o the admonitions of the Holy Ghost to communicate to
those who are in need, or to help the work of God; then, can such a
brother be surprised that he meets with great difficulties in his
calling, and that he cannot get on? This is according to the Lord's
word. He is sowing sparingly, and he therefore reaps sparingly. But
should the love of Christ constrain a brother, out of the earnings of
his calling to sow bountifully, he will even in this life reap
bountifully, both with regard to blessings in his soul and with
regard to temporal things. Consider in connexion with this the
following passage, which, though taken from the Book of Proverbs, is
not of a Jewish character, but true concerning believers under the
present dispensation also: "There is that scattereth, and yet
increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it
tendeth to poverty. The liberal son shall be made fat: and he that
watereth shall be watered also himself." Prov. xi. 24, 25.--In
connexion with 1 Cor. xvi. 2, I would also direct my brethren in the
Lord to the promise made in Luke vi. 38, "Give and it shall be given
unto you: good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and
running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same
measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again." This
refers evidently to the present dispensation, and evidently in its
primary meaning to temporal things. Now let any one, constrained by
the love of Jesus, act according to this passage; let him on the
first day of the week communicate as the Lord has prospered him, and
he will see that the Lord will act according to what is contained in
this verse. If pride constrain us to give, if self-righteousness make
us liberal, if natural feeling induce us to communicate, or if we
give whilst we are in a state of insolvency, not possessing more
perhaps than ten shillings in the pound were our creditors to come
upon us; then we cannot expect to have this verse fulfilled in our
experience: nor should we give at any time for the sake of receiving
again from others, according to this verse; but if indeed the love of
Christ constrain us to communicate according to the ability which the
Lord gives us, then we shall have this verse fulfilled in our
experience, though this was not the motive that induced us to give.
Somehow or other the Lord will abundantly repay us through the
instrumentality of our fellow men what we are doing for His poor
saints, o