and truly benevolent contributions of all classes of men; but the way in which he spoke of this widow's two mites, proves that such contributions from the poor are peculiarly well-pleasing in his sight. He estimates them by an unusual standard, not the standard of their own absolute value, but the standard of the ability of the donor, and inversely as that ability; that is, the less the ability the greater the worth of the gift. In all cases, indeed, the purity of benevolent intention, and their acting up to their ability, are the points to which he chiefly looks. The ointment which the woman poured on Jesus head was very precious, but the commendation he bestowed on her was this, "She hath done what she could."* In like manner, all will be accepted of him who, in the same spirit, do what they can for his people and his cause. Most instructive to all classes, but especially to the lower, are the words of the apostle to the Corinthians:t " Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of grace of God bestowed on the Churches of Macedonia; how 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. Therefore, as ye abound in everything," "see that ye abound in this grace also."—"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."+ the 3. It concerns us all to see that our contributions be such, in respect of the principles and motives from which they flow, as will meet with the divine approbation. Every view * Mark xiv. 8. +2 Cor. viii. 1. Even heathens could see the reasonableness of this principle:- Hæc facit, ut veniat pauper quoque gratus ad aras, Ovid. El. Xenophon, in his Memorabilia, states this as having been the opinion of Socrates. Θυσίας δε θυων μικρας απο μικρων, οὐδὲν ἡγειτο μειούσθαι των ἀπο πολλων και μεγαλων πολλα και μεγαλα θυοντων — Επαινετης δ' ἐν και του έπους τούτου, Καδδυναμιν δ' έρδειν ἱερ ̓ ἀθανάτοισι θεοισι. of the duty of making pious and charitable offerings in which this point is kept out of sight, must be essentially defective. We are assured that it is possible for a man to "bestow all his goods to feed the poor," and yet to have no true charity: in like manner, it is possible to give large sums for religious purposes, without any true religion. The rich, and also the poor, may give away money from thoughtlessness, or mere natural sympathy, or ostentation, without regard to God's will and glory, without any reference to the Mediator, and without the sanctified emotions of a new heart. Such gifts may be useful in their effects, but they cannot be accepted of God. How, then, shall we be capable of giving of our substance properly and acceptably? By being ourselves first "accepted in the Beloved," and possessed of a renewed mind; and then, by guarding against every unhallowed and sinister motive, while we make conscience of actually giving as God has prospered us. Let us attend to this personally and seriously, so shall we attain to "the end of the commandment, which is charity, out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned," and our contributions will be "an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God." Finally, Keeping these principles in view, be exhorted to cast liberally into the offerings of God, by the encouraging considerations which are placed before you in his Word. Remember, as this passage implies, that when you are casting into the treasury, the eye of the Lord Jesus Christ is upon you. You may escape the notice of men, but you cannot escape his notice. He looked up, and beheld both the rich people and the poor widow. The upward glance and the steady look of his eye on that occasion made it plain that he saw them; but he ever sees all. "Whence knowest thou me?" asked Nathanael; and Jesus answered, "Before Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig-tree, I saw thee." He sees both the disposition which prompts you to charity, and the extent to which you carry it. He expects that the motive should be right, but he expects that the sum should be right also. Remember, again, the considerations connected with the amazing kindness of your God and Saviour to you. How many and how great are the providential favours for which you are indebted to the Lord! He never leaves himself without a witness, in that he "does you good, and fills * 1 Cor. xiii. 3. your hearts with food and gladness." If, then, he "gives you richly all things to enjoy," see "that you do good, that you be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate." And, when you think of the matchless kindness manifested to you in providing for the salvation of your souls, and for the relief of all your spiritual poverty and wretchedness, how ought this to open your hearts and hands to do all you can to supply both the temporal and spiritual wants of others! This is the great argument by which the apostle urges the Corinthian converts to abound in the grace of alms-giving: "For," says he, "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."* Be exhorted, once more, to give liberally, by the consideration of the promise of an abundant recompense. It is very certain that you cannot render God your debtor by anything you can give; for, give what you may, you are only giving him what is his own. But he is pleased with every act of obedience, and will graciously reward what is the result of his own grace. He promises a reward in this world, and a reward in the next. The cheerful furnishing of what is necessary for the cause of religion has an express temporal promise annexed to it: "Bring ye all the tithes. into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." Charity to the poor has also a special temporal promise annexed: "Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth; and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies. The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing; thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness." So says the Psalmist, and that without indulging a spirit of self-righteousness; for he immediately adds: "I said, Lord, be merciful unto me; heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee."+ "God is not unrighteous," saith Paul," to forget your work and labour of love which ye have showed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister." Thus, true Christian liberality shall not only be repaid, but more than repaid +Ps. xli. 1-4. Cor. viii. 9. If "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good meagre, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over." you give as unto "the offerings of the Lord," you shall be recompensed at least "at the resurrection of the just." To those who are benevolent from love to Christ he will say, from his judgment-seat, "Come, ye blessed of my Father," "for, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me." The smallest act of this kind shall be acknowledged; even a "cup of cold water," given to one of Christ's people in the name of a disciple, shall in no wise lose its reward. But remember, that here, as in every other particular, the gracious reward rises in proportion to the degree of the grace to which it corresponds. Every man shall receive his own reward, according to his own labour."-" He who soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he who soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully." 66 This encouragement, then, addresses itself to enlightened views of prudence and self-interest. It is such an encouragement as, had it not been distinctly expressed in Scripture, we should have been afraid, and have deemed it presumptuous, to propose. But you are assured that the way of pious and charitable contribution is the safest and most profitable investment for your property, and, wonderful to tell! in this way the great God himself appears here in the character of a borrower. Jehovah may be considered as desirous not to take from you altogether, but to borrow of you, as much as will suffice to carry on his benevolent purposes. The thing is no doubt astonishing, but it is not more astonishing than true. When he calls for your charitable contributions, the question he puts to you is not exactly, How much will you give? but rather, How much will you lend? And, if you ask, What security is there for the repayment? we reply, There is the promise, there is the oath, nay, there is the bond, of the God of heaven and of earth. His holy Word contains his own written engagement; so that, when you wish to examine your security, you have only to take your Bible, and to turn to the 19th chapter and the 17th verse of the Book of Proverbs, where you will find your security drawn out in these words: "He that hath pity upon the poor, lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again." LECTURE CX. LUKE XXI. 5-11. "And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said, 6. As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. 7. And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass? 8. And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them. 9. But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by. 10. Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: 11. And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven." In the last lecture we considered, and improved, the circumstance of the poor widow casting in her two mites, which were her all, into the treasury. Our Lord had now visited the temple for the last time. Having, on several successive days, there warned the congregated people, without making any general impression on them, he left the devoted place, denouncing, as appears from Matthew,* many a heavy woe on the impenitent and unbelieving nation, and pouring out his farewell in these pathetic words: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." “And,” says Luke, " as some space of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts." The passages parallel to that now before us are in the 24th chapter of Matthew and the 13th chapter of Mark. In Matthew, we read, “ And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple; Matt. xxiii. |