hich they gave of it in their conduct, and
being moreover convinced that the exhibition of this love tends
directly and most powerfully to augment the prosperity of the Church
of Christ within its own bosom, and to extend its influence
throughout the world in all ages; he ventures to lay the result of
his reflections open to the candid consideration of the sincere
disciples of that Saviour, "who, though he was rich, yet for our
sakes became poor, that we through his poverty might be rich" (2 Cor.
8. 9).

This manifestation of love he believes to have been made by the
entire and real (not figurations) devotion of themselves, their
property, time and talents to Christ, their Lord and King. The
subsequent remarks, however, more especially relate to the bestowment
of property, and that whether of capital already possessed, or of
income to be acquired by industry.

The object proposed by the writer is to prove that such a Dedication
is invariably enforced by the commands of our Saviour, and that it is
illustrated by the practice of his Apostles and their immediate
contemporaries[2]: and he entreats of all the sincere disciples of
Christ, that they will weigh what is written in the balance of the
Sanctuary, and not in the balances of this world;-that they will pray
earnestly to the "Father of lights" to have, in their search after
truth, a single eye to the glory of Him whose they are and whom they
ought to serve, and to the extension of His Kingdom--that they will,
while they search and pray, have a tender regard both to their own
souls; and to those of the Millions of "Jews, Turks, Infidels, and
Heretics", whose ignorance and wretchedness they profess to deplore.
If in our enquiry into the meaning and extent of our Saviour's
words--"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth,"--we should
be led to the persuasion that he meant them, and that the Apostles
and their companions received them, in their most unrestricted sense;
may the Holy Spirit of God enable us to lay firm hold on the most
comfortable and consolatory permission thence arising--to cast all
our cares upon Him, because we know that He careth for us. All that
is, or that can fairly be, claimed, in investigating the question
before us, is, that the various precepts and arguments, along with
the uniform practice, of our Saviour and his Apostles, be allowed to
explain his meaning in this particular instance. I shall, therefore,
consider in the first place, the