266 MOKEY AN^D THE KINGDOM. 



and in view of their urgent needs, it is a wonder that 

 those who, hke Boaz, are mighty men of wealth, can 

 deny themselves the deep and lasting pleasm^e of liber- 

 ally endowing such institutions. Said one who had just 

 given fifty thousand dollars to a Western college: "I 

 cannot tell you what I have enjoj'^ed. It is like being 

 born into the Kingdom again." 



This emergency demands the acceptance of Christian 

 stewardship, that our great benevolent societies may be 

 adequately furnished for their work. They are kept 

 constantly on their knees before the public, and with 

 pleas so pitiful, so moving, the marvel to me is that, 

 when Christian men hold their peace and their purse, 

 the very stones do not cry out. And, notwithstanding 

 all their efforts to secure means, they must, every one, 

 scrimp at every point, decline providential calls to en- 

 large their work, and even retrench, in order to close 

 the fiscal year without a debt. 



The door of opportunity is open in all the earth ; organ- 

 izations have been completed, languages learned, the 

 Scriptures translated, and now the triumph of the King- 

 dom awaits only the exercise of the power committed to 

 the Church, but which she refuses to put forth. If she 

 is to keep step with the majestic march of the divine 

 Providence, the Church must consecrate the power 

 which is in money. 



5. Oh ! that men would accept the testimony of Christ 

 touching the blessedness of giving! He who sacrifices 

 most, loves most; and he who loves most, is most 

 blessed. Love and sacrifice are related to each other 

 like seed and fruit; each produces the other. The seed 

 of sacrifice brings forth the fragrant fruit of love, and 

 love always has in its heart the seeds of new sacrifice. 

 He who gives but a part is not made perfect in love. 

 Love rejoices to give all ; it does not measure its sacri- 

 fice. It was Judas, not Mary, who calculated the value 

 of the alabaster box of ointment. He who is infinitely 

 blessed is the Infinite Giver ; and man, made in his like- 

 ness, was intended to find liis highest blessedness in the 



