Page:The Parochial System (Wilberforce, 1838).djvu/78

 poured out an hundredfold upon the giver; secured to him by the promise of Him who cannot lie, and who said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." He measures the gifts which we offer for His sake, not by their magnitude in man's sight, but by the cost to ourselves, and the self-denial which they require; for when He stood of old by His Father's home, and "saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury, and saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. He said: Of a truth I say unto you that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all. For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offering of God, but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had." A small thing, given with much difficulty, is certainly more to the giver, and being more highly esteemed by Christ, it may probably do more in His cause, than large sums given carelessly out of a great abundance. For He, without whose blessing our gold and silver is but dross, may (if He please) command the most abundant blessing upon that offering which He most highly approves, and which hereafter He will most abundantly repay.

Such are the demands of our Lord. He warns us that if we will come after Him we must take up the cross, must hate all that we have; and, as a proof that we do so, must give thereof liberally and cheerfully for His sake; and as He demands all this for our sake not His own. He