MONEY AND THE KINGDOM. 343 



The law of tithes Avas given when the race was in its 

 childhood, and the relations of money to the kingdom 

 ot God were radically different from what they are now. 

 The Israelite was not held responsible for the conversion 

 of the world. Money had no such spiritual equivalents 

 then as now ; it did not represent the salvation of the 

 heathen. The Jew was required! simply to make pro- 

 visions for his own worship ; and its limited demands 

 might appropriately be met by levying upon a certain 

 proportion of his increase. Palestine was his world and 

 his kindred the race ; but, under the Christian dispen- 

 sation, the world is our country, and the race our kin- 

 dred. The needs of the world to-day are boundless ; 

 hence, everj^ man's obligation to supply that need is the 

 full measure of his ability ; not one-tenth, or any other 

 fraction of it. And no one exercises that full measure 

 until he has sacrificed. 



By all means let there be system. It is as valuable in 

 giving as in anything else. Proportionate giving to 

 benevolence is both reasonable and scriptural—" as God 

 hath prospered." It is well to fix on some proportion of 

 income, less than which we will not give, and then bring 

 expenses within the limit thus laid down. But when 

 this proportion has been given — be it a tenth, or fifth, or 

 half —it does not follow necessarily that duty has been 

 fully done. There can be found in rules no substitute 

 for an honest purpose and a consecrated heart. 



4. The principle that every dollar is to be used in the 

 way that will best honor God is as applicable to capital 

 as to increase or income, and in many cases requires that 

 a portion of capital be applied directly to benevolent 

 uses. "But," says one, " I must not give of my capital 

 because that would impair my ability to give in the 

 future. I must not kill the goose that lays the golden 

 egg.''^ The objection is of w^eight, especially in ordinary 

 times ; but these are times wholly extraordinary ; this 

 is the world's emergency. It may be quite true that 

 giving one dollar now out of your capital would prevent 

 your giving five dollars fifteen years hence. But it 



