By Donations by H. A. St. John

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 23, 1876

FromThe Review and Herald, Review and Herald, Vol. 47, No. 12.

“BY DONATIONS.”

By H. A. St. John

“By Donations.” This is one item in the blank reports of labor of the T. & M. Society. It is by donations from the members principally, and from others, that the fund of the Society is kept good. Systematic benevolence, the tenth, belongs to the Lord, properly; he claims it as his. In the plan of s. B., the way is opened for us to bring all the tithes into the storehouse. But the Lord has not only been robbed by his professed people in tithes, but in offerings also. The T. & M. Society presents an excellent opportunity to bring in the offerings.

We very much dislike the plan of getting up subscription papers, and asking our brethren and sisters to pledge to the T. & M. Society. This has seemed very necessary in the past, but we hope the time is near when we shall be almost if not entirely rid of this mode of procedure. I think that our T. & M. Looking-glasses reveal a nobler and better way. These reports are made out once a quarter, or once in three months. This is not very frequent, and yet how many of these reports come in with the space after “By Donations,” blank. Yes, it is blank, blank, blank, nearly every time, from nearly every member. No wonder the treasury is empty and the Society in debt. Shall we not take an advance step right here?

Reader, are you a member of the T. & M. Society? and have you passed in your reports from quarter to quarter without any donation? If so, resolve, the Lord helping, to do so no more. When it comes time to make out your report, if you have, or have not, received donations from others, not members, donate something yourself, if not more than five cents. Do not let another report go in with this item blank, if you can possibly avoid it. If you have made a pledge during the quarter and paid it, then put it down here as a donation. Call nothing a donation that is not paid. The offering should either accompany the report, or have been passed in before.

If every member of the T. & M. Society, at the close of each quarter, upon sitting down to make out his quarterly report, would examine himself in the light of the last message of mercy, and consider what the T. & M. Society is doing to send forth the solemn warning, it seems to me that then and there he would feel it a blessed privilege to make an offering to the Lord. And these donations, coming in from all the members every three months, would generally supply the treasury of the Society with all needed means for its work, without subscription papers or appeals for pledges.

Brethren, let us try it. Let every one report, and report a donation next time. Let all bring in their tithes (s. B.), and offerings (T. & M.), and prove the Lord, and see if they do not receive a great blessing. H. A. St. John.