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SYSTEMATIC BENEFICENCE 
 
 'TS CLAIMS AND OBLIGATIONS. 
 
 -^N ESSAY 
 
 DELIVERED BEFORE THP f « /, 
 
 4 
 
 AT 
 
 TRPBO, N.S, SEPTEMBeb, 1873, 
 
 BY 
 
 REV. E. A. McCURDY, NEW 
 
 GLASGOW. 
 
 (PUBLISHED BY ^QJJesT.) 
 
 N'^VA Scotia 
 
 INO Co., Corner SACKVTrr^ ^r /^ — 
 
 *« OACKMLLE & Granville Sts. 
 
 1873. 
 
 ^/*; 
 
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 # 
 
 ^'-iV-.'^u/'V-^-i,^'!' 
 
# 
 
 
 SYSTEMATIC BENEFICENCE 
 
 m l^latms and ||btigalion». 
 
 >4/? Essay deiiuered before the Y. M. C. A. Convention at ' 
 Truro, N. S„ September, 1873, 
 
 ST BET. S. A. MoCTTBDY, ITS'W aLASaO"^. 
 
 (PabUshed by Seqaest.) 
 
 In its widest acceptation, Beneficence means the act of doing good. iKystematic 
 Beneficence is the act of doing good on system. Hence it is both the flower and 
 the fruit in the Christian life of the principle laid down by the Apostle, " As we 
 have therefore opportunity let us do good to all men especially unto them who are 
 of the household of faith." 
 
 But while this is the primary and literal signification of the phrase, it has been 
 applied more particularly, and more frequently, to doing with our substance ; to 
 the devotion of our property under the influence of right principles and on system, 
 to purposes of religion and benevolence. I presume that it is in this mere restrict- 
 ed sense that your Executive Committee employed it when they requested me to 
 open the discussion at this Convention on " Systematic Beneficence : its claims 
 and obligations." 
 
 To lay broad and deep the foundations for God's claim upon our BeneficencCj 
 seems very obviously my first duty. And, let me say, that it appears to me that 
 the immoveable rock upon which you can safely build the whole structure of 
 Beneficence on system, is, that we and ours, all we are and all we have, belong to 
 God. By creating us, and that which He has put into our possession. He vested 
 in Himself a title to ownership, the validity of which can be rivalled by no other. 
 His words are to be understood in thtir largest and most absolute sense, when He 
 affirms: " Whatsoever is under the whole heavens is mine;" "all the earth is 
 mine;" "every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills." 
 " The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of Hosts." 
 
 With a frequency and emphasis which must carrv profoundest conviction to the 
 heart of every one who trembles at His word, the Most High teaches that He is 
 the Great owner, the absolute Proprietor of all things, while we are but the 
 stewards of what belongs to Him. Let this great tnuh be clearly apprehended; 
 let the precise relationship which exists between proprietor and steward be fairly 
 and fully understood ; let it be held fast, as part of the tenohing of the Bible, that 
 God alone can present an indisputable and inalienable claim to proprietorship in 
 its truest sense — while all of us, and all our fellow-creatures, whether believers or 
 unbelievers, stand to Him in the relationship of stewards, and you have the foun- 
 dation firmly laid for God's making any claim upon us which He pleases. Now. 
 
 :#^ 
 
Pi 
 
 BenrficMice, to he, wortli nnytliing, must l>c. a nro;^nition of this truth. It iniHt 
 aiiio be a rccojjjnition of tlie truth thiit wo arc His redeenieil pfojile, as well as the 
 creatures of His hand, and the stewards of Hi.^ substance. In its root ])riiici|)Ic, it 
 IB not something outward and formal. It is inward and sjiiritual. To have any 
 value, Beneficence must be an act of worship, ur rather a s;cries of acts of worship. 
 Our pfts must l)e the oft'sprin;.; of f^ratitude. They must be the outcome of love. 
 They must be the manifestation of devotion. As the p.<alin of praise, as the jmiyer 
 >f' thanksgiving, is an empty service, unless it expitsses the feeling of the heart, so 
 t;i oflering of substance to God, which is not the expre«jion of gratitude, is a 
 ortcless thing. But if, like the offering of Mary, when she i)rescnte(l her alal)a.ster 
 bo.x of ointment, or of the poor widow, when she brought her two mites, it is the 
 outcome of a full, evcrllowing heart, it will be regarded as truo bencticeiito, and so 
 ryccivo the hearty applause of' the blessed Saviour Himself. 
 
 But beneficence, to possess the character required in the Bilde, must be syste- 
 Linatic, as well as con.scientiou8. Our beneficent-c hitherto has been far too spas- 
 modic and impulsive. We have overlooked the great New Testament law for its 
 direction, and we have adojjted human plans and expedients. Now, if we wish to 
 honour God, fill His treasury and bless the world, we must fall back upon the 
 inspired precept : " Upon the first day of the week, let every one of you lay by him 
 ia store, as God has prospered him." 
 
 This precept, studied under the light of i.ther passages of Scripture, furnishes 
 a most concise and comprehensive statement of the jirinciples which underlie 
 Systematic Beneficence ; and it answers for us several (juestious, which seem to 
 me completely to sweep the field before us. 
 
 In the first place, if I am isked, " What are we to understand by Systematic 
 Beneficence i" I reply that we are here informed that it is the regular and 
 frequent offering. It is true that the phrase, " lay by him in store," is suscejitiblo 
 of various renderings. Albert Barnes renders it, " Let him lay by at home, treas- 
 uring as he has been prospered. Dr. Hodge says : " The words mean to lay by 
 himself," and thinks that the direction is nothing more definite than " let him take 
 to himself what he means to give, and let him carry it to a common treasury." My 
 own conviction is that both the.se things are implied, and that the passage enjoins 
 upon us, in the first place, to have a purse or treasury for the Lord in our own 
 homes, to replenish it regularly, and to draw from it, to carry our offerings to tlie 
 house of God, or to bestow them in any way in which the circumstances connected 
 with the call upon us dictate. In a word, the rule laid down by the Apostle 
 «ecms to demand both frequent storing and frequent offering. 
 
 In the second place, if I am asked, Who are the persons upon whom this duty 
 of frequent storing and offering is binding, 1 reply that the answer of the Ajwstle 
 on this point, is clear, explicit and unmistakeable. " Let every one of you lay 
 by him in store." There is no mistaking the sweep and compass of these univers- 
 al terms. The " every one" must mean every individual whom the Apostle's 
 words reach. The precept comes with authority and power to all, to high and 
 low, to rich and poor, to bond and free. It is binding alike upon husband and 
 wife, parent and child, master and servant, sovereign and subject, pastor and 
 people. It is designed as a rule of life to the unbeliever, as well as to thQ 
 t»cliever ; for if the persons and property of both, and of both alike, God is the sole 
 and universal proprietor, while they themselves are but stewards. True, the 
 ungodly may ignore or deny their stewardship, but they cannot possibly escape 
 from the obligations which it imposes npon them. The precept is fully binding 
 upon them. But, with peculiar power, this command presses upon the Christian. 
 He knows and feels, and acknowledges, that in every sense he belongs to God. 
 He remembers that as his creator and preserver, Jehovah is his Lord ; that as his 
 Redeemer, Jesus Christ has secured a right to him and to his by purchase ; and 
 that by a voluntary surrender of himscU to the Saviour, he has given himself, 
 all he is and all he has, to his rightful Sovereign. With an emphasis, therefore, 
 mightily increased, addressing himself to those who have been redeemed by the 
 blood of Christ, purified and appropriated by the Spirit of Christ, and led by the 
 grace of Christ to declare that they are not their own, the apostle points out their 
 duty in the precept : "Let every one f/'you lay by him in store." This duty of 
 
ftvcry lienrer of the Gospel, to consecrate a due proportion of his siibstanco to thr 
 advancoment of the cause of God, I am arxious, in the presence of tliis Conven- 
 tion, ns well aa clsewiiere, to state with clearness, decision and enerjry. I am 
 urfrerit in pressing; it niion your attention, because I helieve tiuit its neplect entails 
 guilt. I am very anxious that it should be attended to, l)ccausc it is a duty which 
 is Horely ne^tlccted. Facts and lij,'ures Iwar me out in Haying so. For instance, 
 Great Britain's national income, for the year 1R7.T, was aboiit .C7fi,()00,000. It i» 
 Kaid tliat her national f^ains were .CSOO.OOO.OOO But Great Britain's free-will 
 ofl'erin;,'S, for relifiious and benevolent purposes, are set down at .Cr>,000,000. in 
 other words, the subje<'ts of Kin<r Jesus, in Great Britain, contribute for the snp- 
 port and extension of His kinjjdom only one-fifteenth as much a« the subjects of 
 Quien Victoria contribute for the maintenance of Iier sway; or, to put it in 
 awotlur way, about onti-onc hundred and fiftieth of the gains of the Empire are 
 spent upon relifiious and Iniuevolent objects. 
 
 The Princeton Riview for April, 1872, is responsible for the statemeut, that the 
 Benevolent contributions of the Baptists ot the United States, for a eiven year, 
 amounted to but M.'JO.OOO ; those of the Methodists, $996,011 \ nn<' those of the 
 Presbyterians. $1,444, .388 ; or an averaj.'e per member of 45 ets., 70ct8. and $.3.17, 
 respectively. Do not these facts, and others like them, force irresistibly upon us 
 the conclusion that the precept, " Let every one of you lay by him in store as Go^l 
 hath jirospered him," has, by a very larpe number, been entirely ijrnored, or for- 
 gotten ; and do they not vindicate any legitimate attempt to impress upon the 
 mines of men, whether in worshippinjr assemblies, Association Conventions, or 
 church courts, the universality of the duty of practising Beneficence upon Bystcm, 
 and according to principle? 
 
 But another question, which this inspired precept answers for us, is, When 
 ought we to make our aj)propriations of property to the cause God?J 
 
 Is it only orce in the year, at its expiration, when its work is done, its losses 
 estimated, its profits counted — when otlier obligations have l)ccn met, and we are 
 in a position to judge whether or not we can aflord to give anything at all, in 
 response to the claims of religion and benevolence? or is it merely on every occsv- 
 sion wlicii a special and emphatic call is made upon us by the church, either from 
 the pn]j)it, or by a collector calling upon us to seek our contributions? The 
 Apostle, you will perceive, tlrusts aside both these methods, as well as many 
 others, by his simple, but much more eficctive plan : "On the first day of thk 
 WEEK, let every one of you lay by him in store." As the contributions for the 
 relief of the poor and distressed, for tlie "support and extension of the Gospel 
 whether by the instrumentality of the associations or of churches, is a duty to be 
 discharged, there must be a lime for its perforniance. As it is an important duty, 
 it should have a fixed and specified time. As it i? a duty which makes large 
 demands upon us, the time appointed ought to recur frequently. As it is a duty 
 spiritual in its essence, though material in its accidents, the time fixed should m 
 that under which the mind and heart are under the most hallowed influence. For 
 all these things the apostolic rule makes the most r.mplo provision. A particular 
 time is specified. It recurs fre(|uently, once a week. It is a sacred day — the holy 
 Sabbath. The interesting and impressive associaticms connected with the first day 
 of the week, which make it preeminently suitable for the right discharge of the 
 duty, one familiar to all who und'jrsiand the design and uses of the Sabbatic 
 institution. It recalls the period of the creation, when Gcd made the world, and 
 placed it, with all its treasures, under the control of man, to he used for the glory 
 of the creator, as well as for the good of the creature. It reminds us of the rest of 
 satisfMction and delight which He enjoyed, when, ceasing from labour. He looked 
 upon the work of Ilis hands and saw all things very good It is intimately associ- 
 ated with the work of the Lord Jesns Christ. It recalls to one's mind, Hf« 
 glorious resurrection, by which He entered into His lest as God had entered into 
 His. It is the day on which the Gospel is most widely preaclv J, and the spirit of 
 God most largely shed abroad upon the hearts of men. Moreover, it is the day 
 sacred to rest and worship. And, oh ! when the Christian thinks of all this, when 
 he reflects upon God's kindness in creating and furnishing such a beautiful world 
 for his dwelling place, when he recalle the fact that after by sia he had forfeited 
 
All claim to it, and to every other hlcssing, 3e»u» by hin obedient life, satisfactory 
 death, and triumphant rosurrection Hecurod blcsHin^s for him, riches, p'irer and 
 better fur tlian those which he had lust; tlie pardon of sin, tlie ^ifts of the spirit, 
 and a brighter, more l)cautifiil, purer and hnppicr home in heaven ; when his un- 
 derstandint^ has been informed i)y the truth, his heart warmed by tlio hcjly spirit, 
 and his soul ravished with the pro»j)ect of tlie eternal rest whieli remains for the 
 people of (iud of which the earthly Sabbath is but the symbol, is he not in the iMSSt 
 
 Kssible condition of mind and heart to acknowIed(?e the loving-kindness of the 
 ird ; and will not an oflTerin^? of his substance presented then and there, if it 
 flow trorii gratitude to God and love to the Saviour, bo as acceptable an act of 
 worship as the psalms of praise which he sinj^s in the utterances of his full over- 
 flowing heart in expressions of thanksgivini; to God 1 And is it not iK-cause this 
 great truth, that oflerings of gold and silver presented to God from right motive* 
 are true and acceptable worshij), has Ixjen to such a large extent lost sight of, wa 
 find some persons obiecting to tlic taking of collections in the house of God on the 
 Sabbath day "^ And may not the same fact account also for so nuuiy jwrsons 
 bringing so fre(]^uentU as their offerings the smallest coin in the realm, just as the 
 Israelites sometimes brought the torn, the lame and the blind to the altar of God, 
 and th'is insulting the Almighty with a miserable exhibition of their own selfish- 
 ness, when they ought to be honouring Ilim with generous, hirgehearted, and 
 liberal contributions of that which Ho has graciously given thim. Never till all 
 offerings are generally regarded as the unvariuble expressions ot gratitude, as the 
 natural and necessary manifestations of love, and are consequently dignified with 
 a place among our acts of worship, will Christians obtain a correct view of their 
 nature and design, or the Church bo favored with frequent rejxjtitions of such 
 B«,'enes as the disciples witnessed when a grateful, loving, devoted woman brough,. 
 her alabaster box of ointment worth three hundred pence, and poured it upon her 
 Saviour's head, thus securing for herself the blessed assurance of llis acceptance. 
 "She hath done what she could. Verily I say unto you, wherever this gospel 
 ihall be preached throughout the whole world there shall this also that this woman 
 hath don be spoken of for a memorial of hor." 
 
 But another (juestion which is anf wered for ns in the inspired precept which 
 we have quoted is, " How much ought we to give V This is a question often 
 asked by those who are anxious to know and discharge their duty, and it is one 
 which demands a clear, distinct, and definite answer on such an occasion as this. 
 The reply to this query furnished by the apostle is, " Upon the first day of the 
 week, let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him." 
 But clear and distinct as is the rule here laid down, I believe that in order to grasp 
 its full import we need to study it under the light of other scriptures, for 
 luminous though the direction be, even as it stands by itdclf.yct when the scattered 
 rays of scripture light bearing upon the same subject are concentrated upon it as 
 their focus it gleams with a brilliancy which in these days of weak vision as to the 
 claims of God is almost dazzling. 'Phc truth is that Biography, Legislation, and 
 History; Precept, Threatening, and Promise, as these are embodied in the sacred 
 oracles, all contribute to give a length, and a breadth, a height and a depth to 
 this inspired measure, the magnitude of which cannot be fully grasped without a 
 more elaborate and careful investigation than we can give it in a single paper such 
 as this. And yet we will utterly fail to do justice to our subject unless we glance, 
 even though it be but hastily, at those lessons contained in the sacred record which 
 are fitted to illumine this precept. The duty of contributing of our substance to 
 the cause of God is one which nas always been binding upon the children of mon. 
 Going back to the earliest ages we find that the proportion given by the patriarchs 
 was one-tenth. When Abraham on his retr.rn from the slaughter of kings, bear- 
 ing with him a weighty spoil met Melchisedeck, recognizing the dignity of the 
 King of Salem, and Priest of the Most High Grod, the Father of the Faithful 
 " gave him tithes of all." 
 
 When Jacob felt himself constrained by the impulses of gratitude to make his 
 solemn vow unto the Lord, his language was, " Of^ all that thou shalt give me, 1 
 will surely give the tenth to thee." 
 
 Now the question arises : Whence originated the practice which both these 
 godly men so conscientioasly observed ? Had we time, I believe that I could con- 
 
 )i 
 
1^' 
 
 *ince anv intollipont and candid hearer, that its oripin was (Dirine, and that in 
 devoting the tenth of their suhHt..nee, th^y were acting in accordance with an in- 
 struction of the Divine will which had lecn coinmuniciitcd to them. I know that 
 the sacred record tranflnnits to us no positive command requiring thfin to appronri- 
 ttte a tenth part of their suhstance to worlcs of religion and benevolence, nut 
 neither have we any direct and positive comniund as to tlie observance of the Halt- 
 bath (hiy prior to the time of Moses. Nor have w.; any precept enjoining the 
 ancients to otf'cr sacrifices. And yet I suppose that there is not -rie of us who 
 does not believe th»a those ancient worthies were re<|uired by the Almighty to keeii 
 the Sabbath, aud to offer sacrihces. Now if you study the matter carefully you will 
 fin«l ;hrtt every argument which can be adduced to nrovc the Divine origin of 
 sacrifice and almost every argument which can be adduced to |)rove the Divine 
 origin of the Sabbath, might 1)6 pleaded in favour of the Divine origin of the 
 tithe. 
 
 But without si)ending longer on the patriarchal measure of contributions we 
 must inquire, What was the measure pructise(' by the Jew 'f There is no difHculty 
 in ascertaining this. We have hero the plain and positive pn'ccpts of their Law- 
 giver. I cannot dwell upon the first claim which was made upon the Israelites 
 in the shape of the first fruits of their fields, and the firstlings of tncir flock, as well 
 as the first l)orn of their sons. But I would direct your attention to the fact that 
 they were instructed to separate a tenth purtof their substance for sacred purposes. 
 " All the titho of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruits of the 
 tree, is the Lords, it is holy unto the Lord. And concerning the tithe of the herd 
 or of the fiock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall Ik; holy 
 unto the Lord." ItCV. 27 : 30, 32. This pas8.ige is clear and explicit. The fiehjs 
 and gardens of the Israelites, their olive yards and vineyards, their flocks and their 
 herds, were all laid under tribute to Jehovah. Because the land which they culti- 
 Tated, the fruits and increase of the fields which they tilleu, and thi;!r cattle i.pon 
 their thousand hills were God's good gifts to them, they were re(,uired to acknow- 
 ledge His sovereignty and goodness by the grateful, joyful devotion of the tithe of 
 all to him. 
 
 But over and above the first fruits and the tithe de.stined for the use of the 
 I^icvites, another tithe was levied to uphold the various appointed feasts and 
 sacrifices. Deut. 14 : 22, 23. It has been estimated by those who are best i(ualified 
 to judge, that altogether they must have spent one-fiftli to one-third of their sub- 
 stance in obedience to positive precept in the support of the Lord's cause. But 
 elevated as is the view with which these facts furnish us as to the Systematic 
 Beneficence of the Jews, we have not yet reached either the summit of God's 
 demands, or the altitude of their attainments. Positive precept defines the mini- 
 mum. Less than a tenth no Israelite could offer and obey God. More than a 
 t«nth, a fifth, or even a third he might present with acceptance, when his gifts 
 •prang from a willing mind and a grateful heart. Free will offerings were as 
 «8eential an element of Israelitish worship, as the doctrine of the tithe or the offer- 
 ing of sacrifice. Look, for example, at the universal, large-hearted and munificent 
 free will offerings presented by the chosen people on the occasion of their building 
 their tabernacle and temple. We cannot go into detail, but if you will study care- 
 full}', at your leisure, the twenty-fifth and thirty-s>xth chanters of Exodus, and 
 the twenty-ninth of First Chronicles, I am sure that you will admit that under the 
 shadow of the generous liberality of the Jews, our offerings shrink into insignifi- 
 cance, and 1 am not without the hope that you will vindicate my conduct in aski ig 
 yoa to study with me those principles and precepts, the knowledge and practicf of 
 which trained to such marvellous liberality in the cause of God. And should any 
 one ask me " What his all this discussion to do with us, and our dutv since we 
 live under a different and more advanced dispensation V I answer, " Much every 
 way." For if, as we have endeavored to sliew, the law of tithe dates from the 
 beginning, as it has never been cancelled it must still be in full force like the com- 
 mand which requires the seventh part of our time to be spent irr the worship of 
 God, it imposes upon ns the duty of devoting at least a tenth part of our income 
 to His glory. 
 
 But let it be conceded that we cannot trace this law beyond the Mosaic dispen- 
 sation, even npon this supposition a similar conclusion seems to force itself upon 
 
UB ; fov if tlic riinrch, under tlic past and prcsftnt dispcnsntionH, iu pusentially on<*, 
 ifhcrfuitli in these diftcront Htnucs of hor development is identical, if her moral 
 duties are tlie same ast wu uil maintain, then it ncrcHMnrily foHowH that tlie prnecpU 
 ot tlie Old 'I'etttanient are still hindin^ upon ('liriHtianH, except in no far as con- 
 neeted with types and hhadowK, or deKifjned to remilate Jewish civil ntlnirs they 
 were fiiKillt'd in ClirlHt and alirofjated hy his aiithmity. I-et it ho ohnerved from 
 the Mihle itself cleains a t.'ue and stendy linht, whicli enuhles us to discover tli« 
 statutes which havn lieen uholished and those which still retain their 1» ndinir force. 
 Krotn its pa;:es wc^ learn tliat the civil and ceremonial law has been altolished, hut 
 nowhere can wo lind that any, even tlie least, of its moral precepts havo hcen swept 
 away. Now the law of titho is not ceremonial. It is not \ civil statute. Its na- 
 ture is moral rather than typical. All the rc,ason.^ which callcil for its enactment 
 at first si ill ohtain. Now, as ever in the past, God is the urcat Sovereitrn of the 
 Universe, its sole proprietor and Lord. Now, as always hitherto, men are intrusted 
 OS stewards with I/is jroods. In thc^o last days, as well as in former times, the 
 oovetousne.ss of the human heart needs to he checked, crucitied hy the constant out- 
 flow of a jjeuerous lilierality. The «ry of the poor and needy still ceasdesslv falls 
 upon our ears. 'I'he claims of relij^ion arc inercasinir rather than diminishintr. 
 True the priost-luKid, as a separate order, has hecn abolished, hut we have it on 
 apostolic authority that as they who un<ier a former dispensation waited at the 
 altar were made partakers with the altar, even so hath the I/>rd ordained that they 
 who preach the frosjiel should live hy the ^rospel. The Jews had to maintain 
 merely a national reli>:ion. The Christian Cliurch hsr, to preach the {r>>f«l>ol to 
 every ercatnre. The obligations under which we are laid are vastly preafer than 
 wore those of the Jews. Our reli;cio"s privileges arc miixhtily enhanced. The 
 Jews had the type; Christians have the anti-typo. IIo had the shadow ; we have 
 the substance. Those truths which were for him but the predictio i of prophecy, 
 are for us the facts of history. He entertained the pleasure.? of hope ; we exult in 
 the joys of fruition, ilc felt the bondage of the law ; wc breathe the free spirit of 
 the gospel. 
 
 Now if all this is true; if the law of tithe is in its very nature moral and neither 
 ceremonial i-.or ( ivil ; if there is not a shadow of proof that it has ever been re- 
 peated by the Great Lawgiver; nay, it lias attained the sanction of our Lord and 
 Master by Hit; memorable utterance, " These ought ye to have done and not to 
 leave }he others undone." If all the reasons which led to its enactment at firvt 
 still exist, and otlurd more potent have been added ; if the claims upon our benefi- 
 cence arc far iru)re numerous than those which pressed upon the Jewish people, if 
 the blessings which we enjoy at the hand ot our Gracious Benefactor arc richer, 
 fuller and freer than theirs; if, too, the results achieved by our beneficence are 
 higher, nobler, and more 'astincr ; who that is influenced by reason, scripture, jus- 
 tice, gratitude, or yields, indeed, to any of those considerations which are fitted to 
 inform the understanding, sway the heart and shape the life, will at all dispute 
 that Christians are under the most impressive obligations to practice a bounty 
 more large-hearted and open-handed than that which characterized believers under 
 a former dis])cnsation, even during the seasons of their deepest, truest devotion to 
 the cousc of their God and Redeemer. 
 
 The truth is that a survey of Christian tcachmp on this subject seems to shnt 
 us up to the conclusion that God requires of all at least a tithe, while from those 
 whom He has bkssed with abundance, He looks for freewill offerings besides, 
 smaller or larger as circumstances may demand and love and gratitude dictate. 
 
 I know that this interpretation of the phrase " as God hath prospered him" may 
 perhaps startle some of my hearers, but I hope they will not reject it till they have 
 examined the subject fully, and satisflod themselves that the view is incorrect. 
 Few persons, I think, could hold stronger views against the propriety of making 
 the law of tithe binding upon Christians than myself at a former period, and it was 
 only what seemed to me the overwhelming force of evidence weighed in the course 
 of a careful study of the subject that wrought a change in my opinions on the 
 subject. 
 
 Brethren of this Convention, let me express to you the conviction that if 
 Christians now-a-days would only read the injunction of the apostle, " On the first 
 day of tlie week let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered 
 
 
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 hiin" utnlcr the liniit of Divin« |»rc«i'riplion, Pii; iurrlial prartiiO and Jewish ex- 
 ample; il they would think of it under the conviction thiu tlu'v luid their projiorty 
 ■M" not their own, Imt in tlie strictest, truest sense k-lotit; to (lod, if tliey wi>uld 
 jKindcr it with the h)ud crv of oeriihing uiiiiionN riiiy;it»(; in their ear« ; if t!ii!j 
 would nuMlitiite upon it under the dii/.7,iin); hcnins shed around it hy the life, the 
 pah»i(i ■>, the deiith, the re»urrectioii, and nHceuBion of their I-onI; it they would 
 stti ly it under the lillHsful illumination of the spirit of ull grace, (hen might wq 
 expect to witness in these last days a repetition of tho:>e aceiies which proved, 
 illustrated, and adorned the piety oi" the carlv Christians when " as luany as were 
 possessors of lands or hoi-tes, sold ihcin, and brought the priic of the things that 
 were sold and laid them down at the apostles feet, and distrihution was made to 
 every man according us he had need"; or when during a great trial of atlliction 
 the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty so abounded unto the riches of 
 their liberality that spontaneously they came to the apostle " prayii!g him with 
 much entreaty, that he would receive their gifts and take upon him the fellowship 
 of the ministering to the saints." 
 
 One more question is answered for us in the passage to which we have l)ecn 
 referring as our New Testament rule, viz: " In what way are our olferings to reach 
 the Treasury of the Lord?" The enswer is tiie ofl'erers themselves must bring 
 them. As we have already seen the passage teaches that wo should lay by us in 
 store at home. Hut it is surely fairly implied in the language that wo are to 
 bring the offerings to the house of (lod else where is the force of the clause " that 
 there be no gatherings when I come." At all events this is indis|)ucal)ly the scripture 
 method. The Israelites were commanded to bring the first ol their ripe fruits to 
 the house of tJod In prospect of the erection of the tabernacle in the wilderness 
 the proclamation was issued, " Take you from among you ai: offering to the Lord, 
 whosoever is of a willing heart let I, in l/rimf it." Tfie Jewish sucrilices were m- 
 variably bi-owjht by the offerers to the temple. It would seem that no legal 
 machinery was provided for the collection of tithes, but when the Jews withheld 
 them they were startled by the charge of robbery and instructed to " bring all the 
 tithes into the store-house." The same method held under the new dispensation, 
 for in the glorious morning of Primitive (Jhristianity as many as wore ^ ssessorsof 
 lands and houses sold them and brought i\\^. price and laid it down at the apostle's 
 
 Brethren this is G-'i 3 plan, I reiterate the rule Iln has given that it may 
 stand out before your minds in all \tA natiye simplicity, comprehensiveness, am! 
 efficiency : — " Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in 
 store as God hath prosjKired him that there may be no gatherings wiicn I comv,. 
 \)o not tell me that the rule was intended for the Chu"ch of Corinth only for such a 
 position is utterly untenf'de. There is not a shadow of proof that it is not as 
 universal in its application as any other precept contained in the epistle. Indeed 
 yoi? will find that the context itself guards it against so limited an application. 
 Notice how the precept is prefaced, " As I have given order to the churches in 
 Galatia so do yc." Nor is this all. The epistle, as you will observe by a reference 
 to the first verse, is addressed not only " to the Church of God which is at 
 Corinth" but also " to all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ 
 Our Lord both theirs and ours." 
 
 Oh that this rule so heavenly in its origin, so beautiful in its simplicity, and 
 so effective in its operations were universally adopted. Our pew rents which shut 
 out the poor from the house of God would be abolished ; our collectors for religious 
 and benevolent purposes would be spared their thankless toil ; our congregations 
 freed from many painful heart-burnings and bickerings; our Young Men's Chris- 
 tian Associations supplied with the necessary funds for carrying on their opera- 
 tions, and Bible and Missionary Societies would be delivered from their distressing 
 embarrassments. The Treasury of the Lord would be lull to overflowing, waste 
 places %vould be cultivated and missionaries of the cross sent to every land. God 
 would be glorified, Christ honoured, and the Holy Spirit magnified. Towards the 
 adoption of this rule the Church in her different branches and iilmost everywhere 
 is rapidly tending. The Presbyterian Church of the Lower Provinces has about 
 one-third of her congregations dependent upon the weekly offering for supplies. 
 The Weslcyan Church of British America is striving to secure the adoption of 
 
mmmm 
 
 tlic same plan. Quite a number of the Baptist congregations hare acEopted it. 
 It is meetin;; with extensive favor among the Episcopalians. The different 
 churches in the United States ar? aiming at the same thmg. A similar remark 
 might be mode in rcfurence to the churches in Gr-iat Britain. The fact that our 
 young men in t'm. associations and conventions are directing their attention to it is 
 a liopeful symptom It shows that they have grasped the fundamental truth that 
 giving from right motives is worship. It is prophetic of their success in securing the 
 funds necessary to erect their buildings, to furnish their libraries ai\d to carry on 
 tlicir Icnuvolont work in every department. Let them master the principles of 
 Scriptural Systematic Beneficence, let them reduce them to practice, kt them 
 labour with their wonted fervour and success to disseminate them among all the 
 mcmliers of their associations, and throughout the several congregations with 
 which they are connected and they will add another wreath to their laurels, and 
 another triump'u to the victories which they have won on the bonoutable field of 
 Christian work and Christian achiovenieRC. 
 
 
 KOVA SCOTIA PBINTtWO COMPANY, 
 CORNKR SACKVILLE .VND GRANVILLE 3TBERT9« HALIKA<. 
 
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