The Mode of Raising Funds for Church Work [pp. 330-351]

348 FINANCES OF TilE CHUECH. [April,
fession in this country, commenced his business life with the
resolution that he would devote a certain portion of every
fee he received to the Lord. He has sacredly kept this vow.
In the earlier part of his career, he was, at times, so pressed
for means, that when his wife came into his office for money
to provide for their plain dinner, he was compelled to borrow
for the day from the box containing the Lord~s money. Now,
when ilis income amounts to thousands, as each day's work
closes, he enters in a memorandum book the portion that
belongs to the Lord, and many hearts are made glad, and
many a laboring church or gospel enterprise is helped onward
by his free and generous gifts.
Another gentleman of wealth, who occupies important
stations in the church, as well as in the business world, having a large family and a social position that require a heavy
expenditure of money, adopts this as his principle, f6r every
dollar paid for family expenses, he devotes an amount which
is a fixed percentage on this, to the Lord. This, he finds,
checks extravagance, keeps selfishness outside the doors of
Ilis heart, and yields a large revenue to the Lord. To this
be adds a percentage of all his gains over and above his
business and family expenses.
Reader, if thou art a successful man, if thou art a wealthy
man, go thou and do likewise!
Of the time when the amounts laid by, by its members, shall
be gathered, let each church judge for itself, but not making
the collections and the distribution to the Boards and Cornmittees farther apart than one mouth. Let these collection~
be by whatever method under the circumstances, wil], with the
least publicity and parade as to the amount each one contributes, reach each individual, an~ again by that method
that will appeal not to the pride or vanity, or love of applause
of any dos~or, for these mohves are uuworil~y, variable and
transient, but to his faith, obedience and love for Christ, and
his pi~ for perishing men, which are spiritual, constant and
en during.
It is essential to the plan proposed that, in some way, pro~sion be made for the division and dishIbution of the amounts