Testimonies for the Church Volume 1 - A New You Ministry

of thorough discipline which is necessary for them to reach the elevation of Christiancharacter! Yet if they overcome at last, they will be permitted to see, before they aretranslated, how near the precipice of eternal destruction they came, because of the lackof right training in youth, the failure to learn submission in childhood.*****Chap. 41 - Systematic BenevolenceI was pointed back to the children of Israel anciently. God required of themall, both poor and rich, a sacrifice according as He had prospered them. The poorwere not excused because they had not the wealth of their rich brethren. They wererequired to exercise economy and self-denial. And if any were so poor that it wasutterly impossible for them to bring an offering to the Lord, if sickness or misfortunehad deprived them of the ability to bestow, those who were wealthy were required tohelp them to a humble mite, that they come not before the Lord empty-handed. Thisarrangement preserved a mutual interest.Some have not come up and united in the plan of systematic benevolence, excusingthemselves because they were not free from debt. They plead that they must first “oweno man anything.” But the fact that they are in debt does not excuse them. I saw thatthey should render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things thatare God’s. Some feel conscientious to “owe no man anything,” and think that God canrequire nothing of them until their debts are all paid. Here they deceive themselves.They fail to render to God the things that are His. Everyone must bring to the Lord asuitable offering. Those who are in debt should take the amount of their debts fromwhat they possess, and give a proportion of the remainder.Some have felt under sacred obligations to their children.220