Scatter and increase
Charles Spurgeon · John Ploughman's Pictures; or, More of His Plain Talk for Plain People
PEOPLE will not believe it, and yet it is
true as the gospel, that giving leads
to thriving. John Bunyan said,
" There was a man, and some did count him mad,
The more he gave away, the more he had.*^
14 ^.209)
210 JOHN PLOUGHMAN'S PICTURES.
He had an old saying to back him, one
which is as old as the hills, and as good as
gold—
" Give and spend
And God will send."
If a man cannot pay his debts he must
not think of giving, for he has nothing of
his own, and it is thieving to give away
other people's property. Be just before
you are generous. Don't give to Peter what
is due to Paul. They used to say that
" Give " is dead, and "Restore" is buried,
but I do not believe it any more than I do
another saying, " There are only two good
men, one is dead, and the other is not born."
No, no : there are many free hearts yet
about, and John Ploughman knows a good-
ish few of them — people who don't cry,
" Go next door," but who say, " Here's a
httle help, and we wish we could make it
ten times as much." God has often a great
share in a small house, and many a little
man has a large heart.
Now, you will find that liberal people are
happy people, and get more enjoyment out
of what they have than folks of a churlish
mind. Misers never rest till they are put
SCATTER AXD INCREASE. 211
to bed with a shovel: they often get so
wretched that they would hang themselves
only they grudge the expense of a rope.
Generous souls are made happy by the hap-
piness of others : the money they give to
the poor buys them more pleasure than any
other that they lay out.
I have seen men of means give coppers,
and they have been coppery in everything.
They carried on a tin-pot business, lived like
beggars, and died like dogs. I have seen
others give to the poor and to the cause of
God by shovelfuls and they have had it
back by barrow-loads. They made good
use of their stewardship, and the great Lord
has trusted them with more, while the bells
in their hearts have rung out merry peals
when they have thought of widows who
blessed them, and orphan children who
smiled into their faces. Ah me, that there
should be creatures in the shape of men
whose souls are of no use except as salt to
keep their bodies from rotting ! Please let
us forget them, for it makes me feel right
down sick to think of their nasty ways.
Let us see what we can do to scatter joy all
around us, just as the sun throws his light
212 JOHN PLOUGHMAN'S PICTURES.
on hill and dale. He that gives God his
heart will not deny him his money. He
will take a pleasure in giving, but he will
not wish to be seen, nor will he expect to
have a pound of honor for sixpence. He
will look out for worthy objects ; for giving
to lazy, drunken spendthrifts is wasteful and
wicked ; you might as well sugar a brickbat
and think to turn it into a pudding. A
wise man will go to work in a sensible way,
and will so give his money to the poor that
he will be lending it to the Lord. No se-
curity can be better and no interest can be
surer. The Bank is open at all hours. It
is the best Savings' Bank in the nation.
There is an office open at the Boys' and
Girls' Orphanage, Stockwell, London. Draw
your cheques or send your orders to C. H.
Spurgeon. There will soon be five hun-
dred mouths to fill and backs to cover.
Take shares in this company. John Plough-
man wishes he could do more for it.