p. 8 | LAY SERMON ON GIVING by Helen A. Steinhauer

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Sep 3, 1896

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 22, No. 35.

LAY SERMON ON GIVING.

By Helen A. Steinhauer

BY HELEN A. STEINHAUER.

“Do good, and cast it into the sea; if the fishes do not see it, God will.”—Persian Proverb.

This advice is in striking contrast with the prevalent mode of charitable transactions. The correct thing in the present enlightened age of the world is carefully to record all such in black and white, for the admiration, not merely of contemporaries, but of generations yet to come, the approved preliminary in most cases being a long subscription list, headed by the name of the largest and most influential giver, in hope of stimulating the rest to “go and do likewise” by this insidious appeal to their approbativeness.

Then, when sufficient means have thus been raised for gilding the copper teakettle of the meeting-house kitchen—or whatever other desirable object may chance at the time to lie nearest the philanthropic heart—the soul-cheering intelligence must be duly paraded before an appreciative public by the aid of the press, to say nothing of society statistics, duly reported, chronicled, and carefully preserved, and the effective circulating medium found in the ready clack of feminine

tongues, with an accompaniment in rumbling bass by male gossips.

Very little old-fashioned back-door giving is done nowadays, unless it be among the poor, who run to the distressed neighbor with their slender offerings and hearty, “I wish it were more,” while the bliss of being able to do even that much shines in their eyes and beams in their countenances, till the love-seasoned trifle becomes to the recipient worth tenfold more than the far costlier donation doled out to them by the duly appointed “almoner of the Regulation Red-tape Relief Society for Aiding the Really Grateful and Worthy and Destitute Poor.” As surely as “love begets love,” just so surely will loving charity beget loving gratitude.

Not that we would condemn systematic benevolence. Far be that from us. Unquestionably the most far-reaching and judicious charities are those which are thoroughly systematized. And doubtless many persons are enlisted and do valuable service in benevolent corporations who would never lift a finger or give a dime were it left optional with the promptings of their sluggish natures and selfish hearts to do or not to do what Job says he did. (See book of Job 29:16.)

But be the charity private or public, individual or corporate, the prime object should invariably be the good of the beneficiary, while his gratitude, and the praise of lookers-on, should sink out of sight. Perhaps I had best illustrate what I mean by relating an incident very much to the point.

A gentleman who, through confirmed and protracted ill health, had been reduced to want, was kindly and liberally aided by a fraternity. His gratitude was deep and heartfelt—though perhaps not as effusively expressed as might have been the case with some—as months lengthened into years, and their noble generosity still provided food and shelter, and, at one time, even procured him medical skill. But his natural independence and (be it whispered) some of the attendant circumstances which ever make it less blessed to receive than to give, rendered him superlatively grateful to the Giver of all good, when, tardy health returning, he was enabled once more to earn his own bread and be his own master.

Several years of self-supporting life had quietly slipped away, when a member of the fraternity, accidentally meeting him, took occasion pleasantly to remind him of past favors, and suggested that he publicly acknowledge and express gratitude for the same.

With startled look the man replied, “I have again and again expressed my gratitude in the past.”

“Yes,” answered his benefactor, “to single individuals, but not to the fraternity as a whole.”

Comment is needless. We would do well to discourage in ourselves a morbid thirst for thanks, remembering that the bread of dependence is to the recipient but bitter eating at the best. Therefore let us rather “do good and cast it into the sea.” What “if the fishes do not see it, God will;” which we reverently supplement with the words of the divine Master, “And thy Father which seeth in secret will reward thee openly.”