Church and in the bosom of Christian families, who would array themselves on the side of the enemy from without. It would be like the arch-enemy's last and greatest effort for supremacy in his own kingdom of this world, and the end of all things might be looked for as being nigh. Then, truly, it might be possible to realize in all its gruesomeness the sad and heartbreaking scene of the children of Zion sitting down by the waters of the spiritual Babylon, and taking up their lamentations in the mournful strains of Psalm cxxxvii.

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CHAPTER XI.

AN INQUIRY INTO THE QUESTION OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS; ALSO PROPHECIES OF COMING CALAMITIES AFFECTING THE CHURCH, EXAMINED.

"As many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them down at the apostles' feet."-ACTs iv. 34, 35.

"Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity for God loveth a cheerful giver."-2 Cor. ix. 7.

:

In the last chapter we have been recommending the capitalizing of all Church property, and funding the same; and that, instead of local, the personal endowment of the ecclesiastic should be the rule in the Church. But, it will be asked, what becomes of the tithes ? Is it suggested that they should be given up? Looking at the question in the light in which the Holy Scripture seems to place it, we should say not. Reasoning from analogy we should be inclined strongly to assert that the claims of Christ's ministers to them under the Gospel Dispensation are far greater, and rest, if at all, on a more solid basis than the claims of the Jewish priests to them under the Old Dispensation. Saith the Apostle of Christ's Church, "We have an Altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve

the Tabernacle." And again, "Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? And they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?" The plain and evident inference to be drawn from these passages would seem to be that Christian priests have at least an equal right with the priests of God's Church under the Mosaic economy to receive full remuneration for the discharge of their sacerdotal functions.

God's Altar still remains a standing witness in His Church, though now that which is termed the Unbloody Sacrifice alone is offered theron. But will any one cavil at the right of the Christian priests to their reward for services given now? Are the Sacrifices which they now offer of less import, of less value, of less dignity and efficacy than the sacrifices which were offered aforetime? Are the services which Christian priests render now of inferior worth altogether to those of the ancient Jewish priesthood? There cannot, we think, be two opinions respecting the matter, and every fair, candid, unprejudiced Christian would at once agree with us in declaring that not only was the ministry of Christian priests not less efficacious and valuable than that of the Jewish, but that it was even more so, as the substance far excels the shadow, and the antitype that which is merely its type. That being readily granted, is it, we next ask, to be concluded therefore that the ministers of Christ are yet deserving of less reward for the important services which they thus render? "If the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory." Surely, therefore, the rewards of those who minister in this latter should not be one

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whit behind, but should exceed those who ministered in the former.

Let us for a moment suppose that the Jews had listened to the invitation of the Messiah, had admitted His claims, and had quietly given in their adherence to His rule; that the Mosaic economy had, with as little friction and disturbance as possible, yielded to the superior economy of the Christian Church, and that the sacred ministers of the former had been quite contented to give way to those of the latter, or had themselves been willing to accept Holy Orders in the Christian Church,-would it not have been in accordance with the fitness of things that the priests under the Christian Covenant should then have received the tithes and offerings that had hitherto been paid to the Jewish priesthood? Or would the Jews have refused to continue to pay? We trow not. Rather it would have been the case that their gratitude for the unspeakable benefits of the Christian Covenant, as well as the grace of God's Holy Mysteries, would have urged them not only to continue paying their tithes, but also to multiply their offerings.

Otherwise we might declare that one portion of their own Scriptures, as well as ours, would have remained a dead letter, or have had no meaning for them as it has for all faithful Christians to this day. We refer to that pertinent question which the Almighty had cause to put to the ingrate and rebellious Jews in former times, and which He would no less ask of any of His people in all ages who refused to pay to Him His just dues in tithes and offerings: "Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed Me. Wherein have we robbed Thee? In tithes and offer

But ye say,

ings" (Mal. iii. 8). The Word of God abideth for ever, and its application is equally suitable for similar cases in all ages. The payment of tithes, therefore, · we may justly conclude, is deservedly due to God's ministers now, as much so indeed as it was in the days when it was first formally enacted.

But it will be asked, In what sense are we to understand those words of the Apostle, when he writes, "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver." It would seem from hence, it may be argued, that a man is allowed to place a limit to his Christian liberality. These words, taken in connection with their context, strictly refer to offerings made for the benefit of the poor saints, and were not applied to the remuneration of the Christian ministry.

It must be borne in mind that, besides full payment of their tithes, the Jews were called upon and expected to make offerings in proportion to their worldly position and circumstances. And these offerings were as much due to the priests as was the payment of tithes. "Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings," said God. Accordingly, by a similar analogy, we may properly infer that, besides the payments which they made to the Apostles and Elders for their services, the early Christians were expected to make additional offerings for pious purposes, and especially for the sustenance of the poor. There is, therefore, no limit placed to Christian liberality and alms-giving. Nay, rather, under the Christian Covenant we are called upon to give to our utmost, and are encouraged thereto by these holy