THE RELATION OF PROPERTY 10 THE - SPREAD OF THE GOSPEL. 3 BY oe D. FIELD, | oF THE ROCK RIVER GON tacts slept a ~ Cincinnati: ‘a PRINTED Ar THE METHODIST BOOK CONCERN. —_— B. Pp. THOMPSON, PRINTER. Nile 3 ah pee. THE Helt-Hand Power of Christianity; OR, THE RELATION OF PROPERTY TO THE SPREAD OF THE GOSPEL. Awbag eis Maxsoomar, Bondnoov jury. Acts xvr, 9, BY A. D. FIELD, OF THE ROCK RIVER CONFERENCE, Gincinwytt: PRINTED AT THE METHODIST BOOK CONCERN. R. P. THOMPSON, PRINTER. 1856, i < 4 —- "i . 7 4 a | eee iby iS * peetor, LA, 4s rat o% >; ,4 % . 4 ‘ + oe 2 c soe I re _ & - e. a ' ei4 ee att. a fal ra O45 "2 es ‘ a aia t a Coc ee _ ¥% ’ rae wanes xaKo's RA Paul] a a é mad - a " waves ; a: 7 eta as ae ey i OD ss ae oes bare oo ae 0; fe a aS wt r . ir eit) “ 7 Ye Ps - i : on ee i een hie ts * a *; *. & PREFACE, Tue grace of God, the influence of the Holy Spirit, and the preaching of the word, must ever be the chief instrumentalities, or right-hand power of Christianity. But aux- iliary to these, and in full companionship therewith, we must place the moneyed “tal- ents” of our men of God. Hence, we shall not be accused of using an unmeaning term when we denominate property the left-hand power of the Gospel. The work which we here present to the reader, is called forth by the “revival” of the work of benevolence in the Churches at the present time. For many ages the hearts of men, in- thralled by rites and mummeries, did not flow out in streams of beneficence beyond the pre- cincts of their own homes. Luther threw off the thralldom and mummeries of Popery, and led the people to liberty in Christ. Ae 4. PREFACR. and his coadjutors developed more fully this liberty, and painted, in lines of living light, the privilege and duty of a new and holy life. Since then the sanctifying power of grace has béen diffusing like leaven m the hearts of Christians. Now that salvation which has raised them to newness of life has begun to direct their eyes abroad. There is throughout the length and breadth of the Churches a perceptible decay of selfishness and corresponding growth of benevolence. Men, moved by the Holy Spirit, have gone out to labor in the vineyard, preaching the Gospel to every creature; and now the ques- tion of the sustenance of these men of God comes back to us for solution. The spirit of the Christian age is being revolutionized; and we would add a breath, if possible, to the expanding influence which is now opening the hearts of the people. There is a hopeful outgushing of Christian feeling, which this pamphlet is designed to promote. It aims to explain and enforce the duty of Christian be- neficence—beneficence large, systematic, and Scriptural. To this purpose the author dedicates his PREFACE, 5 effort; and especially to the benevolent mem- bers of CLARK-STREET CHURCH, CHICAGO. Upon these brethren, with whom the author was trained up in the nurture and admoni- tion of the Lord, and upon this effort to do good, he asks the blessings of the great Head of the Church. cei vat: ited ie aiomhis Bi eae senseilee ce ob OF Hele. ate shgye Inte Soe alte a ‘ot nadlacgecsviihe ro uM . aia he ca ee fo heater = ort tee: Deak PON M iti Fae ek =? A oie, Gy RE LSA me . at } "¢ re a ty ER oth Sie woe: : eet Boa fri) : ; Pen ae eae Dn tv Ling al : ae: oN i a4 7 Ag aoe ess tt we. 4 Br] ; pl _ i q nt ¢ q a 7 mh, > OB Pe ies S ae Bs » ail heal ; is pr 442 ine ar ‘ i 5 a} a) ae ig da yee it * ech : : ipa i vt ie eS pick SW Mae wegen gotta hte ce ae Baus nh 4 mes fel it ; 5a ahs Sane wf eae | “i 2 ke ii Coie | thai etal S «Pia oes ton” y be ss r pe } pe ? o he s Wh ~ oe Che Left Hand Potwer of Christianity. CHAPTERT. THE CALLS FOR BENEVOLENCE., Sryce man has fallen from the image of God, and lost his hold upon heaven; since he has broken the chain of love that bound him to the throne, God has used every means to restore him to his lost estate. A great scheme of redemption has been devised, and ample means of salvation placed in man’s reach: while such provisions have been made, God has committed to men—men saved by the power of this salvation—the soul-enno- “bling privilege of being agents in the work of the Lord, and of bestowing back upon their fellows what they themselves have re- ceived from the hands of God. God, in a word, has made men his agents in the great work of reopening the sin-closed Eden of purity and love on earth, ins re- 8 LEFT-HAND POWER OF CHRISTIANITY. storing men to God and heaven. Charity, or love—as the word should be—is the great propelling power which moves men in this work. Charity should begin its mission at home; then spread abroad like the blaze of sunlight, till it compasses the whole world. Let us look for a moment at some of the fields of labor which open before us—fields already white unto the harvest. 1. Our youth need the culture of the Gospel. Many have seemed to think that nothing more is necessary in saving sinners than to let them grow up in any way they please, and then be gathered into the Church at some revival season. This is by no means sufh- cient. Men are subject to culture, as much so as the plants of a garden. Men’s hearts are like the fallow soil. If let alone, weeds and tares will take the ground. If fruits are ever gathered, there must be sowing and culture. The little hands must be clasped in prayer, the mind enlightened, and the heart molded. ‘There must be continual cul- ture that virtues may grow, and evils be exterminated, and religion find a genial seat in the youthful heart. Next to home and a pious mother’s prayers, the influences of a Sabbath school are most blessed of God to the good of the young. The Sunday school THE CALLS FOR BENEVOLENCE. 9 is being made a great engine to stay the tide of evil, and spread salvation. Many are apt to conclude, when multitudes come into the Church at revivals, that they never were the subjects of conviction before— that the Spirit then and there visited them for the first time. Often all the credit is given to the man who is the particular agent in carrying on the revival, when most of the credit—so far as instrumentalities are con- cerned—will be given by Him who seeth in secret to the efforts of pious mothers and the labors of the Sabbath school teacher. These silent, unobtrusive workings have been pre- paring the heart, and the revival only de- velops these impressions into active, living energy by a happy conversion. In your giv- ing, despise not the Sabbath school. 2. The ministry is to be sustained. This is essential to public worship. God has ordained faithful men to proclaim the Gospel, and sends them forth to labor. We sit under their preaching, and rejoice in the blessings of the Gospel. Hach one of these ministers must leave his means of lying—his trade or what not—and go out where, at his temporal calling, he can not gain a livelihood. He must then lean upon that means of sup- port which the Bible promises to the laborer 10 LEFT-HAND POWER OF CHRISTIANITY. in the vineyard: “The laborer is worthy of his hire.” Whenever a society requires and demands the labors of a minister, they become responsible for his support, and they should never evade it. In this matter there is one thing not suf- ficiently considered. There are on every cir- cuit and near every station destitute parts— home missionary ground. Here the people need the warnings and comforts of the Gos- pel; but at present they have not the means, or, perhaps, not the disposition, to support a laborer among themselves. Christian men, shall not the minister go there? And does not God call upon you to make up these per- sons’ lack of service? Though charity begins at home, it should not remain there. It should fly abroad, scat- tering to earth’s remotest bounds the bless- ings of salvation. Dow, when converted, said he wanted to fly the earth over to tell the people all about the Savior, and then fly away and be at rest! The soul lit up by a heavy- enly radiance, should uncover and lift up its light to the world. Every-where there is a call for aid. God is sending Europe to our very doors, that we may present them the Gospel of peace. ‘The Chinaman is coming to California for gold, THE CALLS FOR BENEVOLENCE. 11 where the Christian may meet him with the richer treasure of the Gospel, and preach to him the glad tidings. Looking out upon other lands, what calls for help come over to us! Macedonian cries come up from the night of heathendom, wail- ing out supplications for help. LKthiopia is stretching out her hands to us, and may ere- long lift up her hands to God. The islands of the seas are beckoning tous. Every-where the earth resounds with the call for missionary help. It is the call of unsaved men. I believe God has raised up the Christians of America, and the Methodists especially, to respond to these calls—to be ever ready to rush into these fields as the gates of entrance shall open. Heretofore the call has not been so great as now, since access could not be had to the people. Now the fields are open and white for the harvest. The revolutions of recent years have given a new cast to the senti- ments of the people. They—of Europe espe- cially—are ready to hear why America pros- pers so pre-eminently; and that information they will the more readily listen to when given by American lips. Our religion has made a people of us in this our happy FREDONIA, and our religion—the religion of God—they 12 LEFT-HAND POWER OF CHRISTIANITY. will respect, and, in some measure, receive. Catholicism has driven the people to skepti- cism, and with their skepticism they are con- tinually coming over here, to ruin us with their wild notions. Why not send the Gos- pel over there—to France, to Germany, to Italy—to purify the fountain whence these infidelities flow ? Germany is especially an inviting field.! Germany, it may be said, never had a truly- pure Gospel—a pure faith. Christianity was not introduced into the Northland till it had become defiled by Roman corruptions. Its progress was only a political change. When Luther arose Germany was in total darkness. Superstitions of every kind prevailed, and it would have been a wonder if in a lifetime Lu- ther should have thrown off alZ the inthrall- ments that bound him. All praise to Luther! We doubt not God owned his labors on earth and crowned him in heaven; but Luther never saw the light which we behold. And he had no sooner risen than powerful allies joined him, and many of them on political grounds. After Luther was gone to his God the evan- gelical work was staid. Catholicism, with its mummeries, gave way to a milder and more Bible-like Protestantism; but this .Protestant- ism, being used to further political ends, be- THE CALLS FOR BENEVOLENCE. is came paralyzed, and, being hugged to the heart of the state, its light went out, and it sank into a form. Germany at present contains the greatest minds of the age; and many of these, in emerging from Church mummeries, have leaped into doubt and skepticism. They have run into a rationalistic philosophy little above— if not below—the systems of heathen Plato and Socrates—a philosophy which absorbs and envelops the mind, but does not save the soul. Latterly they have hailed the moonstruck rev- eries of Parker. Surely they of Germany need—if any one needs—the pure spirit of Jesus to be diffused among them. We may say, there are none all over Germany who feel the power of grace and redeeming love. Shall not this land have the Gospel? Jacoby and his coadjutors have gone over, and already the German shout of joy has come to us across the Atlantic, to cheer our hearts and encour- age us in the good work of German missions. The Methodists have a conference in France, and this is bearing down upon Italy. In that region many Catholic countries are becoming accessible. We may hope that erelong old Rome herself may receive the glad word. And there is Africa—poor, downtrodden Africa—what shall be done for her? Libe- 14 LEFT-HAND POWER OF CHRISTIANITY. ria, as all know, is a colony of free negroes and emancipated slaves. The Gospel is ex- erting its power there, making men of the negroes. Liberia stands as a key to all the native tribes, and through it the whole land may be penetrated with the Gospel of peace. China in the past has been nearly a closed door; but the doings of afew years past have brought about a new state of things. What shall I say of the Indian—poor In- dian of the wood? We have his lands: shall we not at least give him the bread of life— the consolations of the Gospel? Pity now the poor red man, whose withering fate You’ve read long since in many a border tale! And now send out to him, before it is too late, Some blessing which shail cheer him ere he fail. Shall not the yearning heart which missions all the earth, Bring in these exiled ones unto our brotherhood? Hold out the hand of fellowship; let love go forth, And bring him to our hearts, poor Indian of the wood! Ay to our hearts, poor Indian of the wood! I have glanced at the opening fields. In- struments are ready to enter them. Almost every Babel tongue of earth may read the word of the Lord in its own dialect. And men are not wanting. I have no doubt that men might be raised up by hun- dreds to enter the mission-field. The very spirit of Christianity is a missionary spirit; THE CALLS FOR BENEVOLENCE. 15 and so long as there are Christ-loving Chris- tians at home, there will be those who will be ready to go abroad. You have heard of the exclamation that is said to have been made by Melville B. Cox, our first missionary to Africa. Before leay- ing for his work, he went to bid his mother good-by. She—O tender-hearted mother !— fell upon his neck, and wept out, “O, Mel- ville, how can I give you up!’ Whereupon he, from the fullness of his heart, exclaimed, “OQ Africa, how can I give thee up!” At another time he is said to have exclaimed, ‘Though a thousand fall, let not Africa be given up!” ‘That spirit has not yet departed from the Church. Though a Cox has fallen and gone to his reward, many a yearning heart cries out, ““O heathen world, how can I give thee up!” Brethren, sisters, provide the means; God will provide the men. The way in which God does this is sometimes marvelous in our eyes. Not. many years ago a young German came over to America, and here God converted his soul. After a time he visited his friends in the father-land. It was about the time brother Jacoby went over there. Young Wunderlich began to tell his friends, in a simple manner, what God had done for him. 16 LEFT-HAND POWER OF CHRISTIANITY. The simple story of the cross took hold upon their hearts. He appointed meetings for prayer, and in these meetings he would add a few words of exhortation. Soon the peo- ple began to gather in to hear his experience, and, ere he was aware of it, he was preach- ing to them—was proclaiming the good news of salvation. God will raise up men. If they will not go out willingly, he will thrust them out be- fore they know it. In the days of Mor- monism in Illinois, in the county where the Mormons resided, the Methodist societies nearly all ran down. In one place there was a thriving class which was left without preaching. Most of the class were young persons and females. The leader was a timid brother, who took no very active part in religious matters. At last the Mormons came in on the little class, and were about to make proselytes of its members. The hitherto timid leader rallied his little band, and talked to them in an encouraging manner. Soon the Mormons came down on him. He stood up like a man, surprised at his own powers, and defended the little society against the storm. He held meetings and exhorted, till his tal- ents became developed and known. ver since he has been a useful preacher. THE CALLS FOR BENEVOLENCE. mh We have, then, access—access to the peopled earth; we have the translated word; we have the men, or the promise of them; what lack we yet? Why, Church of God, the means— the means to carry on the Christian warfare is what we want. Men have given themselves, and hazarded their lives for the promotion of the Gospel. Are there not men lying at ease at home, surrounded with the good things of this life, who are willing to do as much by the gift of goods as others have done by the gift of themselves? 2 . 18 LEFT-HAND POWER OF CHRISTIANITY. CHAPTER II. MEN ARE STEWARDS. I HAVE spoken of the call for benevolence; let us now look at the thing itself. The hinge upon which the whole system of benevolence hangs is the significant fact, that all we have belongs to God. ‘Ye are not your own,” but are “bought with a price.” I regard man as a being let down upon earth amid the treasuries of the Lord. Whatsoever any man has around him belongs to God, the giver of all our blessings. Think, for a moment, of a man eee set down in ate midst of np and surrounded with all the glories of the upper world—the trees of life; the river, the streams whereof make glad the city of God; the golden pal- aces, the mansions of light, the harp and the crown—and then to think of this man, so highly blessed, refusing to God any of the riches that are there! ‘Think of a man hoard- ing and clutching the glories of heaven! Niggardliness would be as much out of place in heaven as love is scarce in hell. And does MEN ARE STEWARDS. 19 not the Christian profess to breathe the spirit of heaven? And shall he then keep back from God’s cause the things which already are the Lord’s? It is a very common thing to hear persons in a Methodist class-room express the thought: ‘¢All I have and am, I owe under God to Methodism.” What is the meaning of all this? Is it mere twaddle? Verily it is not. It may be repeated by some till it has be- come an unmeaning expression; but, after all, there is very much of truth in the idea. Let us see. A young man is cast out into the world— perhaps you, reader—he is poor; he has no friends; he is wild and wayward; already he has begun to turn his steps toward the way of sin. Pleasures allure; dissipation comes in. He is hanging fearfully upon that pre- carious declivity, down whose sloping sides are dissipation, sloth, and crime. Just now the Church takes him up. He strays into a Meth- odist meeting, or any other meeting, if you please; his heart is touched; he gives his hand to the Church and himself to God. Now he has a home; now he has brethren who encourage him and hold up his hands. For once he feels he is standing in the great arena of time—feels himself a responsible 90 LEFT-HAND POWER OF CHRISTIANITY. immortal. He enters into business, and, sus- tained by religion and religious associations, he prospers in the world. He is now sur- rounded with blessings; loved and respected by all. Well he may say that he owes all he is, under God, to Methodism. On the one hand, we see him going on as a sinner till he becomes a worthless vagabond; and on the other, through the guidance of his religion, becoming a man in the world. Methodism is but an instrument in the hands of God; and though the prospering Christian may give somewhat of praise to the means, yet, after all, it is God—the power of his religion—which has done it all. God has wrought out his salvation, using Methodism as the instrumentality. To God be all the glory! Shall we not acknowledge our obli- gations by gifts to the cause of God? The Christian, whoever he be, stands as a God-made man. The path of divine life has been the way which has led him on to honor and to happiness. In the light of this truth, how much, reader—if thou art the man—how much of all this which has come to thee from the hand of the Lord, how much wilt thou return as a free-will offering to God that gave it? In the light of the Bible, reader, you are MEN ARE STEWARDS. ren but a steward. Look at the parable of the talents. 1. The lord owned all. 2. It was committed in trust. 38. To some much; to others less. 4. He demanded the returns, and called to an account. You, brother, have talents. They may be gifts of intellect, or great influence, or wealth. Whatever they are, be diligent to improve them, for the Lord shall call to an account. You will say, by your own efforts you have gained what youhave. But who gave you the mind that has managed, the skill that has wrought? and whose blessings upon all have increased your store? Answer me, thou pen- sioner upon the bounties of the Lord! The children, for instance, God gives to a man are yet in the hands of the Lord, and often he recalls his own. And, Christian par- ent, as you look upon the dear ones gone in advance, to swell the company of the re- deemed, there to await your arrival, say, do you wish the loved ones back again? Would you pluck them from before the throne, and bring them back to the earth’s cold shades? Do you not rather often rejoice that you have a member of your own family living as a representative in the kingdom of heaven? Your wealth is—or should be—also, thus at the disposal of God; and if it flows out to 22. LEFT-HAND POWER OF CHRISTIANITY. bless the world, returning blessings on your head, and adding to your final rewards, would you bring back again gifts that have been dispensed? Would you not rather send out more to swell the rolling river of salvation which flows out to a fallen world? ‘‘ See where the servants of the Lord, A busy multitude appear ; For Jesus day and night employed, His heritage they toil to clear; The love of Christ their hearts constrains, And strengthens their unwearied hands.” A TRUE VIEW. 23 CHAPTER III. A TRUE VIEW. To a great extent, conversion is turning the bent of our natures from a bad, death- bound channel into a good and heavenward one. ‘The converted man exhibits much the same propensities as he did when unsaved, only they are developed in a religious way. There is much resemblance—and ought to be more—between our religious doings and our temporal concerns. But im religion we let things go too much at a hap-hazard rate. We are governed too much by whims and impulses. A man’s temporalities would soon ‘““go to rack’’ if he proceeded in temporal matters as he does too often in religious con- cerns. In worldly affairs a man would do poorly, indeed, if he relied upon chance. What kind of a farmer would he be who would give way to such hopes as these? “I wish some one would sow wheat for me.” “J wish some lucky wind would blow grass- seed into my lot, that I might have a meadow.” “J wish fruit-trees would grow in my orchard, 24 LEFT-HAND POWER OF CHRISTIANITY. that I may have fruit.” “I wish an angel would superintend and mature the harvest.” The farmer does not thus. He goes to work and sows his grain; sows his grass-seed; sets out his orchard. He expects to sow if he would reap. But many religious persons are heard wail- ing out their slothful moan: “I wish a good preacher would come along, and preach me happy.” ‘I wish there would come a revival, that I might regain my enjoyment.” “Ido wonder why the Gospel does not spread more in heathen lands.”” Why, doleful man, if you would be blessed, you must work, and live, and labor for your blessing. Prayers, and wishes, and heart-sighs are well enough in their place; but they alone, according to the just economy of heaven, will not convert the great monster heathendom. God has given this work to you, and will use you and your means to convert the world. Our benevolent doings are supported in too much of a slipshod manner. Many men pay a preacher or give something to the mission cause whenever they happen to have money by them; or, perchance, whenever they happen to feel like it! Temporal affairs are not man- aged in this way. No, no. If you hire a man, you expect to pay him daily wages. If A TRUE VIEW. 25 you borrow money, you make every purpose bend toward paying the interest. So it should be in religious affairs. Who are ye that are just to men, but are forgetful of God? The preacher should be paid on principle, and all good causes should be supported by system. The parable of the talents teaches that every man has talents, and that these talents are on interest. Different persons possess different gifts. One has the natural talent of mind; another has this world’s goods; both possess these gifts as a trust. The tal- ented man—as a Luther, a Wesley, or a Byron—is amenable to God for the proper improvement of the gifts he possesses. The same law is binding on the man of wealth. At conversion God asks a full surrender of every thing; that is, an acknowledgment that all belongs to him. And when all things are given up—lands, family, fame, self—God gives them all back into the hands of the pardoned man, with this mjunction, “Occupy till I come.” The wealth of the rich man is, then, noth- ing but a loan. If the interest is not paid, fear thou, God-blessed man, lest your pos- sessions rust and grow moth-eaten in your hands. 296 LEFT-HAND POWER OF CHRISTIANITY. The world is ready to censure a minister of the Gospel if he shrinks from the cross, or refuses to go to Africa or the sea islands; but what greater obligation is the minister un- der, I ask you, to go out than you, man of wealth, are to furnish the means to send him out? I knew a minister who located, and went into business, and, in lieu of his own services, he paid a preacher’s salary to do the work he himself had run away from. This man, I presume, had no right, in the Master’s eye, to leave his work; but, having left it, he judged rightly when he thought it becoming him to furnish a substitute. God required the first-born of the Israel- ites, but took, in lieu, beasts as offerings; so God has a demand—an equal demand on every man. Of some he asks personal serv- ice in the ministry; of others, equivalents in the products of business life. God needs offerings for Africa. He calls out by his providence, ‘‘Who will go?” A Melville Cox answers, ‘“‘ Here am I; send me.”’ But Melville is poor; he can not furnish means of support; what shall be done? Here we see the true province of the rich man—as a Lunt, a Goodrich, an Evans, or a Waughop— as he comes up offering his money, saying, A TRUE VIEW. pf ‘‘ Here, Lord, are thy gifts tome; take them.” In this manner the work becomes reciprocal. The missionary gives hemself, and the per- son of property—as a Marcley, a Royal, a Putnam, or a Creamer—gives his means to the work. One by the living voice goes out proclaiming the glad tidings; while the other by hallowed gifts is doing the same good work. There is a promise that the sower shall “doubtless return again, bringing his sheaves with him.” The God-loving, faithful minister of the Gospel and the missionary of the cross shall doubtless have a large share in those gathered sheaves; but they shall not be alone in this matter. No. The faithful giver, who gives with a pure motive, shall bear up to the throne a large portion of sheaves, when the great harvest shall come. One man gives himself to the work; another books and Bibles. Both may look with cer- tainty for a reward. In London, at one time, there were two poor shoemakers working together. They both found favor with God, and at once were inspired with a missionary spirit.. They looked out with yearning heart upon the wicked rab- ble of the great city. They felt like going about the streets and by-ways of London, scattering the good seed of the kingdom. 28 LEFT-HAND POWER OF CHRISTIANITY. But they were poor, and, if they should quit their labor, they would come to want. They adopted this expedient: one went out and spent his time doing good; while the other worked in the shop, supporting them both. In this case we see a new way opened. We can all be missionaries, both ministers and laymen. And, surely, the men of business ought to do a good share, seeing they are permitted to stay at home, enjoying every domestic privilege; while the missionary goes out into the storm, facing the foe, meeting the pestilence, leaving home, severing the dearest ties that earth can know. As to each man’s proportion, there can be but one opinion. That opinion is found in 1 Corinthians xvi, 1, 2. If you will be at the trouble to read this passage, you will find that the contributions were general. Paul had given the same order to the Churches of Galatia. It is a moral obligation—Paul gives order. It was to be done systematic- ally; they were to do it on the “first day of the week.” The measure of their benevolence was “‘ac- cording as the Lord had prospered them.” The rich were not to measure their gifts by the gifts of the poor, but according to their prosperity in worldly affairs. A TRUE VIEw. 29 God will accept and dless the widow’s mite— and the widow—as he does the much of the rich. IT have heard of a rich Methodist, who of- fered the preacher a shilling, remarking that he had made an estimate, and had found that the proportion of quarterage to each member per quarter was one shilling. Here this pelf- burdened and pelf-hardened man was meas- uring himself, who had thousands, with widows and orphans who had nothing. The same man would not let his daughter join the Church, fearing their quarterage would be increased! Thank God, there are compara- tively few such in the Church! And thank God once more, that men are on the increase whose hearts are large, and who do in a man- ner far different from the man just named! We are glad to know that men are awaking to the truth, that they are God’s stewards— God’s agents in bringing lost Eden to earth again. But let us look more closely at our general manner of giving. We find the whole concern of our benevo- lence is as precarious as the wind. We pay when our hearts are besieged with a force we can not resist. Who, for instance, sits down in his chamber and calculates the amount he 30 LEFT-HAND POWER OF CHRISTIANITY. ought to give to the mission cause? If the man is a merchant, he calculates his figures very nicely when thinking of property invest- ments; but who enters into calculations con- cerning investments in the treasury of the Lord? How is our missionary money or our preach- er’s salary raised? We get up meetings; the truths of the case are stated; men feel under the glowing appeals of speakers, and under the fire-impulse they will give their ten, fifteen, or twenty dollars; and then perchance the next day, when ardor is gone, will wonder how they were led to give so much. Other influences than the truth are also at work in these meetings. Men often give to keep up a reputation; give because excite- ment is running high. Bountiful gives his twenty, and the niggard Clincher will not be beaten by Bountiful, and another “twenty” is procured; not, however, as a gift to the Lord; not because Clincher’s heart yearned over dying heathen; not because he feels himself a steward, paying out to God the profits of those amounts God has committed to his care; but it is paid as a sacrifice on am- bition’s altar—paid as a witness that Clincher could not brook a rival. Heaven knows the mission cause needs all these twenty-dollar A TRUE VIEW. OF bills; the cause cries out for them; but what is needed is that these gifts—good in them- selyes—should come as free-will offerings of the heart; come as love-tokens from the crea- ture to the Creator—love-tokens to our per- ishing brotherhood in heathendom. The moneyed man, knowing of a prospect- ive railroad to be constructed, sits him down and calculates how much of his means he can spare for investment in railroad stock. Or if a merchant, he calculates the amount of his custom, the amount of each article he will dispose of, and all his orders are made out in reference to his calculations, and with reference to the profits of each article. If he would prosper, all his concerns are man- aged in a systematic manner. So should our giving be managed. The Christian feels that investments in the work of the Lord pay. He knows he has a con- tinual reward for all he does, and he feels that nothing invested in a worthy cause is lost. And then with this view, he calculates with system his gifts. There are questions to be asked in a review of this matter. Lis- ten to his musings. ‘How much has God given to me? If a man had bestowed upon me the property I possess, how much interest would I expect to pay? And now how much 32 LEFT-HAND POWER OF CHRISTIANITY. do I want out in the vineyard of the Lord? The preacher is giving himself; not giving him- self by impulse, not preaching when aroused to it, but every day he is employed for God. He counts not his life dear, so he may but win souls. Had he refused to go at his Mas- ter’s bidding, and gone into business, he might have heaped up the world around him as I have done. He has talents, and might have lived in luxury and ease, as Ido now. But he has given the best and greatest of gifts— himself! Iam permitted to get gain and to enjoy the world. The minister has done no more than his duty, and Jam under as much obligation as he; andif the minister has given himself, how much ought I to give to balance the account, and to do as much in my sphere as the minister has done in his?” Such are the soliloquies of a Christ-like mind. And viewing the matter from such a stand- point, he looks out the objects for investment, and gives according to his means. He feels, for instance, that he ought to have fifty dol- lars in the mission funds—not fifty dollars now and then, when compelled to it by the importunity of one whose heart is larger than his own; but fifty dollars yearly, and to be paid regularly, whether called upon or not. And so should other causes receive their A TRUE VIEW. 83 annual dividends. Above all, there should be a contingent fund, to be dispensed as free- will offerings when peculiar occasions require. We must need keep up our missionary meetings, for there always will be a class impelled by impulse, who will give when waked up; but for the mass of our funds we, as a Church, should be enabled to de- pend on the system gifts of our benevolent members. Let us view this subject in another light. Preachers of the Gospel are of various tal- ents, and the peculiar work of each is a work required to be done. One is a revivalist; an- other is a good pastoral visitor; while yet another is good at righting up the affairs of the Church; while yet others have no other quality but that of being flaming pulpit orators. It were vain to expect every man to be perfect in all these things. How are these preachers supported? I fear too much by impulse.