Will A Man Rob God? henry
clay
morrison
WILL A MAN ROB GOD?
By H. C. Morrison
ISBN: 9780914368458 Will a Man Rob God? By H. C. Morrison. First Fruits Press, © 2019 Digital version at http://place.asburyseminary.edu/firstfruitsheritagematerial/187 First Fruits Press is a digital imprint of the Asbury Theological Seminary, B.L. Fisher Library. Asbury Theological Seminary is the legal owner of the material previously published by the Pentecostal Publishing Co. and reserves the right to release new editions of this material as well as new material produced by Asbury Theological Seminary. Its publications are available for noncommercial and educational uses, such as research, teaching and private study. First Fruits Press has licensed the digital version of this work under the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial 3.0 United States License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/us/. For all other uses, contact: First Fruits Press B.L. Fisher Library Asbury Theological Seminary 204 N. Lexington Ave. Wilmore, KY 40390 http://place.asburyseminary.edu/firstfruits Morrison, H. C. (Henry Clay), 1857-1942. Will a man rob God? [electronic resource]/ by H.C. Morrison. – Wilmore, KY : First Fruits Press, ©2019. 1 online resource (23 p. : port.) : digital. Reprint. Previously published: Louisville, Ky. : Pentecostal Publishing Company, [1920] ISBN: 9780914368441 (paperback) ISBN: 9780914368458 (uPDF) ISBN: 9780914368465 (Mobi) OCLC: 1125223723 1. Bible. Malachi, III, 8-10--Sermons. 2. Christian giving--Sermons. 3. Sermons, American. 4. Methodist Church--Sermons. I. Title.
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WILL A MAN ROB GOD? BY
REV. H. C. MORRISON
PENTECOSTAL PUBLISHING COMPANY LoUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.
PRE ACE he la
itten tithing is plainly is no in he e hint Sc iptu es. the Bible that it has become obsolete, o
in the
an
the e is
ble
no
bette
o
mo e
ay to meet the inancial
easona
obligations
o the chu ch, than o each in ivi ual membe o the chu ch to pe o m his o
uty
he
to bea
thei
pa t in the sup
po t o the chu ch an the o k o ou a
sp ea
his
o
the
gospel.
se mon
ectively
an
ul to all in shoul tive place
has been
ca ying
o
p eache
e
Lo
in
ill p ove it is hope it. I ho may ea
the
help you
it inte esting an sugges it in the han s o othe s. H. C. Mo ison.
WILL A MtAN ROB GOD! Text: "Will a ma.n rob God? Yel y,e hflve r<>bbed me. But ve say,, where& in have we robbed thee f ln tithes and ofjeriftgs. Ye ar,e ciused with a curse: for ye have robbed me, eve1t this whofo 1w.tion. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in ,nine Jun1.se, and prove m-e now he,·e with, saith the Lord of hosts, if I wiH not open the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." Mal. 3 :8-10. In this text God through his proph et, brings a serious charge against thl� Hebrew people. He begins with an ex planation as if he were surprised that a people would be so wicked and so rash as to rob the God who created them, and has preserved them, and upon whom they are so entirely dependent. He brings the accu3ation straight home to them. He tells them that they are cursed with a curse, and give• s as a rea son that they have robbed Him. He also assures them if they will bring the 5
WILL A MAN ROB GOD ? ull tithe into his sto ehouse that he ill open the in o s o heaven an pou them out an ove lo ing blessing. he e
as a
covenant bet een Go
the Heb e
an
people. obligations that they e e uty boun ? to obse ve ce tain tithes that they e e ple ge to pay. hey ha b oken thei ple ge, aile to pe o m thei ob ligations, a cu se ha come upon them an in the te t Go is pointing out the assu cu se, e plaining the cause, an them the a o o ing possibility eme y, but they must meet thei obligations by b inging in thei ull tithe. It is unthinkable that an intelligent Go oul un e take to set up a king om among men in the o l , that must necessa ily involve consi e able inan he e
e e
ce tain
cial e pense, an not make some e i nite plan o a angement o the meet ing o those e penses. All gove nments a ange o assesments an ta ation to secu e an income su icient to meet the
the gove nment the ivine gove nment is no e ception to this ule. ivine he p ovisions ma e in the
unning
e penses
o
to meet the e penses o the king om o Go in the o l a e most e ui
la
WILL A MAN ROB GOD? table an un
libe al. His king om is to be ith the most ca e ul economy the
e penses a e to be met
by all o the sub
ects o this king om in p opo tion to the income o each sub ect, Go asks men
o
a
seventh o
tenth o thei
thei
time an
income.
to him the Sabbath
a
hey give ay an in tu n he
makes this cont ibution o his g eatest gi ts to men. bath they a e to est, ela
must
time
one
o
On the Sab thei
ne ves,
min s, e esh thei physical st ength, en oy the companionship o thei amilies, i ect thei thoughts to thei Make , engage in o ship an so cial eligious se vice ith thei neigh bo s an ello beings. n oubte ly, the Sabbath ay is one o the g eatest bene its an blessings est thei
that Go
has
eve
besto e
upon the
he impo tance o keep itten in ing the Sabbath is not only itten in the Holy Sc iptu es, but it is
human
ace.
the natu e o things. It is not po tant that man shoul cease
only im
om his
ay in seven o physical est an the e eshing an ene ing o his been oun has but it bo ily st ength, ith animal o that this is e ually t ue toil
one
WILL A MAlS ROB GOD? b ute c eation. It i also t ue in the me chanical ealm the utensils o toil ill last longe an en e bette se vice hen they a e lai asi e o a seventh ay est om use. We see in the la the Sabbath a g a oos conce n in the min o ou Go an Make o the umb b utes that have been c eate o the se vice o mankin . Go has taken pains to speci y that his umb c eatu es shall have the p ivilege o a seventh ay est. It is a shame an a sin o any o ne o umb beasts to o k them ha ive th ough the eek an then o them about on the Sabbath gallop o n bo ies an ay, ega less o thei o the g acious comman ment o Go that
as
ove o k. he la come
meant to p otect them
e ui ing a tenth o the in is ce tainly most libe al to a
u nishes the lan , the the sunshine, the see , the animals
the tenant.
ain,
om
Go
cultivate the soil, the health an st ength o the labo , an then p oposes that hen e ig the po them into ou e put nine o tatoes ith
hich
basket an
th esh the
to
into his that hen e e put nine bushels heat
one
WILL A MAN ROB GOD? into e
bin an
ou
gathe the
loa s into so
ou
ith
on,
in his
one
co n
e
c ib an
all
that
put nine one
in
the
hen agon
his, an
p o ucts o ou acto ies, shops in a
iel s, o , e a e to take nine pa ts o all the p o ucts o ou labo , the inc ease o ou activities an give to him only the tenth. his is ce tainly a most lib e al a angement it is a plainly it ten la , an Go clea ly teaches us in the te t that those ho ail to comply ou
ith
ou
this
a angement a e obbe s. only thieves, but they have
hey hile his au acity to steal om Go all seeing eye is esting upon them. A a e
not
the
ithout the Sab bath an the Chu ch, an all those insti tutions o e ucation, the ca e o the hich age , the o phan, an the sick, Ch istian civili ation
necessa ily sp ing
up about the
Chu ch,
ithout consi e able e pense but it has been oun thai ill the Chu ch i all membe s o p omptly pay thei tithe these e penses that the e can be bounti ully met an ill al ays be money in the t easu y o cannot be maintaine
the Lo
.
Some yea s ago,
hen I
as
in In ia,
WILL A MAN ROB GOD? I hea
the
complaint
among some o natives o that count y, that G eat B itain sent out high o icials
th i e ucate om
In ia
Englan
o
the gove nment o that these o icials eceive la ge
sala ies, an
that they sent a ay this money collecte by ta ing the native o investment in Englan , an people,
thus the count y as g a ually o its a st eam o that ealth
constantly iio e hich
lan
oul
his is not
so
aine
money
om In ia into Eng neve come back. in Go s a minist a
king om among men. He collects his tithe, but he oes not gathe tion o
his
it up into the sto ehouses o heaven he invests it in ou mi st, an o ou ben
e it.
What becomes o the tithe
e
give
He tu ns it back to the give s ith it, he buil s chu ches in hich e a e e ucate he e ects the buil ings in hich ou o phans a e ca e o , the to Go ?
hich ou sick in hospitals in o t, nu sing an healing. Ho itely g acious an goo is Go
is
no
so t o
t ation o conce n.
in in he e
sel ishness in the a minis
his king om.
salvation an
com
Ou
happiness is his
When
e
ob Go
el a e, g eat ob ou
one e
WILL A MAN ROB GOD?
selves.
only is this t ue, that Go
Not
back to
o
us
o
ou
n
use,
gives
hat
e
ive to him, but he also pe ity to the libe al give
ple ges p os . Give, an it shall be given you goo measu e, p esse o n, shaken togethe , an unning ove , shall men give into you Let
bosom.
stingy
no one
suppose he can be
ith Go
ishonest
o
cape the notice o let such an one
his
an
all seeing
emembe
es
eye
that Go
hath spoken o him in plain te ms he has calle him a that tenth obbe hich he hol s is not his o n it is an
eally as i he, ha stolen om his neighbo s iiel , o e t acte the pu se om the pocket o his ello ith him an man. Go is isplease
act o
the t
as
ill call him to account.
Because o
obbe ies by vast multitu es o chu ch membe s the cause o Go st ug o l . Chu ches a e not gles in the ithout the ben built an the people go
these
sanctua y o phan e ecte , an little chil en ithout pa ents go unp otect ho a e e an g o vicious up igno ant an missiona y ente p ises languish, an the heathen that might have been save e its o ages
a e
the sac e not
WILL A MAN ROB GOD? an
civili e , live in a kness an
ie in
thei sins. It is
no
small matte
to
ob Go
to
ivine go th ough li e in i e ent to his comman ment ith e e ence to the small he ta oul collect o u.s ve y hile e live on his ea th, b eathe the
en oy
ai ,
ell uitage, an ami st the countless blessings that he has pou e upon us ith unstinte me om a bounti ul han . cies Many a man has been stingy an ishonest ith Go . He has clung g u gingly to that tenth hich belongs to his Make an
P ese ve . hel
on
spi it,
the
He has hoa
e
it up an ith a g u ging, thievish in his sins an gone up to
to it
ie
meet the Go
om hom he ha stolen his li e, an le t the uits o his obbe y to be the cu se o e t avagant, vaste ul, an go less chil en. he e is a sto y tol o a peasant in a beauti ul ho, valley at the oot o
all o
a
mountain, lai
an
o e ing
his sac i icial lamb
upon
the
alta
kin le
o
as
Go
the i e to consume the lamb, ell upon his knees an close his eyes in o ship. An eagle pe che upon a tall c ag above the nest o
its young,
WILL A MAN ROB GOD? sni e
the o o o the consuming meat an s ooping o n, snatche the lamb om the bu ning alta , an mounting to its e ie, oppe the stolen sac i ice
into its nest to ee its le glings, hile the astonishe peasant ga e in g ie an so o hich ha upon the bi stolen his
no sac i ice, an pe che above its nest a beyon his each. As he ga e ith g ie upon the thieving a smoke bi , he sa ising om the eagles nest, an then a lame shot up.
he mothe bi sc eame ith agony le helplessly about the c ag hile an the nest as consume an he helpless young
that
a
e e
bu ne
eath. It chance
to
live coal o
i e ha
the stolen sac i ice an
the nest ha to
a
lame,
hich ha
ects o he
st ikingly
kin le ca e
an
a he e
to
opping y sticks in est oye the ob
into
the
love.
illust ates the
olly
his o
able
those
pa ents ho have obbe the alta s o to satis y the e t ava in o e Go an lusts o thei chil icke gance en
ho have been consume
i e o thei
o
n
in the
ca nal passions.
he e is a eatu e in this ise la o tithing that must not be o gotten o
WILL A MAN ROB GOD?
get ulness o Go lea s
to all
manne
o
he memo y o Go is the p eventive against icke ness o
sin ulness.
best
Doubtless,
eve y kin .
one
o
the ob
ects o the la emb acing the keeping the paying o the o the Sabbath an in min s the is ou to keep tithe,
thought o Go , his p esence in ou mi st, his ight to ule the inhabitants
the me cies he has e ten e to us, the g ace an compassion e veale in the gi t o his Son, an the sal vation p ovi e in his sac i ice upon the o the ea th
keep the Sabbath an ca e ully an conscientiously pay his tithe, an o get Go . Obe ience to these comman ments ill keep the o ou thought Go , obligations to him, ou epen ence upon him, an ou t ust in him, al ays be o e ou eyes. I man neglects the Sabbath, o gets to keep it holy i he e uses to pay his tithe, he ill o get Go ill o get that Go he c oss.
No
one
can
ns the ill come to believe he o l that he is the o ne o the ea th he oc cupies instea o a me e tenant emain o
ing o
, little
othe
hile an o l
to
some
a
st ict account
o
hastening
on
he e he shall give his
ste a
ship
WILL A MAN ROB GOD?
he e.
We o not believe that is om coul have evise a metho o keeping the thought an eve ence o him in the
in inite bette o Go min s an hea ts o men, than is p ovi e o in the keeping o the Satobath an the paying o the tithe. In conclusion, let us emembe that a blessing is p onounce upon those ho b ing in all the tithes an Go has not o gotten to keep this p omise. We be lieve it is the unive sal testimony o ho ca e ully keep accounts an those
tithe, a ing to this obliga e uent thank o e ings, that Go has g aciously blesse them in basket pay thei
tion
We have kno n pe sons ho ate the beginnings o thei p os hen they com pe ity to the time mence to ca e ully pay thei tithe. It
an
is
in sto e.
piti ul an
ist essing to hea people
claim to be hining eligious, about an sa ng, My p esent ci cum stances a e such that I cannot pay my ho
tithe,
as
i
they coul
get on ith ithout stealing a not
thei ninety cents om Go ime almighty. We have I am in hea othe s complain thus ebt, an I eel I must pay my ebts
WILL A, MAN ROB GOD? be o e I
can
tithe
pay my
ob Go
necessa y to es to him in o
as
o the
i
e
it
e e
imes
to pay a ebt his is not only poo to some one else. it is but eligion poo business it is at g eat isk. In ou te t t ansacte one o
Go
says,
Ye
a e
e
cu se
ith
a
intelligent being, p o illing to Ch istian, is essing steal Go s ten cent piece an ith it, take his in ignation an cu se? Let us hee the ivine e ho tation B ing ye all the tithes into the sto ehouse, an cu se.
What
to be
ell un e
a
the
in o
ove lo ing blessings
a e
om
pou e
hich
out.