W "v
The Commoner
OCTOBER,
1922
9
t Tarael: "Even from the days of
oWdTSSrB ye are gono away from the ordi
jr fatflhnd have not kept them."
Djnces, anu md 0ftj.repeated indictment,
T I holds out the same hope that other
PjftSra imto me, and I will return unto you,
Uhe Lord of hoats." -
5,:: civlng utterance to this general com-
i Malachi becomes speciflc. He employs
plaint oldegt and most effective forms of
one L. im asks questions and answers them
rtumeun "w ., fnn1ICoa nttnnHnn iinn
himself-
tbe p fnrnlbly than it can be. presented without
rauoBtlon. The interrogation point is like
l? L nt railroad crossings; it leads one to
The question focuses attention upon
". .-f nnf tlie UUOYYUJl uicoouvq tuo uuui
the signal ra , uuu
A SEARCHING QUESTION.
-Will a man rob God?" That is a searching
nation. How can a man be willing to rob God
1 he has any conception "of what he owes to
GSomo men talk about being self-made; ques
tion them When did they begin to make them
lekes? How did they lay the foundations (of
their greatness?
If any man is inclined to be boastful of what
he has done, let him set down cm a piece of paper
lt will not take much paper all that he
thinks he is, all that even he can consider worth
eomputing.
Then let him subtract that which is due to in
heritance and see how much more comes to him
by descent than he himself can add. Who would
exchange for anything that he himseW can do
the fact that he was born c(f a race with centur
ies of civilization back of it?
And then let him subtract that which has
eome to him through the environments of youth
the ideals and the opportunities that have
made it possible to accomplish whatever he has
accomplished.
When he has subtracted thart which has come
to him by inheritance and that which he has re
ceived through environment, the remainder will
not bo great enough to flatter his vanity. He
will be ready to express himself in the language
of Lincoln's favorito poem, "Oh, why should the
spirit of mortal be proud?"
And yet, God's children, though the recipients
of God's bounty every day of their lives, some
times are willing to rob Him. Malachi, speaking
for God, said to the children of Israel, "Yet ye
rob me."
BEHOLD THE PROMISE!
Then he suggests another question that goes
to the root of the matter "Wherein have we
robbed thee?" And the answer is, "In tithes
and offerings." But behold the promise that is
embodied in the following verse:
"Bring yo 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."
?ero Is our central thought what are the
tithes that we owe to God? One-tenth was the
amount the children of Israel were expected to
turn into the treasury, a tenth of all their in
comes. Is it practical? Entirely so. Millions have
rnw it successfully, it is the easiest way to
One knows just how much he has in his tithe
account and his only task is the wise distribu-
21 .that of which he but a steward. He
joes not havo to spend time calculating wheth-
nni? Van nff0I,(1 t0 respond to requests; he has
1Mb i cmPare the claims upon the fund and
inated (1Imcult when selfish interest is elim-
hfaNSne ,ls cmDetent to judge in a case when
inLvI ary interests is on one side and the
uiorests of others on the opposite side, but one
ln i BQ justly and -decide wisely when his
T18Ion not clouded by self.
Tm, WHAT TITHES WOULD DO
Whnl , Uld G(luiP tne church for its work.
fff0Ut!d lt mean t0 th0 church if it could
comft It n,Its, activities a tenth' part of the in
Dart nf ThrlBtIans? Wnat Is tleir proportionate
yearn oeTt0tal income of the country? A few
tlca nmF0.1 nad 'occasion to look up the statis
thren h und that tho country was spending
it snont ea as much for intoxicating liquors as
for Zi u education, and fives times as much
ligiouE f wShStfes8 aB :t contriuted t0 a11 re"
waentare, PMts.of our country in which
tod vi neI"ier churches nor Sunday schools,
m tne spiritual intaan is that which con-
P'rativelt ihRe.lPir!Ln-d8 nourishment aS in,
ENTWINING SPIRITUAL AND INTEL
t. , LECTUAL
It is difficult to estimate the addition in the
moral strength of our nation that v d co
Xhe, ftaf of the spiritual wUh the in
tellectual in the education of our boys and girls
nnfnf nG an ,,?ux Emigration from all
parts of the world. The blood of every land is
mixed with tho blood of America and these peo
ple help to shape the destiny of the world's
greatest republic. Those who are attempting to
assimilate and to instruct this new element are
woefully lacking in the necessary funds.
In other lands people await tho light of the
Gospel- wait because the funds are lacking
with" which to carry the Gospel:
Our nation does more than any other nation
for those who live under foreign flags, more in
altruistic ways that yield no direct pecuniary re
turns. The Christian church of America has
established centers of civilization all over the
world. While our nation does not claim that its
drum beat is heard around tho world, that the
sun never sets upon one of these centers of civil
ization, established by American benevolence,
before it rises upon another. But how much
more could be done if funds were only available!
LINKING HAPPINESS TO VIRTUE
While duty is the largest word in the lan
guage and ought to be a sufficient incentive to
givjng, still God's Word is full of promises that
link man's happiness to his virtue his prosper
ity to his righteousness. The first Psalm begins
with a lofty appeal to man's highest interest:
"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the
counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way
of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scorn
ful." The connection between obedience to God and
man's welfare is repeatedly pointed out and em
phasized. Christ used the same argument in the
Beatitudes blessed, ever blessed, is the promise
to those who do the will of God.
And so Malachi represents God as promising
to reward those who bring "all the tithes into
the storehouse." God will "open you the win
dows of heaven, and pour you ou a blessing,
that there shall not be room enough to receive
it." Who has ever suffered because he dealt
justly with God? "There is that scattereth, and
yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth
"more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. The
liberal soul shall bo made fat; and he that
watereth shall be watered also himself."
CONTRIBUTIONS AND INVESTMENTS
" Some years ago I was in a party where the
subject of giving was discussed. One recalled
an instance; he said that he never knew but one
man who, in his judgment, gave too liberally.
The man afterward failed in business, without
fault of his own, and was in need. t
The person who was describing the incident
met this benevolent man after he had been re-
duced to poverty ami buiu iu "", y
only man whom L ever met who, in my judg-
only man wuoiu j, cygi m -i ,- --"
ment, gave too liberally." Tears came into the
" -".I -, fc roniiPfi. "That which I gave is
all that I have left; that which I did not give, I
10 We get more satisfaction out of that which wo
Bive than we do out of that which we spend on
ourselves. Our contributions are our investments
ad the dividends that they earn are large and
unfailing they grow with the years.
There is a moral philosophy that cannot be
ignored i one would measure life in a large way,
11? that giving is necessary to spiritual growth,
Sd that Spiritual growth is necessary to wise
liVWhen we give because we ought to give-be-
wo stopped cuuttehe proo i the
fore giving. Wearew a u i hMp.
rufgiver3 hUasn p? oTenTby Kwn experiences.
f ui giver has p WING SPRING
,4i SShPst described as an over
Tho Christian life is best deacr
flowing spring that .pour s orm hag
and rejoices in its ab I ity l0 Uo he say3 tll6
added a thought to thibmustrg .
&JE&& 2T slnk int0 the
Hjs" its rlpples
soom like laughter, It is unconscious of tho hap
pmosB it gives. But man can find in giving a
real delight, for ho has not only tho conscious
ness of duty done but tho gratitudo of thoso who
benefit by his bounty.
"Will a man rob God?" '"Bring yo all tho
tithes into tho storehouse, that there may bo
meat in mino house, and prove mo now here
with, said the Lord of hosts."
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE OLD
TESTAMENT STUDY
By WILLIAM JENNINGS BIIYAN
B-IBLE TEXT LESSON FOR OCTOBER 1
(Luko 1:8-22)
And It came to pass that while Hq exocutod tho
priests's olllco boforu God in tho ordor of hie
courHe.
According to the custom of tho prloat'B ofTloc, his
lot was to burn Inccnso whon ho wont Into tho
temple of the Lord.
And the whole multitude of tho people woro
praying without at the time of InoenRO.
And whon ZaeharlaB flaw him, ho was troubled,
and fear fell upon him.
But the angel said unto him, Foar not, Zaoharlas:
for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Ifllisaboth
shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his naino
John.
And thou shalt havo joy and gladnoss; and many
shall rejoice at his birth.
For he shall be great In tho sight of tho Lord,
and shall drink neither wlno nor strong drink; and
he shall be filled with tho Holy Ghost, oven from
his mother's womb.
And many of the children of Israel shall ho turn
to the Lord their God.
And he shall go before him In tho spirit arid pow
er of Ellas, to turn the hoarts of tho fathers to
the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of
the just; to make ready a people prepared for tho
Lord.
And Zacharlas said unto the angel, "Whereby
shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my
wife well stricken In years.
And the angel answering said unto him, I am
Gabriel, that stand In tho presence of God; and am
sent to speak unto thee, and to show thoo thcBO
glad tidings.
And, behold, thou shalt bo dumb, and not ablo
to speak, until the day that these things arc pre
formed, becauso thou bcllovost not my words,
which shall be fulfilled In their season.
And tlie people waited for Zacharlas, and mar
velled that ho tarried so long In tho temple.
And when he came out, ho could not speak unto
them: and they perceived that ho had seen a vlBlon
in the temple: -for he beckoned unto them, and re
mained speechless.
A multitude of books was written before it,
ever swelling multitude has been written since,
yet the Gospel of Luke, by general assent of
both the sacred and profane world, still stands .
out, in the words of Renan, as "the most beau
tiful book ever written."
But it is more than that; it is tho mot won
derful and complete account ever Written of the
most wonderful series of ovents the world has
ever known the birth, life, death and resur
rection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
No Christian can fully understand Christ's
earthly mission unless ho knows tho Gospel o.f
Luke.
Written for tho Gentiles all tho other
Gospels were written for the Jews Luke's is
the longest and records more of Christ's mira
cles than any other.
It is especially worthy of note that this Gospel,
written by a highly educated man a musician,
a painter a poet, and learned-also in his pror
fession of medicine gives us a minute account
of the virgin birth of Christ and exalts child
hood and womanhood.
As one Bible authority so well puts it, "This
is pre-eminently the Gospel of childhood, the
Gospel of womanhood, the Gospel for the poor
and tho outcasts. It is tho Gospel of song and
praise. It is tho Gospel that emphasizes the hu
man side of the Saviour."
This Gospel, from the pen of one who was a
Greek slave at the time of his conversion to
Christianity, is also marked as being the only
one of the four Gospels that gives us an account
of the promise and birth of John the Baptist. It
is with that promise made by God to Zacharias
that his wife should bear him a son, to whom
should bo given the name John, that this most
wonderful of all books opens. And therein lies
our text today.
Zacharias was a priest and it was his let to be
in the temple of the Lord on that day and to
burn incense. Outside "tho whole multitude oi
the people were praying." An angel of the
Lord Gabriel, one of the two angels mentioned
by name in the Bible appeared unto Zacharias.
Gabriel has been described as the messenger of
jnercy Michael as the messenger of wrath.
Zacharias and his wife Elisabeth had desired
a son, not only as children are desired today,
but because the Messiah was looked for.
Those who were devout and godly entertained
V
wi
.!