giving an account of terms proposed
by Diabolus for the surrender of the town of Mansoul; the offer of
submission being made through his ambassador, Mr. Loth-to-Stoop. "Then
Mr. Loth-to-Stoop said again, 'Sir, behold the condescension of my
master! He says that he will be content if he may but have some place
assigned to him in Mansoul as a place to live in privately, and you
shall be lord of all the rest!' Then said the Golden Prince, 'All that
the father giveth me shall come to me, and of all that he giveth me I
will lose nothing, no, not an hoof or an hair. I will not, therefore,
grant him, no, not the least corner in Mansoul to dwell in. I will
have it all to myself.'" It is a little singular, to say the least,
that he should have apprehended both the passages that we quoted in
their right sense; and we had better attribute his accuracy to a touch
of true inspiration.

Now, passing on from this point, we may think of the Lord Jesus in a
twofold character:--

1. As the Receiver appointed to collect debts due to God.

2. As the Almoner of gifts from God to men. He can come to us and say,
"My Father has appointed Me the heir of all things; He has put His
affairs into My hands, so that debts to Him are debts to Me; how much,
therefore, owest thou to thy Lord? For, all that the Father giveth Me
shall come to Me."

He can come to us again and say, "The Father hath given Me authority
over all flesh, that I should impart as well as exact; that I may give
eternal life and eternal blessing, and Holy Ghost to as many as
believe; that I should manifest His name to you, and give to you His
word and His Glory, and all things I have received of Him; that I
should give unto you rest and My own joy, and, by way of legacy in a
will which the enemy cannot dispute, should leave peace with you;
finally, ascending up on high, should send gifts to men, even to the
rebellious, that the Lord their God might dwell among them. For He
that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for you all, how
shall He not with Him also freely give you all things. How much,
therefore, hast thou received from thy Lord?"

And if we look at it rightly, He speaks but little of the dues, and
much of the gifts; for God only exacts from us that He may be able to
impart to us; there is no tyrant seated on the throne of the universe,
but only a Father waiting to give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him;
and the uttermost farthing that He demand