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 almsgiving is injurious both to the giver and the receiver: to the giver, as it encourages indolence; to the receiver, as it prevents independence and exertion. Again, remember there may be true liberality, when a man gives nothing to religious societies. Suppose he spends his money in employing labour wisely, suppose he gives good wages, suppose he invests capital in enterprises which call out the highest qualities—then such a man, although directly giving nothing, indirectly gives much, and is charitable in the true sense of the word. II. Motives to Christian liberality. 1. Christian completeness (v. 7). The Corinthians were orthodox; they had strong convictions of the liberty of Christianity. Gifts of eloquence abounded in the Church; they were deeply grounded in truth: they were active in thought and active in work-nay more, they had much zeal and love for their teachers; and yet, without this liberality, their Christianity would have been most incomplete: “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." The same idea is fully worked out in the 13th ch. of the First Epistle. Moreover, this verse exhibits the true conception of Christianity: It is not a set of views, nor is it faith, nor devotional feeling but it is completeness of Humanity. We are to grow up in the knowledge of Christ, till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect man-to the “ measure of the stature and fulness of Christ." Again, St. Paul says: “This also we wish, even your perfection :" and to the Thessalonians : "I pray God your whole spirit, and soul, and body be preserved blameless." And Christ places this high standard before His disciples as their aim: "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect." For it is the work of Christ to take the whole man, and present him a living sacrifice to God. : 2. Another motive of Christian liberality is emulation. Compare verses 1 to 8 of this chapter, and also the 11th ch. of Romans, at the 11th v. Observe here the truth of Scripture. Ordinary, feeble philanthropy would say, "Emulation is dangerous." Cowper calls it parent of envy, hatred, jealousy, and pride. Yet there is such a feeling as emulation. in our nature, and the Bible says it has a meaning; nay, is not wrong, but in its place a true and right affection of Humanity. So St. Paul here took advantage of this feeling. The Macedonian church had raised the standard of Christian liberality high, and the Corinthians are stimulated not to fall below that standard. But had the Apostle said, "Be not beaten by those Macedonians" had he called natural prejudices into play-a Corinthian to yield to a Macedonian ! then all the evil passions of our nature had been stimulated. In giving largely the Corinthians would have learned to hate the Macedonians; and to give more for the sake of triumphing over them. Instead of this, St. Paul exhibits the Macedonians as worthy of admiration, and exhorts the Corinthians to enter the lists in honourable rivalry. Herein, I believe, lies the difference: Emulation, meaning a desire to outstrip individuals, is a perverted feeling; emulation, meaning a desire to reach and pass a standard, is a true feeling the parent of all progress and of all excellence. Hence, set before you high models. Try to live with the most generous, and to observe their deeds. Unquestionably, good men set the standard of life. 3. The last motive alleged is the example of Christ (ver. 9). Here we must observe, first, that Christ is the reference for everything. To Christ's Life and Christ's Spirit St. Paul refers all questions, both practical and speculative, for a solution. For all our mysterious human life refers itself back to Him. Christ's Life is the measure of the world. Observe again, it is in spirit, and not in letter, that Christ is our example. The Corinthians were asked to give money for a special object; and Christ is brought forward as their example. But Christ did not give money, He gave Himself. His riches were perfect happiness; His poverty was humiliation; and He humbled Himself, that we, through His poverty, might be made rich. He gave Himself to bless the world. This then is the example; and it is the spirit of that example which the Corinthians are urged to imitate. It was giving, it was Love that was the Sacrifice. The form was a secondary thing. essence of the It was Life in His case, it was money in theirs; the one thing needful was a love like His, which was the desire to give, and to bless. THE LECTURE LIV. 2 CORINTHIANS, viii. 13-15.—February 27, 1853. HE eighth chapter of the second Epistle to the Corinthians, the latter part of which we enter on to-day, concerns a contribution collected by St. Paul from the Gentile Christians for the Jewish Christians at Jerusalem. Part of this we have already expounded, namely as regards the nature of Christian liberality, and the motives on which St. Paul urged it. But there still remain several points which we had not time to consider in the last lecture, and which are, nevertheless, only a continuation of the same subject. We found it a thing whose amount given, but by the We learnt, also, that it Christian charity, we saw, was a 66 grace of God, not merely useful, but also beautiful. true value is measured not by the willingness of heart of the giver. springs up in the soil of poverty, rather than in that of wealth. We considered, further, two motives on which St. Paul urges it -1. Christian completeness. 2. Christian emulation. To-day we take two points more: I. The spirit in which he urged Christian liberality. II. The additional motives which he brought to bear. : I. The Apostle spoke strongly not in the way of coercion, but of counsel and persuasion. In the 8th verse he says, “I speak not by commandment ;" and again, in the 10th, "And herein I give my advice." Both expressions taken together mean simply: "I do not order this, I only advise it." Now |