Meaner for God than the Devil.
A GENTLEMAN of wealth who had been much addicted to frolic and sports, was converted, and became a member of one of our congregations. This congregation had adopted the ad valorem principle, as a means of defraying its expenses. In a few months, after this gentleman's conversion, the deacons waited on him in order to make their assessments; knowing that he was rich, and that his proportion of the expenses would amount to a pretty handsome sum, they feared that he would not be willing to bear it, and their demands might give him serious offense, and prove an injury to him. Hence they approached their business with some trepidation and great caution. At first he was at loss to ascertain the reasons of their apparent diffidence. The deacons, perceiving this, became, of course, more explicit. The gentleman was surprised. “What on earth,” said he, “do you mean? Did you suppose that I would be unwilling to pay my full proportion? When I was a man of the world, and united with others in a scheme of pleasure, I would have deemed myself a mean man had I not paid my full proportion of the expense. Go to the assessor's book, and put me down for my full proportion of the expenses of the church. Do you think that I intend to be a meaner man now, since I have become a servant of God, than I was when a servant of the Devil?”