may not be judged and condemned at the great day. Let it be a settled principle with ns to watch against stinginess, and whatever else we do with our money, to give regularly and habitually to the cause of God. — Let us remember, that although Christ's work does not depend on our money, yet Christ is pleased to test the reality of our grace by allowing us to help Him. If we cannot find it in our hearts to give anything to Christ's cause, we may well doubt the reality of our faith and charity. — Let us recollect that our use of the money God has given us, will have to be ac- counted for at the last day. The " Judge of all " will be He who noticed the widow's mite. Our incomes and expenditures will be brought to light before an assembled world. If we prove in that day to have been rich towards ourselves, but poor towards God, it would be good if we had never been bom. — ^Not least, let us look round the world and ask where are the men that were ever ruined by liberal giving to godly purposes, and who ever found himself really poorer by lending to the Lord P We shall find that the words of Solomon are strictly true : " There is that scattereth and yet increaseth : and there is that i^thholdeth more than is meet, and it tendeth to poverty." (Prov. xi. 24.)
Finally, let us pray for rich men, who as yet know nothing of the luxury of " giving," that their riches may not be their ruin. Hundreds of charitable and religious movements are standing still continually for want of funds. Great and effectual doors are open to the church of Christ for doing good all over the world, but for want of money few can be sent to enter in by them. Let us pray for the Holy Ghost to come down on all our congre-
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gations, and to teach all our worshippers what to do with their money. Of all people on earth, none ought to be such liberal givers as Christians. All that they have they owe to the free gift of God. Christ, the Holy Ohost, the Gospel, the Bible, the means of grace, the hope of glory, all are undeserved, incomparable giJU, which millions of heathen never heard of. The possessors of such gifts, ought surely to be '' ready to distribute " and << willing to communicate.'' A giving Saviour ought to have giving disciples. Freely we have received : freely we ought to give. (1 Tim. vi. 18. Matt. x. 8.)
Notes. Lukb. XXI. 1 — i,
1. — [Casting ...gifts „. treasury .'] Major says, "In the second oouit of the temple, in the court of the women, were fixed thirteen chests, with inscriptions, directing to what use the offerings in each were allotted. Into one of these the widow cast her two mites. This court was hence called occasionally " the treasury." jJohn viii. 20.) These offerings were made at the three great feasts, to compound for tithes and dues, and to fulfil the precept, " Thou shalt not appear empty before the Lord." (Exod. xxiii. 15. Deut. xvi. 16.) See 2 Kings xii. 9.
2. — [Poor widow ^ Here, as in other places in the Bible, we must remember the exceedingly depressed and dependent condition of a poor man's widow in the countries where our Lord was. The expression is almost proverbial for one very badly off, and mo^ imlikely to contribute anything to a charitable purpose.
[Two mitesi] A mite was the smallest coin in use among the Jews in our Saviour's time. Major says that it was equal to about three eighths of a farthing of our money.
3. — [Hath cast in more.] " More," in this expression, does not of course mean a larger sum in reality, but more in God's sight, a gift which God values more than one of far more value in miui's eyes; — ^more in the judgment of Him who looks at the motiv€ss of givers, and at the money they keep for themselves as 'well as the money they give ; — ^more in proportion to her means.
4. — [They have of their abundance cast in^ This means that wbiU the rich gave, thev gave out of a large and abundant store, and hardly felt what tney gave, because much was left behind.
LUKBy CHAP. XXI. VBB. 5 — ^9.
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[She of her penury hath out in.] This means that what the widow gave, she gave out of a store so small that, after giving, nothing seemed to be left.
[All her living.] The meaning of this expression is disputed Some think that it means that the widow gave ^he whole of her property. Others think that it means that she gave the whole amount of her daily income. The latter view seems the more probable one. A person so poor as the widow would necessarily live from hand to mouth, and possess no capital or property, except what she received from one source or another day after day.
Let it be noted in leaving this passage, that our Lord says not a word here against the lawfulness and propriety of giving money to these treasuries in the temple, though He doubtless knew that the money was often ill applied, and the temple dis- pensation soon passing away. An excessive censoriousness about the failings and infirmities of religious Societies which are sound in principle, is not tQ,be praised. All institutions worked by man must needs be imperfect.
Finally, let us beware of lightly using the expression *' giving our mite," in reference to giving money to religious or charit- able causes. The phrase is often employed without thought or consideration. If people would "give their mite" really and literally as the widow gave her's, many would have to give far more money than they ever give now. Her "mite" meant something that she gave with immense self-denial, and at great sacrifice. Most men's "mite," now a days, means something that is not felt, not missed, and makes no difference to their comfort. If all people gave their " mite," as the widow gave her's, the world and the Church would soon be in a very dif- ferent state.