Chapter 9—The Voice of Consecration
Is this the language of your heart? “I am wholly Thine, my Saviour;
Thou hast paid the ransom for my soul, and all that I am or ever hope
to be is Thine. Help me to acquire means, not to expend foolishly, not
to indulge pride, but to use to Thine own name’s glory.”
In all you do, let your thought be, “Is this the way of the Lord?
Will this please my Saviour? He gave His life for me; what can I give
back to God? I can only say, ‘Of Thine own, O lord, I freely give
Thee.’” Unless the name of God is written in your forehead,—written
there because God is the center of your thoughts,—you will not be
meet for the inheritance in light. It is your Creator who has poured out
to you all heaven in one wondrous gift,—His only-begotten Son....
God lays His hand upon the tithe, as well as upon gifts and offer-
ings, and says, “That is Mine. When I entrusted you with My goods, I
specified that a portion should be your own, to supply your necessities,
and a portion should be returned to Me.”
As you gathered in your harvest, storing barns and granary for
your own comfort, did you return to God a faithful tithe? Have you
presented to Him your gifts and offerings, that His cause may not
suffer? Have you looked after the fatherless and the widow? This
is a branch of home missionary work that should by no means be
neglected.
Are there not around you poor and suffering ones who need warmer
clothing, better food, and, above everything else, that which will be
most highly prized,— sympathy and love? What have you done for
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the widows, the distressed, who call upon you to aid them in educating
and training their children or grandchildren? How have you treated
these cases? Have you tried to help the orphans? When anxious, soul-
burdened parents or grandparents have asked you, and even begged
you, to consider their case, have you turned them away with unfeeling,
unsympathetic refusals? If so, may the Lord pity your future; for “with
what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” Can we
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