Church and the country are endangered. Thoughtful, wise and good men who are not alarmists, but careful students of history, as well as observers of our own times, have shown clearly that both the Church and the State are in imminent danger through our national prosperity. The nation seems to stand trembling on the very pinnacle of exaltation. A false step may cast her down to utter ruin. The one deep, heart-searching question of every clergyman and layman of this vast audience should be, What can I do, what ought I do, to avert this calamity? Professor Gates has laid down, at some length, the great principles which should guide us in our resolves at this solemn hour.

I

It remains for me, in the few minutes allotted me by Secretary Strong, to make practical application of these principles to our daily life. My official position has thrown me in contact with Christian men of great wealth in various parts of the country. am to give the results of my experience with these men, to report how the matter of using their wealth for God seems to lie in their minds. I must confess that, with a few noble exceptions, I have found no deep sense of responsibility connected with the possession of wealth; no conviction, or even just conception, of stewardship among our wealthy men. Hence there is no giving "as the Lord has prospered." No spontaneous, generous and proportionate giving.

The wealth of the nation is put down at fifty billions of dollars, and it is increasing rapidly. A very large proportion of this enormous wealth is in the hands of the ten million communicants of Evangelical churches, and yet we do not give one-hundredth part of it to the work of sending the gospel to those who are "without God and without hope." With our abundant resources the work of the Lord languishes both here and beyond the seas. Is not this an alarming fact? Will not "judgment begin at the house of God?" I fear that we, the clergy and ambassadors of Christ, are largely responsible for this state of things.

Allow me to relate a personal incident. A few years ago. I preached a sermon in the city of New York, enforcing the text, "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me," and urged that self-denial is essential to true discipleship, and that no man could know the luxury of giving to the Lord, unless he practiced it.

Soon after, one of the wealthiest men of the congregation and of the city met me with the salutation, "Doctor, you preach an

impracticable gospel. How could a man of my wealth deny himself in the matter of giving? I must confess that your sermon set me to thinking. I have never heard anything like it before from the pulpit; self-denial in money-giving is a strange doctrine. In my case the application could not be made in the matter of giving money. I must practice self-denial in other ways-I must deny my lower nature, subdue my temper, passions, etc. God has given me my talent for making money, and I must exercise it." I replied, "Dear Brother, Christ's gospel, which I preach, is not impracticable; it applies to every man and to every particular of his life. The law of self-denial is as universal as the gospel of salvation. It is entirely practicable for you to deny yourself in the matter of giving. It is true that your talent for money-making must be used, but with the divine limitations, 'Diligent in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord' God gives the talent, not that you may accumulate, but that you may distribute. His incentive is, 'Working that you may have to give,' and He assures you that 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

"Pray, how could I practice self-denial in giving? My income is such that I could give the whole $50,000 you ask for Education, and not feel it. I could also give the $150,000 which the Church asks for foreign missions, and the $200,000 which she asks for domestic missions, and not touch my capital. I could run the Episcopal Church in her general and aggressive work, and still add to my capital year by year. How can your argument apply to a man in my position? I tell you, you preach an impracticable gospel; this unreal preaching fails to reach men." "My brother, you have made a fearful acknowledgment--you have immense power of doing good; with this power comes responsibility. It is written, He that hath much, of him much will be required.' I believe you are honest and sincere 'How can I meet my responsibility? How can I deny

immense

in asking,

myself?'

First then, now and here, Resolved, before God, that you will never add another dollar to your fortune.

Second, Resolved, that you will continue in business and work with your usual wisdom and energy, and devote all your earnings to the cause of Christ.

"Third, Resolved, that, as an example to the rising generation of modest living, you will sell your mansion, reduce your

"Indeed, it would." "Is "Ah, my brother, if you would giving, try this experiment. not a tithe of your wealth, You could place in every

domestic expenses, and give the money thus saved to doing good. Would not this be self-denial?" it not practicable ?" "I presume so." know something of the luxury of It has been tried by men who have and they have rejoiced in doing it. needy locality in New York a missionary and a church, and support them all. Aye, under God, your single fortune, properly used, would regenerate the entire city-yes, you could circle the globe with gospel light." My friend evaded the force of my appeal by asking, "Did not our church do well? Did not we give $3,000?" Thus, alas! we lose sight of our individual and personal shortcomings, in congratulating ourselves upon the aggregate of church work and church generosity. The great question for each one to ponder is, What am I giving? What am I doing for the Master?

The wealthiest church of a thousand members will sing a Jubilate over a five thousand dollar collection for missions, and be lauded by the religious papers for its generosity, when there are fifty or a hundred persons in the congregation, any one of whom could have given the whole amount without modifying his luxurious living or checking his rapid accumulations.

If clergy and laity were baptized by the Holy Spirit into fuller consecration, so that body, mind and soul, with all their powers, should be given to God, we would soon hear the nation, and the entire world, singing joyfully to the Lamb, "Thou art worthy, for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood, out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation, and hast made us unto our God kings and priests."

Let us, brethren of the clergy, be more faithful to those whom God has committed to our care. They will heed us if we plead with them earnestly and affectionately to enter upon a higher, nobler use of their God-given wealth. There are thousands of Christian men in this country, whose incomes or business earnings are from fifty thousand to five hundred thousand dollars and upwards a year, to say nothing of the multitudes who possess smaller fortunes. The majority of them are absorbed in making and accumulating money. They seem to know nothing of the blessedness of generous giving. The more money they acquire, the more blunted their sense of responsibility concerning its use, for

God and man, seems to become. I pity these rich men, and especially the millionaires. They have little faithful instruction and warning. They are flattered and cajoled, where Paul would have "reproved, rebuked and exhorted with all long suffering," and Christ would have cried out, "How hardly shall they who have riches enter the kingdom of God." "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Self-denial and self-sacrifice for Christ are fast becoming obsolete virtues in Christian life and character, and especially among those who are most able to give largely to His cause. Does not this indicate lukewarmness and indifference, where we should be intensely earnest and aroused? Does it not show unconcern for those who are going rapidly to destruction, and intimate that we are insensible to our great responsibility concerning their rescue? There is certainly very little large, spontaneous and cheerful giving in grateful love to Christ our Redeemer. With the increase of our means, do we not generally enlarge our mode of living, and add to our luxuries, rather than manifest new generosity to Christ? Is not the great question now, as in Christ's time, "Where shall I bestow my goods?" Does not this question follow us even until we near the call, "This night thy soul shall be required of thee."

Thousands of dollars are annually spent by Christian families upon the mere refinements, elegancies and adornments of life. Thousands are also spent upon our churches to gratify the ear and the eye, to excite the sensibilities, and make the way to heaven easy and luxurious. The gratification of the taste is surely lawful when under discipline and control; but is there not a fearful disproportion between our expenditures for these refinements and luxuries of life, and our gifts to Christ for the spread of His gospel among men? Are we not more bent upon gratifying our taste, indulging our desires, adding to our comforts, than in helping and saving our fellow-men?

The late Dr. Muhlenberg said, in view of the tendency to lavish money upon ourselves, and meagerly to dole it out to Christ: "The man who finds no interest in those beyond his own family, will soon have a selfish household; the rector who confines his appeals and labor to the work of his own parish, will soon have a selfish congregation; the bishop who, by absorption in the work of his particular field, becomes indifferent to every other claim, will soon

have a selfish diocese. Selfishness, whenever and however fostered and developed, must eventually work the ruin of the home interest, which it attempts to serve by this narrow policy." A few thousand dollars a year, contributed by the wealthiest man, will give him a reputation for generosity in any congregation, when it may not be a tithe of his income, and never touch his luxuries or check rapid additions to his already dangerous fortune. Even those who give thus liberally are encouraged to spend it, I had almost said to waste it, upon the trappings of the church in which they worship, rather than in ameliorating the condition of the poor, or sending the gospel beyond their own borders. A few give a tenth to the Lord, under the impression that this is their full share. This is law, not gospel; defective law at best, for the Jew gave three tenths to the Lord, and was charged by the prophet with "robbing God" when he withheld it. The Gospel says, "Ye are not your own, ye are bought with a price," even the precious blood of Christ. His image and superscription are written upon us, and all that we have and can acquire, and we are commanded, "Whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." The responsibility of the Christian Church is appalling, when viewed in connection with the vast wealth in the hands of her members, and the power for good which is committed to her trust. We dislike to speak of duty and responsibility in connection with service for our Divine Master. These are cold, hard words, though true and solemn. Let us get upon the higher plane of privilege and luxury in doing good. Frequently God inspires us by the hundredfold reward in the life that now is, and in that which is to come. If our eye be fixed upon the price of our redemption, and then. upon the reward of loving service, the generous sacrifice and the full hand will never be wanting. Alas! how few have any experience of this self-denying, luxurious giving. The great need of the Church is interest in God's work, and not ability to do that work. With the great increase of wealth in the Church, there is no corresponding increase of generosity. Give till you feel it, if you woula enjoy it.

Some of you may recall a striking incident-which was communicated to the New York press, a few years ago, by a deeply humbled minister. One of the leading members of his church was greatly distressed in his last sickness, on reviewing his mode of living, and reflecting upon the large amount he had spent upon his