What was the sin of Ananias and his wife? They said they had given all of their money when they had only given half. What is the sin of the church in these entertainments? Plainly this, that it declares that its members have given all that they possibly could, and are now driven to this resort through poverty or exhaustion of financial resources, when God and men know better. Some of us need to read that terrible speech of the Almighty to Ananias that was delivered through the lips of Peter: "Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price? Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God."

I feel perfectly confident that most church members in any given congregation or denomination cannot say they have done all for God in a financial way that they possibly could. Hastily, a man might say it, but reflectively he could not. He could not say it when the solemn shadows of death were falling about him and the soul making ready for its long flight. He could not say it at the judgment. None of us will be able to face God and say, "Lord, I gave all that I possibly could to your cause when I dwelt on earth." See how this fact may be proved. In a certain town there was a member of our church who had a salary of twenty-five hundred dollars a year. His annual donation or subscription to the church was one hundred dollars. He used to say vehemently that he could not afford to give more, that in his contribution he gave all he could. But mark you, in the same town resided his pastor, with the same sized family, on a salary of six hundred dollars per annum, paying one hundred dollars for his house rent, and yet managing that same year to give to the cause of God ninety dollars in cash. Now, this pastor will face this member of his flock at the day of final accounts, and prove by his life and deeds that the brother did not do all that he could for the cause of Christ.

Look again: Some of us are giving a tenth of our income; we say we can do no more. There are others living in similar circumstances to ourselves who give a fifth of their receipts to God. Some I recognize do contribute liberally at the call of the gospel, but there was a certain man named John Wesley who not only gave liberally, but after that stinted himself in his Diet. He lived for years on one article of food, that through this self-denial he might have more to give to God. He will at the Judgment convict and silence millions who said on earth that they did all they could for the gospel.

In the light of these facts, I repeat that when the church, by one of these entertainments, says that it has done all that it can do, that it is thus forced to appeal to public generosity and charity, I solemnly affirm that it commits the sin of Ananias and Sapphira. The church can do more, and more upon the top of that. All of its members advocating and engineering the church fair and supper feels it in his heart. They cannot appeal to God now, nor will they declare to his face in eternity that they did all that they could for him in the gift of their money while on earth --no matter how they gave, whether spasmodically, systematically, or any other way.

Where does this cry of financial inability come from? What individuals or class of members is it who are always lamenting the poverty of the church when calls of different kinds are made on the congregation? The lament arises in quarters where it should never be heard. I have listened to it in many places, but, strange to say, oftenest in homes where the carpets were thick and the furniture costly and elegant -- where paintings worth hundreds of dollars hung from the walls, where bricabrac representing as much crowded the tables and mantel, where dinners of three or four courses were daily occurrences and a trip north for the summer the annual relaxation. It comes from women who possess diamonds, and from men who walk with gold watches ticking in their vest pockets, while their broadcloth fairly glistens in the sun. These are some whom I have heard say: "Really, we must have an entertainment to help our poor church along. We are unable to meet these claims. Moreover, we have done all that we possibly could."

"Ananias, why hast Satan tempted thee to lie unto God! Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God."

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