Page:Robert Carter- his life and work. 1807-1889 (IA robertcarterhis00coch).pdf/63

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SYSTEMATIC BENEVOLENCE.
47

stereotyped, and more than six thousand have been circulated.[1]

“There was one element in my work as a business man which was of great importance to me. I had started with a small capital of six hundred dollars, and I had resolved to owe no man anything save very temporarily. This was of immense value to me. When a panic tried the strength of many around me, I had nothing to trouble me, and generally the panic gave me strength. I was ready to act as soon as it had passed, and felt more hopeful than before.”

He had always followed the plan of giving one tenth of his income to the Lord’s treasury ; but of this period he writes:—

“When I reached that point where I had a surplus above what was required for my business purposes, I looked around to see what use I could make of it. I resolved to consecrate to the Master’s work as much as I expended on my family. This had a double blessing. It caused economy at home, and enabled me to use cheerfully for Christian work what I had thus set apart. A dear friend, who had broken up housekeeping on account of the death of her husband, offered me her carriage and pair of fine horses on condition that I would use them in my family, I told her I could not do that, as it might prove a snare for my chil-

  1. It may be interesting to add here, that in the last year of his life Mr. Carter, while visiting the Lenox Library with his grandchildren, inquired if there was a copy of Symington on the Atonement there. The book was found, and on the fly leaf was the inscription with which he had presented it to Mr. Lenox. It was a great gratification to him to see this book, which he regarded as a sort of corner stone to all his publications, preserved in this permanent manner in his old friend’s library. Symington on the Atonement continued on his catalogue to the end of his life.