LECTURE LII.

1853.

2 CORINTHIANS, viii. 1 – 12. – "Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit - How of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; Praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God. Insomuch that we desired Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same grace also. Therefore, as ye abound in everything, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also. I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love. For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. - And herein I give my advice for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago. - Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have. For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not."

In the last chapter of the First Epistle mention was made of a contribution which the Corinthians were systematically to store up for the poor brethren at Jerusalem. To-day we enter on a fresh treatment of the same topic, and on a subject different from those we have lately been engaged with. This contribution St. Paul collected in his journeys from the Christian Churches. In this chapter he records the largeness of the sum which had been given him by the Churches of Macedonia, and urges the Church of Corinth to emulate their example.

We consider two points:

I. Nature of Christian liberality.

II. Motives urged on the Corinthians.

I. Nature of Christian liberality as exemplified in that of the Churches of Macedonia. First, it was a grace bestowed from God:-" Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia" (v. 1). And again: "Insomuch that we desired Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same grace also " (v. 6).

persons

Now there are many reasons besides this mentioned by St. Paul, which make liberality desirable. For example, there is utility. By liberality hospitals are supported, missions are established, social disorders are partially healed. But St. Paul does not take the utilitarian ground; though in its way it is a true one. Again, he does not take another ground advanced by some; that liberality is merely for the advantage of the "For I mean not that other men relieved: be eased, and ye burdened" (v. 13): as if the benefit of the poor were the main end; as if God cared for the poor, and not for the rich; as if to get from those who have, and bestow on those who have not, were the object of inciting to liberality. St. Paul distinctly denies this. He takes the higher ground: it is a grace of God. He contemplates the benefit to the soul of the giver. Charity is useful, but also lovely not a mere engine in our nature to work for social purposes, but that which is likest God in the soul.

Secondly Christian liberality was the work of a willing mind: For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not" (v. 12). Plainly, it is not the value of the contribution, but the love of the contributor, which makes it precious. The offering is sanctified, or made unholy in God's sight, by the spirit in which it is given. The most striking passage in which this truth is illustrated is that of the widow's mite. Tried by the gauge of the treasurer of a charity, it was next to nothing. Tried by the test of Charity, it was

more than that of all. Her coins, worthless in the eyes of the rich Pharisee, were in the eyes of Christ transformed by her love into the gold of the Eternal City.

Yet St. Paul does not say that a willing mind is all. He makes a wise addition: "Now therefore perform the doing of it." Because, true though it is that willingness is accepted where the means are not, yet where the means are, willingness is only tested by performance. Good feelings, good sentiments, charitable intentions, are only condensed in sacrifice. Test yourself by action test your feelings and your fine liberal words by self-denial. Do not let life evaporate in slothful sympathies. You wish you were rich and fancy that then you would make the poor happy, and spend your life in blessing? Now now is the time.

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now or never.

Ilabituate your heart to acts of giving. Habituate your spirit to the thought, that in all lives something is owed to God. Neglect this now, and you will not practise it more when rich. Charity is a habit of the soul, therefore now is the time. Let it be said, "He hath done what he could."

Thirdly: The outpouring of poverty (v. 2). As it was in the time of the Apostle, so it is now. It was the poor widow who gave all. It was out of their deep poverty that the Macedonians were rich in liberality. There is something awful in those expressions of Scripture which speak of riches as shutting up the soul. “It is easier," said Christ, "for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God:" "Not many mighty, not many noble are called," writes St. Paul. Again: "Woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation." Now we do not expect these sayings to be believed: they are explained away. No man fears riches. Yet it is a fact, generally, that a man's liberality does not increase in proportion as he grows rich. It is exactly the reverse. He extends his desires; luxuries become necessaries. He must move in another sphere, keep more servants, and take a larger house. And so, in the end, his liberality becomes proportion

ately less than what it was before. Let any one who has experienced an advance of wealth compare his expenditure when he had but a few annual pounds, with his expenditure after he became rich. Let any one compare the sums given in charity by those of moderate income with the sums given by the wealthy. Here, in England, the rich give their hundreds, the poor their thousands. There are many things to account for this fact. The rich have large liabilities to meet or they possess large establishments which must be kept up. There is a growing sense of money's value, when each sovereign stands for so much time. Still, whatever may be the mitigating circumstances, the fact remains. And the inferences from it are two:

1. Let this circumstance be a set-off against poverty and privations. God has made charity easier to you who are not the rich of this world, and saved you from many a sore temptation. It is written, "Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith."

2. Let this fact weaken the thirst for riches, which is the great longing of our day: "The wealthiest man among us is the best." Doubtless riches are a good; but remember that the Bible, if it be true, is full of warnings respecting them. Think alone of this one: "They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare."

Fourthly: It is a peculiarity in Christian liberality that it is exhibited to strangers. In the case before us, the charity was displayed in behalf of the poor at Jerusalem, and was a contribution sent from Gentiles to Jews. Love of Christ, then, had bridged over that gulf of ancient hatred. The Spirit of Christ had been given in these words: "If ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others?" "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you." The power of these words, ratified by a Life, had spread through the ancient Church, and Gentile, and Jew were united to each other by a common love.

Now, I say, there is nothing but Christianity which can do this. Without Christ, there must be dissension between race and race, family and family, man and man. Think of the old rancors of the heathen world. This spirit of dissension was the great question of ancient ages, and was the origin of their wars. In times before the Dorian was matched against the Ionian, the Samaritan hated the Jew; and the Jew shrank from the pollution of the Samaritan, and looked on the Gentile as an outcast; until He came, who " is our Peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition."

But, it is said, philanthropy does this. Philanthropy! It is a dream without Christ. Why should I love the negro or the foreigner? You can give no reason except an opinion. Why should I not be as exclusive as I please, and shrink from other nations, and keep up national hatreds, when even the analogy of nature is on my side, and I see the other inhabitants of this planet waging war on one another, bird with bird, beast with beast? Well, in reply to that, Christianity reveals in Christ the truth which lies below our human nature GOD. We are one in Christ—one Family. Human blessedness is impossible except through union one with another. But union is impossible except in GOD.

This was the truth taught by the shew-bread piled upon the altar. Each loaf was offered for, and represented a tribe: and the whole twelve, with different characteristics and various interests, were yet one in God, and therefore one with each other. And this truth was realized in Christ, in whom all the tribes of the world and all the opposing elements of society meet and mingle. We have an altar whereof they have no right to eat that serve the tabernacle.

These are the main characteristics of Christian liberality. But observe, this liberality is not necessarily the giving of money. Almsgiving is recommended in the Bible, but it is not necessarily the true form now in our altered state of things. For indiscriminate