r in any way for His work, and we shall find that in the end
we are not losers, even with reference to temporal things, whilst we
communicate liberally of the things of this life with which the Lord
has intrusted us.--Here it might be remarked: but if it be so, that
even in this life, and with regard to temporal things it is true,
that "To him that gives shall be given, good measure, pressed down,
and shaken together, and running over," and that "He which soweth
bountifully shall reap also bountifully," then in the end the most
liberal persons would be exceedingly rich. Concerning this remark we
have to keep in mind, that the moment persons were to begin to give
for the sake of receiving more back again from the Lord, through the
instrumentality of their fellow men, than they have given; or the
moment persons wished to alter their way, and no more go on sowing
bountifully, but sparingly, in order to increase their possessions,
whilst God is allowing them to reap bountifully, the river of God's
bounty toward them would no longer continue to flow. God had supplied
them abundantly with means, because He saw them act as stewards for
Him. He had intrusted them with a little which they used for Him, and
He therefore intrusted them with more; and if they had continued to
use the much also for Him, He would have still more abundantly used
them as instruments to scatter abroad His bounties. The child of God
must be willing to be a channel through which God's bounties flow,
both with regard to temporal and spiritual things. This channel is
narrow and shallow at first, it may be; yet there is room for some of
the waters of God's bounty to pass through. And if we cheerfully
yield ourselves as channels, for this purpose, then the channel
becomes wider and deeper, and the waters of the bounty of God can
pass through more abundantly. Without a figure it is thus: At first
we may be only instrumental in communicating 5l. or 10l. or 20l. or
50l. or 100l. or 200l. per year, but afterwards double as much; and
if we are still more faithful in our stewardship, after a year or two
four times as much, afterwards perhaps eight times as much, at last
perhaps twenty times or fifty times as much. We cannot limit the
extent to which God may use us as instruments in communicating
blessing, both temporal and spiritual, if we are willing to yield
ourselves as instruments to the living God, and are content to be
only instruments, and to give Him all the