their life-blood. They have been wrung from them, and they groan whon they nto gone. Genuine charity acts not thus; its greatest happiness is in giving. In sooth, ho who gives reluctantly never truly gives at all. "God loveth a cheerful giver." His own happiness is in giving; he rejoices in the happiness of the creation, and to be happy there must be giving. Il. TrrE WORTH OF GENUINE BENEFIOENOE. The most valuable thing in the universe I~ genuine, practical love, or charity. 1. It is a most valuable thing in its issues. (1) lt confers happiness on the man who practises it. Every act of it is to him a seed. of life, a seed which in bis own soul, as in a garden, will germinate and grow, and will produce fruits, delectable to the moral tastes, and strengthening to the moral powers of the soul, imperishable fruit. The more of these deed-germs he sows, the more abundant the harvest. "He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly, and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully." He will be "blessed in hill deed ; " in truth, there only is blessedness to be found. (2) It ensures the blessing of the Almighty. (a) He sees that the man of charity shall lose nothing by his contributions. "God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all suffi~ cicncy in all things, may abound to every good work." 'l'he God of goodness sees. that no man shall be really injured by his goodness. "In all thy gifts show a cheerful countenance, and dedicate thy tithes with gladness. Give unto the Most High according as he hath enriched thee; and as thou hast gotten, give thee with a cheerful eye. For the Lord recompenseth, and will give thee seven times as much" (Ecclus. xxxv. 9-l.l), (b) He sees that his beneficent deeds shall be blessed for ever. " His righteousness remaineth for ever." A good deed is a seed that will go on multiplying for. ever. Beneficence, after all, is righteousness. (3) It alleviates the distress of mankind. "For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God." What hushes the sorrows of the distressed, heals the wounds of the afflicted, relieves the poverty of the indigent, dispels the d:i.rkness of the ignorant, etc. ? Practical beneficence. It is, indeed, through this that God helps the world to rise from its fallen condition of guilt and misery. (4) It is promotive of universal worship. "Whiles by the experiment of this ministratjon they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ." .And '' which causeth through us thanksgiving to God." The tendency of practical beneficence is to tum the world to the universal,worship of the one God, the Source of all good, 2. lt is a most valuable thing in itself. "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift." What is the "gift'' here? Undoubtedly charity, or practical love. Has Paul .here a special reference to Christ? Be it so. The value of that gift was the love which it. expressed, incarnated, and diffused. The gift of love is the highest gift; The greatest thing in the universe is mind, the greatest thing in mind is love, and the greatest element in love is practical philanthroi:,y, •
HOMILIES BY VARIOU.S AUTHORS. Vers. 1-5.-Reference to his former argument; its completeness;· why he. resu'/7\!18 the subject. Reviewing the reasoning on the duty of Christian beneficence, the apostle concluded that he had expounded the subject in a manner so clear and explicit as .to make any addition "superfluous" on the score either of logic or of appeal.· .Recall the, argument for a moment, and see if he was not justified in ·this ,opinion;. The appeal was for the poor of the Church at Jerusalem. Macedonia was depressed and sorely troubled Achaia was internally agitated by J udaizers and free-thinkers; and between this upp~r and nether millstone ~he young Churches were w_ell-~igh g_round t_o powder. St. Paul himself was greatly aflhcted. But he had strong faith ID Christ and ID human nature under the influenfe of Christ's grace, and having this confidence he was hopeful, resolute, and courageous. Macedonia had done nobly. Corinth would not f~ll below the standard he had set for their generosity. Full of heart, he presses the c\aim of the occasion but his zeal and anxiety never betray him into using a false motive or into pushing'a true motive too far. The" rod" is not threatened. All through, the appeal 1s to the best elements of our nature, for he recognizes, as" the sacred writers ~on~tantly recognize, the fact that the freest and most spontaneous acts of men, their inward vu. 1x. 1-16.J TliE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 223