Page:The Parochial System (Wilberforce, 1838).djvu/93

 cost us nothing. When He, whose are all things, condescends to demand an offering at our hands—not that He needs anything, (for in a moment, by a word of His mouth, He could raise houses of prayer from the dust, as He called this world out of nothing to be the theatre of His glory) but because He loves us and desires for us the blessed opportunity of giving up something to Him: and when He makes our bounty to our brethren the measure of our love towards Himself: and when He says to us "freely ye have received, freely give"—"For I have set you an example that ye should do as I have done unto you"—what answer shall we make to Him? Shall we say, we must first take care of ourselves and our families, our comforts, and luxuries, and pleasures, our appearance before the world, our settled tastes and passing fancies; provision must first be made for all these, and then from the remainder, if any thing is left, I will spare something to my Saviour? Is it thus that we deal with those whom we do really and earnestly love? A father, whose son requires a costly education—how does he make his calculations? Does he thus shift off the burden, and provide first for every thing else, and give to the education of his child only that which he does not want? Rather does he enquire in the first place how much is requisite for the object; and then sets himself, with an affectionate severity,