d
themselves to some human teacher, and enrol themselves as disciples in
some school of thought or science or philosophy, with a submission so
entire, that it puts to shame the submission which Christians render to
the Incarnate Truth Himself.

And so I might go on, all round the horizon of our human nature, and
signalise the difference that exists between the blemished sacrifices
which each part of our being dares to bring to God and expects Him to
accept, and the sacrifices, unblemished and spotless, which we carry to
one another.

But let me say a word more directly about the subject of which Malachi
is speaking. It seems to me that we may well take a very condemnatory
contrast between what we offer to God in regard to our administration of
earthly good, and what we offer on other altars. Contrast what you give,
for directly beneficent and Christian purposes, with what you spend,
without two thoughts, on your own comfort, indulgence, recreation,
tastes--sometimes doubtful tastes--and the like. Contrast England's
drink bill and England's missionary contribution. We spend L10,000,000
on some wretched war, and some of you think it is cheap at the price,
and the whole contributions of English Christians to missionary purposes
in a twelvemonth do not amount to a tenth of that sum. You offer that to
the spread of Christ's kingdom. 'Offer it to your Government,' and try
to compound for your share of the ten millions that you are going to
spend in shells and gunpowder by the amount you give to Christian
missions, and you will very soon have the tax-gatherer down on you.
'Will he be pleased with it?'

This one Missionary Society with which we are nominally connected has an
income of L70,000 a year. I suppose that is about a shilling per head
from the members of our congregations. Of this congregation there are
many that never give us a farthing, except, perhaps, the smallest coin
in their pockets when the collecting-box comes round. I do not suppose
that there is one of us that applies the underlying principle in our
text, of giving God our best, to this work. I am not going to urge you.
It is my business now simply to state, as boldly and strongly as I can,
the fact; and I say with all sadness, with self-condemnation, as well as
bringing an indictment against my brethren, but with the clearest
conviction that I am not exaggerating in the smallest degree, that the
contrast between what we lavish on other things and what we