Newspaper Page Text
6 THE PRESBYTERIA
THE MARCH COLLECTION.
In years past our people have been giving but sparingly
to the March collection for the cause of publication.
Possibly this has been from a feeling that this
cause has a commercial side, which makes it less needy.
At the present, there is a need which ought not to
be overlooked. It is, first, the maintenance of the superintendents
and the secretary of Sunday school work.
They arc busy in stimulating the work of our schools,
and with good effect. Then as new schools arc established
there is the need of helping them with supplies
of literature. And th*? mnr<>
i,v.iiuuia wc c&iauiisn, tne
more will be the need of literature. Let these facts
be kept in* mind as we contribute to this cause.
BE YE STEDFAST.
Enthusiasm and steadiness do not, as a rule, go hand
in hand. They ought, however, to be joined as much as
possible. The enthusiasm will take away the dullness
of steady routine, and the steadiness will keep the fire
of the enthusiastic spirit from burning out too quickly.
The steadiness is more needful to be looked after just
now than the enthusiasm. The present day is one of
very stirring "movements and conventions" and many
other methods of stimulating Christians to intense activity
and zeal.' Unless they have beneath them a
strnnrr ~r J
..b .Ui..mauuii ui ucvonon and an immovable stedfastness,
they will either wear themselves out very
quickly or merely create a morbid appetite which will
be stimulated and satisfied only by something more
and more of their kind.
The Apostle saw this need. In urging upon Timothy
the duties involved in his ministry and in becoming
recognition of his^ opportunities, he laid special stress
upon the injunction, "Continue thou in the things which
thou hast learned." He wished Timothy to keep ever
in mind the fundamental princioles unnn wWti n:*
a. "I " "4V" l,lJ
work must be based, if he would succeed in it, and above
all the relation of God's Word to that work. In all his
activity he must never get away from the Bible, the sole
authority and the only rule of faith and conduct. The
fact that his mother and grandmother had taught him
this word is especially emphasized and is given as a
reason, were there no other, why he should hold the
more tenaciously to it. This direction, by the way,
bears very plainly upon present "problems and shows
how absurd and unreasonable is the notion that to be
progressive one must necessarily get beyond the methods
and principles of a past generation of Christians.
Diversity of application may be desirable and helpful,
but it must not be forgotten that it is the same old
triifVi - ?1 - 11 *1
>.uui >.\j rtjjpucu an me tune.
Paul recognized this principle again in his practical
conclusion from the victory which Christ gives believers
. over death and the grave, and from the glorious hope
of the believer in immortality and blessedness in the
resurrection life. "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be
moneys, and how much, shall be included in the reports,
of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is
not in vain in the Lord." The certainty of God's keeping
His word and doing His part should provoke every
believer to a stedfast endeavor to produce the richest
fruits.
N OF THE SOUTH. * March 10, 1909.
THE ANNUAL STATISTICAL REPORTS.
At the close of March, every church session will
make up its report of the year's work to be sent to
the Presbytery. The question has been raised what
ye stedfast, immovable, always abounding in the work
We recall a statement made to us by the treasurer
of one church, to the effect that he included in his report
to the Presbytery only the moneys that had passed
through his hands as treasurer. W? hnH
. . V 1>MV? IMIV?*l\.UgC Ul
the fact that several hundred dollars had been contributed
by members of that church during the previous
year to various forms of benevolent work, and that
much of it had been sent to our own home or foreign
mission committee, in the form of private contributions;
and we called his attention to this fact. He did
not think that such donations ought to be included in
his report, and did not include them.
The impression that we have is that the Presbytery
desires to know how much has been given to each of
the causes of beneficence, in any form, by any of the
members of the church during the year. Some men
prefer to send their gifts direct to the treasurer of the
General Assembly. Sometimes this is because they
desire that it shall be applied to some particular pur
pose. Others make private donations f>?r other reasons.
We think they ought to be included in the church
report. We now call attention to the subject at this
time in order that the reports may be made complete.
There is a twofold benefit to be gained by attention
to this. First, the members of the particular church
are encouraged when they find that they have accomplished
something. And the negligent members of that
church, as they find that in comparison with their fellowmen
they are falling behind, are stimulated to do
more and better.
Secondly, to a certain extent the officers of the various
churches compare their own work with that of
their neiflibnr rhnrr-Vi Tf i t e\
?0 ?mt scvcui uciicncences are
promptly and fully reported by it, they also receive
a stimulus in their work.
We apprehend that in some congregations attention
to these private benevolences would increase the reports
perhaps ten per cent.
DEATH OF REV. ANGUS McDONALD, D. D.
In a friendship of thirty years, we never heard Dr.
McDonald say an unkind or imprudent word, or do
an unworthy deed. From the day when he was ordained
pastor at Elizabethtown, Ky., in th'e later seventies,
throughout his pastorates at Henderson, Ky.,
at Nashville and at Jackson, Tenn., he was ever the
same gentle, helpful and effective pastor. One could
not help loving him. And because men loved him, his
gospci messages came to tfteir hearts with special force.
When, on Wednesday list, the messengers of God
bore away his spirit, he seems to have passed from
earth to heaven without pain or suffering. He was
alone?his son found him in his bathroom?and his
death was so peaceful that none in the house were
aware of his passing away. He was sixty-seven years
old. His wife and son who survive, can look back
upon ins me, as ao nis mends, with unmingled {hankfulness
for the good he has done on earth.