ved good. He even jeopardizes his life to that
end, being conscious of his redemption from eternal death, and
knowing physical death powerless to affect his eternal life. But the
heart that fails to appropriate Christ's sacrifice is without faith
and insensible to God's love and eternal life.

34. John uses an illustration plain enough for anyone to understand,
and from which we may judge that the soul found wanting in small
duties will be deficient in great ones. According to the apostle, if
one possesses this world's goods and sees his neighbor want, he being
able to render assistance without injury to himself, and yet closes
his heart against that neighbor, not assisting him with even the
slightest work of love, how can the love of God dwell in him since he
appreciates it so little that he will not spare his needy brother a
penny? How can he be expected, then, to render a greater service--to
even lay down his life for his brother? What right has such a soul to
boast--how can he know--that Christ has laid down his life for him
and delivered him from death?

35. How frequently are such people to be found! Having this world's
goods and being able to help the needy, they close their hearts
against the unfortunate, as did the rich glutton toward poor Lazarus.
Where shall we find in imperial courts, among kings, princes and
lords, any who extend a helping hand to the needy Church, or give her
so much as a crust of bread toward the maintenance of the poor, of
the ministry and of schools, or for other of her necessities? How
would they measure up in the greater duty of laying down their lives
for the brethren, and especially for the Christian Church? Note the
terrible judgment that they who are devoid of brotherly love are in
God's sight murderers and cannot have eternal life.

36. But the merely selfish may well escape our censure in comparison
with those who not only close their purses to the poor but
shamelessly and forcibly deprive and rob their needy neighbor of his
own by overreaching, by fraud, oppression and extortion; who take
from the Church the property rightfully hers and especially reserved
for her, snatching the bread from her mouth, so to speak. Not only is
the papistical rabble today guilty of such sin, but many who would be
known as evangelical practice the same fraud with reference to the
parochial estates and general property of the Church, and, in
addition, tyrannically harass and torment the poor mini