242 MONEY AND THE KINGDOM. 



3. One who believes that every dollar belongs to God, 

 and is to be used for him, will not imagine that he has 

 discharged all obligation by "giving a tenth to the 

 Lord." One who talks about the "Lord's tenth," prob- 

 ably thinks about "his own" nine-tenths. The ques- 

 tion is not what proportion belongs to God, but hav- 

 ing given all to him, what proportion will best honor 

 him by being applied to the uses of myself and family, 

 and what proportion will best honor him by being ap- 

 plied to benevolent uses. Because necessities differ this 

 proportion will differ. One man has a small income and 

 a large family ; another has a large income and no 

 family at all. Manifestly the proportion which will best 

 honor God by being applied to benevolence is much 

 larger in the one case than in the other. God, therefore, 

 requires a different proportion to be thus applied in the 

 two cases. If men's needs varied directlj^ as their in- 

 comes, it might, i)erhaps, be i^racticable and reasonable 

 to fix on some definite proportion as due from all to 

 Christian and benevolent work. But, while men's wants 

 are quite apt to grow with their income, their needs do 

 not.^ A man whose income is five hundred dollars may 

 have the same needs as his neighbor whose income is 

 fifty thousand. 



There are multitudes in the land who, after having 

 given one-tenth of their increase, might fare sumptu- 

 ously every day, gratify every whim, and live with the 

 most lavish expenditure. Would that fulfill the law of 

 Christ, "If any man will come after me let him deny 

 himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me?" 



There is always a tendency to substitute form for spirit, 

 rules for principles. It is so much easier to conform the 

 conduct to a rule than to make a principle inform the 

 whole life. Moses prescribed rules ; Christ inculcated 

 principles — rules for children, principles for men. 



1 When John Wesley's income was £30, he Hved on £28, and gave two ; 

 and when his income rose to £60, and afterwards to £120, he still lived on 

 £28, and give all the remainder. 



