when gathering gifts of money for Jews. Buying and selling is as truly a moral as an economic interchange. The finances of the Church may be so conducted-with such equity, wisdom, Christlike kindness-as to make them a spiritual power. Lucre, which is so often "filthy" that the word is commonly used in that ill sense, becomes in the hands of honesty entirely clean, and in the hands of benevolence powerful for good. "The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith Jehovah of hosts." Verily "money may always be a beautiful thing; it is we who make it grimy."

We have already been led to lay emphasis upon the fact that the ministration of the Church is distinctively not to the body but to the spirit. And we are now reminded that this very ministration to the spirit may be made by means of material things -through giving food, through the good and right use of

money.

But let us, lingering a little upon this truth, turn to the passage itself in 2 Corinthians, in which giving is called a "grace." Or rather let us turn to the two whole chapters, the eighth and the ninth; for this is the one subject of them both. To give money, by taking part in a collection for poor Christians-can we imagine how it could be named with greater affluence of spiritual significance than to be called a "grace" (xápis)? It is the word which the Apostle applies in this same connection to our Lord's giving of the treasures of his own truth and glory for the enrichment of his people: "Ye know the grace (xáp) of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might become rich." A Christian use of money, then-what is it? A recognition of common kindly human relationships, and nothing more? It is an expression of God's grace in the heart. It shows a spirit of good will that may be called by the same name as that grace of our Lord Jesus Christ-though the difference of its greatness

in him and in us is no less than infinite-which was shown in his own self-giving to the world.

But here is something else to be noted. Paul reminds the Corinthians that these gifts of money about which he is writing are not to be conveyed by himself alone to the needy Christians in Jerusalem. On the contrary, the various contributing churches have, with his coöperation, appointed certain brethren-Luke, Trophimus, and others perhaps to go with him as joint conveyers of the money.

Why so? In order to avoid, as far as possible, all occasion of insinuation or suspicion, on the part of Paul's enemies, as to his fair dealing in this matter. If he alone should handle the money, they who were accusing him already of this or that evildoing might accuse him-absurd as it would now seem to all the world of gathering it professedly for the poor but really to be appropriated, at least in part, to his own personal use. Now such a slander must, if possible, be avoided. For it behooves the Church to "take thought for things honorable not only in the sight of the Lord but also in the sight of men;"" and in the early centuries, as now in our own, one of the commonest sins was the misuse of money. In the early centuries, as now in our own, therefore, one of the commonest suspicions of untrustworthy character was that a man had acted dishonestly with other people's money placed in his hands. Let the Church, then, be careful to avoid all occasion for such suspicions. For it must take thought for honorableness even "in the sight of men." Paul himself would have its good reputation, as intrusted to his keeping, safeguarded by all proper precautions.

Accordingly it was the wisdom of the Church to call for the finest possible Christian character in its financial officers. The deacon must, through the abiding power of the Holy Spirit, live above even the subtlest temptation to dishonesty.

But who are the poor? An answer of early Christianity was, They are God's altar. To give to a widow, an orphan, or the

1ch. viii. 21.

poor, was to lay an offering upon the altar of God.' Whatsoever might be given to them was offered to him. And why should it not have been so conceived of? For these were the classes of needy ones to whom their fellow-Christians must, first of all, do good and communicate; and was it not written, "But to do good and to communicate forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased?" Blessed above all official celebrants are the priests and priestesses who minister at this ancient altar of God which "ye have always with you.”

Besides, in ministries to the physical needs of men the opportunity is constantly afforded to speak directly to the life of the conscience and the heart. "Let the deacons going about," says an ancient homily, "look after the bodies and the souls of the brethren." No wonder that two of the Seven, Stephen and Philip, are soon found preaching the word with power to the people. Surely the deacon might magnify his office in the name of Jesus, the visiting Healer and Teacher.

7. THROUGH FLESH TO SPIRIT.

Are there those who serve in an office which they can magnify as fittingly in that Name in the Church of to-day? There are those who seek out the most repulsive places of their own land, or even go to the ends of the world, to do such twofold service. The pitiful cry of human need will not let them rest at home. Who then are these Christian men and women? Waving them farewell from the shores of their native land, do we possess enough of their spirit to understand it? The typical arm-chair critic does not. Or perhaps we have been so absorbed in the consideration of great and beautiful abstract truths, or in ideal

"Knowing that they [the widows] are the altar of God." (Polycarp to Philippians, 4.)

"An orphan who, by reason of his youth, or he that by the feebleness of old age, or the incidence of a disease, or the bringing up of many children, receives alms, such a one shall not only not be blamed but shall be commended; for he shall be esteemed an altar to God." (Apost. Const., Bk. IV., 3.)

"Heb. xiii. 16.

izing men and conditions in the Ancient Catholic Church, as not to see what is directly before our eyes. Some day, it may be, we shall awake to acknowledge with regret: There stood among us those whom we knew not.

The medical missionary may be taken as an illustrative example. His brothers-in China, let us say—are without the knowledge of medicine and surgery. Most of them are miserably poor. They are helplessly suffering by the million with wounds or diseases from which he has the power to bring relief. He goes to heal them. They do not know themselves to be the objects of a Divine love and care. He goes to teach them by the fitly spoken word and by his own life of Christly wisdom and love. There, in the dispensary, the hospital, and the homes of the people, he lives cheerfully, manfully, unselfishly from day to day. In his hand are veritable leaves of healing from the Tree of Life; and men are saved, body and soul.1

Has the kingdom of God come with power? Is Jesus of Nazareth Christ, or must the Messianic idea still await the time. when it shall be made a fact? "Lepers are cleansed, the poor have good tidings preached to them."

"True medical missionary work is evangelical. Our Lord never separated the two, but preached or taught and healed as he went, and so should

we.

"The medical missionary has unrivaled opportunities for preaching the gospel; and while he carries the lancet in one hand, he must ever be ready with the sword of the Spirit in the other.

"One very rainy day my wife and I sat down to look into the spiritual history of these inquirers. We were surprised and delighted to find that every one of them came to us as patients. Humanly speaking, these two little churches would never have been started but for that medical work, and we might never have met those Christians, who shortly after were baptized, but for their having some little trouble that required the assistance of a doctor." ("World-Wide Evangelization: Addresses Delivered before the Fourth International Convention of the Student Volunteer Movement," pp. 511, 512, 524.)

"Luke vii. 22.

IV.

THE DEACON: HIS LATER AND PRESENT OFFICE.

If now we ask for direct information as to the duties pertaining to the office of deacon, we shall find that the very earliest given in Christian literature represents him as the bishop's assistant. He is compared to Timothy in attendance upon the apostle Paul, and is even enthusiastically called the bishop's ministering angel. "What are the deacons," asks an early Christian writer, "but imitators of the angelic powers, fulfilling a pure and blameless ministry unto him [the bishop], as the holy Stephen did to the blessed Jesus, Timothy and Linus to Paul, Anencletus and Clement to Peter?" They must report everything to the bishop, and must do nothing without his knowledge and authority. They are called, in still extravagant metaphor, the bishop's eye and ear and mouth and soul."

I. ASSISTANCE THREEFOLD.

More particularly this assistance rendered by the deacon to the bishop was threefold: First, in the conduct of worship; sec

'Ignatius, "To the Trallians" (Longer Recension), 6.

"The bishop and presbyters sat on their "thrones" in the church; the deacons stood near them, like the sailors of a ship of which the bishop was commander. (Apost. Const. II., 57.) See also Jerome, "To Evangelus :" "But even in the church of Rome [where the diaconate was exceptionally honored] the deacons stand while the presbyters seat themselves."

"Let him [the deacon] not do anything at all without his bishop." (Apost. Const., Bk. II., 31, 32.)

"Let the deacon refer all things to the bishop.

But let him order

such things as he is able by himself, receiving power from the bishop. But the weighty matters let the bishop judge; but let the deacon be the bishop's ear and eye and mouth and heart and soul, that the bishop may not be distracted with many cares, but only with such as are more considerable, as Jethro did appoint for Moses, and his counsel was received." (Ibid., Bk. II., 44.)