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does not offer. It does, to be sure, stand still and do some good; but it does not go about doing good. All the labor and trouble connected with giving is declined. It is considered now-a-days to be a very good excuse for not giving to a well-known object of benevolence, if the person can say that he has not been called on to give. Not called on! Did your Master wait to be called on? Did his charity defer its action until application was made to it? Formerly it was held that the disciple should be as his master. In other days Christ was regarded as the model, and that Christianity was not thought any thing of which did not include an imitation of Christ.

Would it not be considered as a very unwise proceeding on the part of an agent now, should he, after stating an object, immediately dismiss the people, and leave it entirely optional with them to give or not? Would he be likely to hear from all of them again? But Moses did so. He dismissed them; "and all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses." But the very next verse says, "they came and brought the Lord's offering." There was nothing lost to the cause by this arrangement. They came, both men and women, as many as were willing-hearted." They all did it cheerfully.

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But some may say, "It is no wonder they gave; what use had they in the wilderness for their money and substance?" But observe what articles they con

tributed. Gold, and silver, and precious stones, which men value, whether they have any particular use for them or not. Nor these only, but their personal ornaments, "bracelets, and ear-rings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold." You see they gave things which are valued under all circumstances. Nor could it be said that they gave generously because they were in prosperous business. Some persons say they are always willing to give freely when they are making money. Now, the Israelites were not making money, nor were they passing through a gold country, yet they gave liberally-far beyond the liberality of prosperous Christians generally. Nor was it a single donation they made. We read in the 36th chapter, "and they brought yet unto him free offerings every morning." They kept it up from day to day; and how long they would have gone on, if not restrained from giving more, no one can tell. I wonder when we shall have to restrain Christians from giving. What a different state of things we find now! We talk about “stubborn Jews, that unbelieving race;" but there was one generation of them, at least, that were, not near as obstinate in holding on to their money and substance as the present race of Christians.

27. Another Example of Liberality.

The first example was taken from the history of the Jews. The one I am now to give is taken from the records of Christianity. And yet it is not in any history of the modern church that I find it. They are not the Christians of the present day that I am going to hold up as a model of bountifulness. The reader will find the account in the eighth and ninth chapters of the second Epistle to the Corinthians. It relates to the Christians of Macedonia. wishing to excite the Corinthians to the exercise of liberality, tells them what their brethren of Macedonia had done-how liberally they had given. The account is very remarkable in several respects.

Paul,

1. These Macedonian Christians gave, though they were very poor-in " deep poverty," ch. 8, v. 2. They had the best of all excuses for not giving. They might, with the greatest propriety, have pleaded poverty. I do not see, for my part, how they gave at all. But somehow or other they made out to give, and to give liberally. Their poverty does not seem to have stood in their way in the least. It is even said that "their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality." Now, if their deep poverty so abounded, it occurs to me to ask, what would not their great riches have done, had they been as wealthy as some American Christians? The truth is, as the proverb says, "when there is a will, there

is always a way." Having it in their heart to give, they contrived by dint of some ingenuity, and not a little self-denial, to get it into their power to give. Such liberal souls had they, that it made their very poverty abound unto the riches of their liberality.

2. They gave not only to the full extent of their ability, but even beyond it. "For to their power, (I bear record,) yea, and beyond their power," they gave. So testifies the apostle. The Christians of our day do not give more than they are able. I wish it could be said that they give according to their abil ity. Now, the idea of giving as much as one any way can, is almost laughed at. But it was no joke in former times. But how did they contrive to give beyond their power, some one will ask. This looks a little contradictory. Well, I suppose it means that they gave beyond what, on the usual principles of computation, would have been judged to be their ability; and that on the score of justice, and even of generosity, they might have been let off for less.

"What improvident persons!" some will say. "How they must have neglected their families! Are we not told to provide for our own, and that he who does not, has denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel?" Yes, we are told so. But for all that it does not appear that these Macedonians were censured as worse than infidels. They were even commended as Christians, whose example was worthy of all imitation.

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3. They gave willingly, verse 3. They did not give beyond their disposition, though they did beyond their ability. They had it in their hearts to give even more. It was done, "not grudgingly or of necessity," No one said, as is sometimes said now, "well, I suppose I must give you something." Nor was their willingness the effect of any appeals made to them. They were "willing of themselves," the apostle testifies. It was entirely spontaneous. The apostles had not to entreat them to give; but they had earnestly to entreat the apostles to receive their gift. "Praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift." It is not so now. Now, the begging is too much on the other side.

4. They gave altogether beyond the apostles' expectations. "Not as we hoped," says Paul. Our agents are not often so agreeably disappointed. Their fears are more apt to be realized, than their hopes exceeded.

5. But I see how it was they came to give so liberally. It was owing to "the grace of God bestowed" on them, as it is said in verse 1. That always makes people liberal. Grace is a generous principle. Theré is nothing opens the heart like it. Under the influence of this grace they "first gave their own selves to the Lord." Now when a man has given away himself, it is easy to give what only appertains to him. The great matter is to give the person. The property follows as a matter of course. Indeed it is

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