Canada Presbyterian.
Lutheran Lelpslc—The World’s Pub
lishing Metropolis.
This old university town has a
population of 400,000—not great
as compared with London, Greater
New York, Paris or Berlin. For
many decades, however, it has
stood at the head of the list as a
book-publishing and a book selling
center, both as to the number and
the value of the works it prints
and sells. It has 400 publishers
aud booksellers, and 5,000 Sims
in different parts of the world are
represented there by agents or
commissioners. From 2,500 to
3,000 new books are brought out
each year. The booksellers have
their own exchange and several
hundred members are seeh there
at least once in the year to settle
accounts.
Humility is the characteristic of
greet minds. Christ is the essence
of humility which prevails largely
in his followers.