Eighthly: The sound destitute, destitute, destitute places of the gospel, must re-echo in all our churches, to work upon our hearers to get more money in our exhausting coffers, and keep our fingers greased; for who can go without a fine coat and plenty of money! And where have domestic missionaries gone? Have they gone to the most destitute parts of North Carolina and other places? No.
Believe me--these hirelings like to be fed on better fare than the poor can give them--they like the houses of colonels and squires, and to have very rich and fat tables and stables, where their horses will be well provided for; and to ride good roads: in short, the main point is to go about towns, and to the richest churches and neighborhood's, where the most money is to be begged:--and their conduct proves it, with all their pretense of the love of souls. I wish, indeed, that money may not make the preacher go, as well as the mare.
These beggars keep a mighty cry about the destitute. Why not go to them, if their hearts are so affected by their condition, and then we shall have cause to say, souls, and not money, is their object. But they tell us, money is wanting; and when they have begged enough, then they are going to send preachers to the destitute. How much will be enough? They have had their thousands, and I do not yet see that the destitute places in North Carolina are a whit the better supplied, and I doubt whether they would be if the benevolent public were to give thousands more. The beggars, in all probability, would still get the greatest part, for riding where they could sell, what they call gospel, to the highest bidder, and find the most money.--The conduct of some, in several instances, has proved the fact, that money was the main object. As soon as they got that, they bid the churches farewell and went to see where they could find more.
But who are they going to send, when they get enough money? Why, say they, "men of God." That is a mistake; God's ministers are not hirelings; they do not divine for money, like Balaam, nor run up and down the country, hired, this way and that way, as the current of gain shifts. Nor are they anxious, like Judas, to have the bag, and receive their thirty pieces of silver. In this text, we see the character of a minister of God: "Feed the flock of God, over which the Holy Ghost has made you overseers; taking the oversight thereof willingly, and of a ready mind, and not for filthy lucre's sake." But if they send ministers at all to the destitute, they will send hirelings, Judases, or Balaams. For if they will not go for the love of God and the good of souls, but you must give them money to make them move, I contend, that money is the main spring of action--the great wheel that gives motion to their going. The sake, is filthy lucre or money, since no sake could move them but money sake. Furnish money, and what crowds are moving in every direction, hunting money, fortunes, and places of profit. Stop the money, and you will see squandering among these Judases at once. But, you would see God's ministers, like regular stars, moving each one in his own sphere, with his work before him, feeding the flock with life, enduring poverty and everything else, if need be, for the cause of God, and the souls of men.--In a word, like the prophets and apostles, stemming every opposition; and counting everything but loss, so that they can win souls to Christ.
The true ministers of Christ are always more ready to give than receive. But the men sent out by missionary boards, in this day, will be only a curse, instead of a blessing, to God's Israel. Their discourses, generally, are without life or substance and are a burden to the godly. And they squint an eye to a purse, with as much intenseness as ever Eve did at the forbidden fruit.
Some great writer has said, that this is an age of wonders; and I begin to think it is so indeed; for the idea I used to entertain beggars, was, that they were poor, decrypted, ragged, helpless beings, destitute of the means of supporting themselves. But how wonderfully times have changed; for now we see hearty, hale men, and young men in the prime and vigor of life, clothed in the finest black and blue broadcloth, with fur hats, boots, spurs, silk jackets, silver-tipped bridles, and stirrups, watches, &c. &c. turned beggars--great beggars. They tell us, they beg for the sake of Christ and the heathen; but fortunately for us all, these fellows cannot keep the eat in the wallet; for one of these northern beggars, not long since, passed through North Carolina, and being asked how much he had collected, he said about two thousand dollars. And pray sir, said the inquirer, what per centum do they give you for begging? He said his fees would come to about four hundred dollars. And pray sir, are you a preacher too: said the inquirer, looking gravely in his face? O yes! said he, I attempt to preach as I go--hanging down his head, and throwing his fine broadcloth legs over each other, and twisting his watch key. Yes, and I think, said the man, a great many of you had better be at work, than going about in the garb of a preacher, as you pretend, begging the poor laborers for their money; for you look more like a doctor, or a young lawyer, with your frizzled foretop and fine clothing, than a preacher. And, I suppose, the North Carolinians might have gone to hell for your preaching, if it had not been for the four hundred dollars you expected to get. No, he replied, I don't know that I should have come, but the society hired me to come, and I must live somehow; and you'll give something, will you not? No, that I won't, said the man. If I have got anything to give, I will give it to our old preacher, who will preach whether we pay him or not; and not to such fellows as you, who are riding about dressed up in your fine broadcloth, hunting a rich wife, and begging money; while I must wear my old tow trousers, and work in the hot sun to maintain such fellows. No, that I won't, repeated the man. O yes! but you can, I know, and will give me something, continued the beggar. I will not, was the reply.
These beggars keep a mighty cry about the destitute. Why not go to them, if their hearts are so affected by their condition, and then we shall have cause to say, souls, and not money, is their object. But they tell us, money is wanting; and when they have begged enough, then they are going to send preachers to the destitute. How much will be enough? They have had their thousands, and I do not yet see that the destitute places in North Carolina are a whit the better supplied, and I doubt whether they would be if the benevolent public were to give thousands more. The beggars, in all probability, would still get the greatest part, for riding where they could sell, what they call gospel, to the highest bidder, and find the most money.--The conduct of some, in several instances, has proved the fact, that money was the main object. As soon as they got that, they bid the churches farewell and went to see where they could find more.
But who are they going to send, when they get enough money? Why, say they, "men of God." That is a mistake; God's ministers are not hirelings; they do not divine for money, like Balaam, nor run up and down the country, hired, this way and that way, as the current of gain shifts. Nor are they anxious, like Judas, to have the bag, and receive their thirty pieces of silver. In this text, we see the character of a minister of God: "Feed the flock of God, over which the Holy Ghost has made you overseers; taking the oversight thereof willingly, and of a ready mind, and not for filthy lucre's sake." But if they send ministers at all to the destitute, they will send hirelings, Judases, or Balaams. For if they will not go for the love of God and the good of souls, but you must give them money to make them move, I contend, that money is the main spring of action--the great wheel that gives motion to their going. The sake, is filthy lucre or money, since no sake could move them but money sake. Furnish money, and what crowds are moving in every direction, hunting money, fortunes, and places of profit. Stop the money, and you will see squandering among these Judases at once. But, you would see God's ministers, like regular stars, moving each one in his own sphere, with his work before him, feeding the flock with life, enduring poverty and everything else, if need be, for the cause of God, and the souls of men.--In a word, like the prophets and apostles, stemming every opposition; and counting everything but loss, so that they can win souls to Christ.
The true ministers of Christ are always more ready to give than receive. But the men sent out by missionary boards, in this day, will be only a curse, instead of a blessing, to God's Israel. Their discourses, generally, are without life or substance and are a burden to the godly. And they squint an eye to a purse, with as much intenseness as ever Eve did at the forbidden fruit.
Some great writer has said, that this is an age of wonders; and I begin to think it is so indeed; for the idea I used to entertain beggars, was, that they were poor, decrypted, ragged, helpless beings, destitute of the means of supporting themselves. But how wonderfully times have changed; for now we see hearty, hale men, and young men in the prime and vigor of life, clothed in the finest black and blue broadcloth, with fur hats, boots, spurs, silk jackets, silver-tipped bridles, and stirrups, watches, &c. &c. turned beggars--great beggars. They tell us, they beg for the sake of Christ and the heathen; but fortunately for us all, these fellows cannot keep the eat in the wallet; for one of these northern beggars, not long since, passed through North Carolina, and being asked how much he had collected, he said about two thousand dollars. And pray sir, said the inquirer, what per centum do they give you for begging? He said his fees would come to about four hundred dollars. And pray sir, are you a preacher too: said the inquirer, looking gravely in his face? O yes! said he, I attempt to preach as I go--hanging down his head, and throwing his fine broadcloth legs over each other, and twisting his watch key. Yes, and I think, said the man, a great many of you had better be at work, than going about in the garb of a preacher, as you pretend, begging the poor laborers for their money; for you look more like a doctor, or a young lawyer, with your frizzled foretop and fine clothing, than a preacher. And, I suppose, the North Carolinians might have gone to hell for your preaching, if it had not been for the four hundred dollars you expected to get. No, he replied, I don't know that I should have come, but the society hired me to come, and I must live somehow; and you'll give something, will you not? No, that I won't, said the man. If I have got anything to give, I will give it to our old preacher, who will preach whether we pay him or not; and not to such fellows as you, who are riding about dressed up in your fine broadcloth, hunting a rich wife, and begging money; while I must wear my old tow trousers, and work in the hot sun to maintain such fellows. No, that I won't, repeated the man. O yes! but you can, I know, and will give me something, continued the beggar. I will not, was the reply.
To be continued.
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This is a very large file (10.11 gigabytes) If you don't have that much space, you may run it from the Flash Drive, but this will take more time. You need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader (a free download) program installed and open it from there. The PDF is searchable, but some of the older issues, are smudged thus affecting the software's ability to find the words. Copying and pasting will be difficult due to the quality of some of the older issues. The price is $45.
Please send me an email at gsantamaria685@gmail.com. We will accept payment in Zelle, Cash App, Venmo personal check, or postal money order. Please make sure you give your mailing address. I will not post my Zelle, CashApp, or Venmo information until you write me due to privacy concerns. For those mailing a check or money order, you may mail me at:
Guillermo Santamaria
45 Westons Mill Road
East Brunswick, NJ 08816 USA
Email: gsantamaria685@gmail.com
For now, until Welsh Tract Publications is reorganized as an LLC, I will handle the financial transactions. Understand that Welsh Tract Church does NOT have any affiliation with Welsh Tract Publications. Like the website and the YouTube channel, these websites were created by the friends of Welsh Tract Church. We do not believe in any extra-church organizations or "ministries". Flash Drives are now available.
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DIGITAL (POCKET) THOMPSON NOW AVAILABLE FROM WELSH TRACT PUBLICATIONS
For now, until Welsh Tract Publications is reorganized as an LLC, I will handle the financial transactions. Understand that Welsh Tract Church does NOT have any affiliation with Welsh Tract Publications. Like the website and the YouTube channel, these websites were created by the friends of Welsh Tract Church. We do not believe in any extra-church organizations or "ministries". Flash Drives are now available.
The Lord Bless you!
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This flashcard contains all of the known articles written by Elder Wilson Thompson from 1832 until he died in 1866. It also contains Simple Truths, His Autobiography in a PDF file as well as an audiobook as well as his work Triumphs of Truth. Also, these works will be fully searchable and will fit on your smartphone. It will also be suitable for printing. The cost will be $50 for the flash drive containing all this information. We accept Zelle, CashApp, Venmo, or personal checks. For more information write to gsantamaria685@gmail.com.
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