Part 34 (2/2)
”It is now several years since I adopted this plan, and under it I have acquired a handsome capital, and have been prospered beyond my most sanguine expectations. Although constantly giving, I have never yet touched the bottom of my fund, and have been repeatedly astonished to find what large drafts it would bear. True, during some months I have encountered a salutary trial of faith, when this rule has led me to lay by the tenth, while the remainder proved inadequate to my support; but the tide has soon turned, and with grat.i.tude I have recognized a heavenly hand more than making good all past deficiencies.”
PROSPERITY AND LIBERALITY.
A London correspondent of the _Western Christian Advocate_, writing some years ago of raising a fund for the extinction of debts on chapels, gives the following incident:
”A gentleman named Wilkes, who was promised a subscription of one thousand guineas to this fund, has a history so remarkable as to be worth relating across the Atlantic. Seven years ago he was a journeyman mechanic. Having invented and patented some kind of a crank or spindle used in the cotton manufacture, and needing capital to start himself in the business of making them, he made it a matter of earnest prayer that he might be directed to some one able and willing to a.s.sist him. In a singular and unexpected manner he fell in with an elderly Quaker, a perfect stranger, who accosted him with the strange inquiry: 'Friend, I should like to know if a little money would be of any service to thee.'
Having satisfied himself as to Wilkes' genius and honesty, the Quaker at once advanced him the required amount. The praying mechanic started in business on his own account, and everything he has touched of late appeared to prosper.
”Hearing of a field in Ireland offered for sale, in which was a deserted mine, he went over to see it; bought the field for a small sum, recommenced working the mine, and it now turns out to yield abundance of excellent copper. For the year 1852, he promised to give the Missionary Society a _guinea a day_; but such abundance has poured in upon him during the year, that he felt that to be below his duty, and has, therefore, enlarged his subscription for the present year seven-fold. He is actually giving to that n.o.ble cause seven guineas daily, or upwards of $10,500 a year, during this year, 1853; in addition to which he has just given one thousand guineas to the fund above referred to.” ”It is pleasing to add,” says the writer, ”that this remarkable man retains the utmost simplicity.”
Would that liberality and prosperity might ever go hand in hand. Often, as wealth increases liberality is starved out, and the rich give far less than the poor in proportion to their means and ability.
THE DEACON'S SINGING SCHOOL.
”I am going out to see if I can start a singing school,” said a good man, as he stood b.u.t.toning up his overcoat, and m.u.f.fling up his ears, one bitterly cold Winter night.
”A singing school,” said his wife, ”how will you do that?”
”I have heard of a widow around the corner a block or two who is in suffering circ.u.mstances. She has five little children, and two of them down sick, and has neither fire nor food. So Bennie Hope, the office boy tells me. I thought I would just step around and look into the case.”
”Go, by all means,” said his wife, ”and lose no time. If they are in such need we can give some relief. But I cannot see what all this has to do with starting a singing school. But never mind, you need not stop to tell me now; go quickly and do all you can for the poor woman.”
So out into the piercing cold of the wintry night went the husband, while the wife turned to the fireside and her sleeping babes, who, in their warm cribs, with the glow of health upon their cheeks, showed that they knew nothing of cold or pinching want. With a thankful spirit she thought of her blessings, as she sat down to her little pile of mending.
Very busily and quietly she worked, puzzling all the time over what her husband could have meant by starting a singing school. A singing school and the widow--how queer! What possible connection could they have?
At last she grew tired of the puzzling thought, and said to herself, ”I won't bother myself thinking about it any more. He will tell me all about it when he comes home. I only hope we may be able to help the poor widow and make her 'poor heart sing for joy.' There,” she exclaimed, ”can that be what he meant? The widow's heart singing for joy! Wouldn't that be a singing school? It must be; it is just like John. How funny that I should find it out!” and she laughed merrily at her lucky guess.
Taking up her work again, she st.i.tched away with a happy smile on her face, as she thought over again her husband's words, and followed him in imagination in his kind ministrations. By-and-by two s.h.i.+ning tears dropped down, tears of pure joy, drawn from the deep wells of her love for her husband, of whom she thought she never felt so fond before. At the first sound of footsteps she sprang to open the door.
”Oh, John! did you start the singing school?”
”I reckon I did,” said the husband, as soon as he could loose his wrappings; ”but I want you to hunt up some flannels and things to help to keep it up.”
”Oh, yes! I will; I know now what you mean. I have thought it all out.
Making the widow's 'heart sing for joy' is your singing school. (Job.
xxix:13.) What a precious work, John! 'Pure religion and undefiled is to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction.' My own heart has been singing for joy all the evening because of your work, and I do not mean to let you do it alone. I want to draw out some of this wonderful music.”
IT PAYS TO GIVE TO THE LORD.
”A clergyman states, that soon after he dedicated himself to the service of Christ, he resolved, as Jacob did, 'Of all that thou shalt give me, I will surely give a tenth unto thee.' Of the first $500 he earned, he gave $130, and in such a way that it incited a wealthy friend to give several hundreds more, including a donation of $100 to this clergyman himself. For four years, the clergyman says, 'My expenses were small, my habits economical, and the only _luxury_ in which I indulged was the luxury of giving. In the two first of these years I was permitted to give $500.' 'On a review of my ministry of about sixteen years,' he adds, 'I find G.o.d has graciously permitted me to give to the cause of my Redeemer nearly $1,200, by which amount about forty life members.h.i.+ps have been created in various evangelical societies. During all these years G.o.d has prospered me; has given me almost uninterrupted health; has surrounded me with sweet domestic ties; and my congregation, by means in part perhaps of a steady example, have given _more in these sixteen years_ than in all their long previous history.”
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