"And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament;
and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars forever and ever.”
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Entered at the I'ost-Ofllce at Richmond. Va.. as Second-Class Matter
Vol. LXI. APRIL, 1911.
No. 10.
A MONTH FOR EARNEST PRAYER AND
STRENUOUS EFFORT.
We hope that April 1911 will be a more
glorious month than any that nas ever
passed with Southern Baptists, a month
when we will get close to our Heavenly
Father and do valiant service for Him. We
think it nothing but right to take our
brethren and sisters into full confidence,
so that they will know Just what we need
to do in order that the Lord’s work may
bo freed from all indebtedness. Up to the
middlo of March, about the time that we
nave to put our matter in the hands of the
printer, wo find by calculation that we will
need 1364,000 by the 1st of May in order
to cancel all indebtedness. This, of course,
includes the debt which we have been
carrying over for the past two years with
accumulated interest. We ought not to
carry it a day longer than the 1st of May,
and we can pay every cent of it if we will.
However, it will take 566,000 more than we
received from the Ifith of March to the
30th of April last year. This may seem
to some to bo a very large amount, but
tor over two million Baptists it is not a
little finger’s weight, in some large busi¬
ness enterprise, where great financial re¬
turns could be looked for, there are a dozen
men in the Convention that would put
down the money in five minutes. Here
we have a work far ahead of any financial
enterprise that can be mentioned. Are
there not numbers of men and women
who will come up with large gifts in
order to help put our work on a strong
tooting? When one brother outside of our
hounds contributes about 510,000, and
another brother in our bounds 56,000, and
several others a thousand dollars each, we
see a deep interest. Surely there are
others who love the Lord’s work, and to
whom the Lord has entrusted large
amounts. One brother in sending a check
recently for several thousand dollars said,
"We hear much about giving a tenth of our
income. I give all, and I enjoy my money
better than other brethren because I give
it to the Lord." He is a prominent laymen
Consecrated men and women are making
liberal gifts. Why not let us talk this
matter over with the Lord — each one —
and ask Him what He wants us to do.
Go off in the closet aione and talk it over
with our Heavenly Father, and He will
show each one what is his or her duty.
The reports for the year which are
coming from the foreign fields show
glorious results. The report of what we
have done at home will in a tew weeks be
printed with tnese reports from the foreign
lands. Let us not go up to the Conven¬
tion In Jacksonville to read the good news
from the toiling workers at the front and
rejoice, and then read our Treasurer’s
report of what we have done and hang our
heads in shame. God has blessed us in
temporal matters, and has blessed our
churches with spiritual results in the home
land. Let us honor Him with thanksgiving
and with thank-offerings. As the reports
are coming from our missionaries at the
front of glorious victory, let us on the
1st of May -wave back to them a shout
of victory which will cheer their hearts
as they press forward for our Lord.
9
