hether it be good or bad,
neither shall he change it; and if he change it at all, then both it
and the change thereof shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed."

So that it appeared, that the least the Lord would receive as a due
offering to him from his people, was a fair and full tenth part of all
they possessed. This was required, from those that were only nominally
his people. How about those that render to him heart-service?

David's declaration, when laying up provision for the building of the
temple, was that _all_ was the Lord's. "Who am I, and what is my
people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort?
for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee... O
Lord our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee an
house for thy holy name cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own."
And God himself, in the fiftieth psalm, claims to be the one sole owner
and proprietor, when he says, "Every beast of the forest is mine, and
the cattle upon a thousand hills."

But some people may think, that is a sort of natural and providential
right, which the Creator exercises over the works of his hands. Come a
little closer.

"The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of
Hosts."--So it was declared by his prophet Haggai. And by another of
his servants, the Lord told the people that their own prospering in the
various goods of this world, would be according to their faithfulness
in serving him with them.

"Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we
robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse; for
ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.

"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in
mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I
will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing,
that there shall not be room enough to receive it."

So that it is not grace nor bounty the Lord receives at our hands in
such offerings; it is simply _his own_.

Then it must be considered that those were the times of the old
dispensation; of an expensive system of sacrifices and temple worship;
with a great body of the priesthood to be maintained and supplied in
all their services and private household wants. We live in changed
times, under a different rule. What do the Lord's servants owe him now?

The speaker had gone on with the utmost quietness of manner from one