Then it is added, "And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?" In the exposition of this verse, it may be observed, first of all, that the eleventh and twelfth verses form one of those parallelisms which frequently occur in Scripture, the corresponding clauses of each verse being mutually illustrative of each other. In this way, the phrase, "that which is another man's," in the first clause of the twelfth verse, corresponds with "the unrighteous mammon,” or worldly riches, in the first clause of the eleventh; and, "that which is your own," in the last part of the twelfth verse, corresponds with "the true riches," or, the blessings of salvation, in the last part of the eleventh. Thus, the general meaning of this twelfth verse is plain. Still, the form of expression employed requires some explanation. "That which is another man's," is, when literally rendered, "that which is another's,' "'* or that which belongs to another, the word "man's," being supplied by our translators, not happily. Worldly riches are not a man's own, in the strict sense; they belong to God, and are merely a man's in trust. They are not abiding; they are not an everlasting possession, in any sense; and, even when a man has them, they do not constitute his character-they are, as we may say, foreign to him. The true riches, or the blessings of salvation, however, are a man's own. They constitute his character, they are his peculiar, proper treasure, and they are given to him in perpetuity. They are the "one thing needful" for a man, and "the good part," or portion, "which shall not be taken from him." Believers possess "the unsearchable riches of Christ" here; and there is reserved for them, in heaven," an inheritance, incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away. Now, our Lord says,

"If

*

ye have not been faithful in that which is another's,"

τω

· Αλλοτριῳ. Το άλλοτριον and το ἡμετερον, alienum and proprium, or, suum, are contrasted, somewhat in this way, by several Greek and Latin authors. Thus, Θαρρειν χρη περι τῇ αὐτου ψυχῃ ἄνδρα, ὅστις βιῳ τας μεν άλλας ήδονας τας περι το σώμα και τους κόσμους είασε χαίρειν, ὡς ἀλλοτρίους τε όντας, και πλεον θατερον ἡγησάμενος ἀπεργάζεσθαι· Τας δε περι το μανθανειν ἐσπούδασε τε, και κοσμησας την ψυχην οὐκ ἀλλοτριῳ άλλα τω αὐτης κόσμῳ, σωφροσυνη τε και δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ ἀνδρεια και έλευbrgia nas aanbrig.-Plato, Phoedo, § 63, ad finem. "Nihil horum, quæ circa ipsum sunt, suum judicat, sed ut commodatis utitur peregrinus et properans." ."-Seneca, Ep. 120. "Parva munera diutina, locupletia non propria esse consueverunt."-Nepos, Thrasyb. "Nam propriæ telluris herum natura neque illum, Nec me, nec quemquam statuit.”Horace.

or, in the management and use of worldly riches, which are not your own for ever, but which are foreign to you, and temporary, "who shall give you that which is," or rather, shall be, 66 your own" by a sure tenure, and in everlasting possession? Certainly, God will not do it; and none else can. If you have embezzled and mismanaged what was committed to you in trust, how can you expect to receive an estate in perpetuity? If, as some suppose, landlords sometimes rewarded their stewards for their fidelity by making over to them a portion of their estate, that would account exactly for the form of expression in this verse. At all events, Christ here teaches that it is utterly vain for any to expect everlasting happiness who have been unfaithful ‍and disobedient, during their life on earth.

Our Lord concludes his application of the parable of the unjust steward by repeating the very solemn declaration which he had formerly made, in his sermon on the mount.* "No servant," no domestic, 66 can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else, he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." It is possible, no doubt, for a man to render some service, not only to two persons, but to a great number of persons; but, no man can be, in the strict and full sense of the word, a servant to more than one master at a time; there must, at least, be such a union of will and command, as renders the authority under which he acts substantially one. It is quite obvious, especially, that it is altogether impossible to serve two masters when their interests and commands interfere with and oppose each other. Such an incompatibility exists between the service of God and the service of mammon, or any other supreme object of regard. Whoever, or whatever, chiefly engages our thoughts, interests our affections, and influences our actions, may be called our master. "Know ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey, whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" The servant who attempts to serve two earthly masters, will probably soon begin to love the one, and to dislike the other; or he will, "at least, attend to the one, and neglect the other."† So it is as to religion and the world, God and mammon. It is not said that a man cannot serve God and be possessed of riches; but it is said that he cannot serve God and serve riches, that is, have his * Matt. vi. 24. +Campbell's rendering.

heart supremely set on them, or trust in them. Here there is a complete incompatibility; for, "covetousness is idolatry." A worldly man will make religion give place to his temporal interest; and even his very profession of religion, if he have any, will be most studiously made subservient to his worldly designs: whereas, a truly pious man will make his temporal concerns give place to his spiritual, and will make all his business and all his success in some way subservient to the salvation of his soul, and the glory of God. It is vain to dream of a successful conjunction of religion with wilful worldliness, or sin of any description. The strange people who came into the cities of Samaria, instead of the children of Israel who were carried captive, endeavoured to unite the worship of Jehovah with idolatry; "they feared the Lord, and served their own gods," and "their graven images,' vainly supposing that they could please the Lord, when they acted in direct opposition to his command to serve him alone.* He cannot accept such services: on the contrary, he looks on the attempt at such a union as most insulting to his holy name. "As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God, Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me: but pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols." The Lord threatened to cut off, not only those whose customs were altogether idolatrous, but also those that "swore by the Lord, and that swore by Malcham."+ Let us all remember the Divine command, as quoted by our Redeemer, "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God; and him only shalt thou serve."

This passage suggests two exhortations, in conclusion,

First. Be exhorted to be careful, on reat Christian principles, to lay out your substance in the conscientious and truly profitable way here enjoined. The exhortation is thus studiously worded, with the view, both of convicting those

of

you who neither are in the state, nor cherish the principles, in which it is possible for you to employ your substance in the advantageous way here pointed out, and of stirring up those of you who are in that state, and cherish those principles, to beware of selfishness, and, in ministrations of piety and benevolence, to be generous, very generous, according to your means.

Is there, then, one now present (and the probability is that there are several)—is there one who is very liberal * 2 Kings xvii, 24 to end. + Ezek. xx. 39,

Zeph. i. 5.

with his substance, but is not prompted to that liberality by a supreme and abiding regard to the will and glory of God? -whose heart prompts him to a natural sympathy for his neighbour in poverty and other outward afflictions, but who enters not into his spiritual concerns, and is a stranger to the love of God and of Christ?—who can say kind things of and to his fellow-creatures, but who can use irreverently the name of God?-who gives alms, but such alms as do not ascend on high in conjunction with heart-felt prayers? -in short, who is, in many respects, a generous, and what the world calls, a good-hearted man, but who has not submitted himself to the righteousness of Christ, even the right. eousness which is of God by faith, nor been enlightened and renewed by the Holy Spirit, and who is, therefore, not a Christian? To him we would say-Your liberality is very useful in relieving the wants of men; and your character, viewed in reference merely to your fellow-creatures, is, in several points, very respectable, commendable, and amiable. If the desire of human praise be your great motive,

verily you have your reward, for you have that praise; or if it be a feeling of natural sympathy that chiefly actuates you, still you have your reward in the gratification of that feeling. Nay, however inadequate your principles may be, Scripture seems to intimate that God's providence will repay you in some way, according to the complexion and value of these principles, in the present world; and we may even say, in reference to your relation to God, that your guilt is less heavy than it would be, if, to the sin of impiety to God, you were adding the sin of cruelty to man. Thus, on the whole, even you cannot, in your present state, employ your substance so profitably, as in actions agreeable to the letter of the Divine law. Farther than this, however, we cannot go. More than this we dare not say. We cannot sacrifice one iota of the truth, though it were to gain thousands to the funds of charity. No; these thousands could then bring no blessing with them, for they would be the price of blood.

And here, let none say, in the carnal policy of their hearts, "You had better let that alone. Your only object in speaking on such a subject as this, should be to get us to contribute as much money as possible in charity; and with this view, your most prudent plan is to keep us all well satisfied with ourselves." We totally deny that raising money either is, or ought to be, the only, or even the chief,

object of such an exercise as this. In conjunction with prayer and praise, our chief object is to preach the glorious gospel, with the view of promoting the honour of God, the conversion of sinners, and the edification of believers; and to this great object, the collection of charity for the poor is merely an appendage, though certainly an important, and, for the cause of Christianity, a very honourable appendage. We affirm, too, what is too plain to require any proof, that, taking the value of the soul and of eternity into view, no result of a pecuniary nature, however great, could be nearly so important as that of even one misled immortal creature being brought to distinguish between truth and error, and to cast himself on the mercy, and submit himself heartily to the government, of God-to pass from death to life. But how can such a result be at all expected, if the truth be concealed or obscured? What! cry, Peace, peace, where there is no peace? Speak smooth things, in order to gain a sinister end? Heal the hurt of the daughter of the people slightly? Speak in such a strain either of positive error, or of improper omission, as might lead any one to suppose that almsgiving can atone for sin, or make up for any deficiency, or be a ground of acceptance with God, or stand in the place of faith, as interesting in the merits of Christ, or be, of itself, and unaccompanied with other marks, a sufficient evidence of a state of grace, or have any influence in securing the safety of the ungodly and unconverted in the great day?-God forbid! That be far from us. Nor would such an unfaithful procedure be, after all, the true way to gain most fully the end in view; for, all just theory, and, with a few exceptions, all correct observation, lead to the conclusion, that, for the steady prosecution of all temporal and spiritual charities, the best foundation is laid, when men are brought heartily to receive the gospel, and experimentally to "know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, though he was rich, yet for our sakes became poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich." To be very plain, for the affair is too momentous to be spoken of mincingly, or with any concealment-if, my friends, you are affable, sympathizing, and benevolent, this is so far well, much better than if you were morose, unfeeling, and niggardly. But then, however this may be, you were, without exception, born in a state of condemnation and corruption, and in many things you have all actually transgressed. If you have not had that condemnation removed through the faith of Christ,