Only the Living Give by Editor

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · May 13, 1886

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 12, No. 18.

Only the Living Give

By Editor

The Christian at Work says:—

“A wealthy gentleman of West Virginia recently willed one-half his large estate to various church organizations; and these bequests have all been set aside by the courts and pronounced null. The old lesson comes up here—give while you live. In fact, only the living give, anyway. The dead only relinquish; and the giving by bequest is often a forced gift made at the expense of sorrowing relatives, and herein it lacks the chief essential of benevolence.”

The words “only the living give” are worthy of serious thought. We doubt if a man is entitled to any credit for bequeathing money for charitable purposes. The grace and glory of giving is in the self-denial which it necessitates; and there certainly cannot be much self-denial in giving away that for which one has no further use.