MEASUKE AND TEST OF LOVE. 127 
Now read slowly and reflectingly. 
4 Hereby perceive we the love of God, be- 
cause he laid down his life for us ; and we 
ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 
But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth 
his brother have need, and shutteth up his 
bowels of compassion from him, how dwell- 
eth the love of God in him." 
Some say we ought to give the tenth, and 
what an improvement in our contributions 
would be apparent if all would give this 
much I But the New Testament knows of 
no such definite rule, no such exact limit. 
It does not intimate that we may stop at 
the tenth. The gospel idea is, that we are to 
give when objects of need present themselves 
to us, as our ability will allow. 
"Whoso hath this world's good," nothing 
is said of the amount he has or of the pro- 
portion he is to give. If a man has two 
farms and sells one, and gives the proceeds 
thereof to benevolent purposes, and an 
object of charity,— a "brother in need,' 5 
then presents himself to that man, and he 
can give without impoverishing his family, 
or those dependent on him for support, he 
