Spurgeon. Note that genuine philanthropy —I. We could not answer the demands of law. It is not merely the gospel we are to defend, but that living seed which the Holy Ghost has put into us, that truth which we have tasted, and handled, and felt; that theology which is not that of the Book only, but that which is written on the fleshy tablets of our hearts. READINESS, or a willing mind. 1. Why does He thus stoop to be a petitioner for His own? But the depth of poverty measures the experience of the riches which deliver from its destitution. Through all the entanglements of controversy in the history of the Church this fact and doctrine remains undisturbed.4. )Genuine philanthropyD. What is given must be given freely; it must be a gracious offering, not a tax. (2) By the atonement of Christ all the blessings of grace and glory are procured for us. (2) By the atonement of Christ all the blessings of grace and glory are procured for us. Notice promises —I. ACCORDING AS A MAN HAS. THE WEALTH OF HIS POVERTY. There are some who sympathise with the physical woes of man and overlook the spiritual; some feel for a few, and are regardless of others. (C. H. "He was made sin for us who knew no sin." For He would thereby have lost that heavenly riches which lay in cleaving to the Divine word, "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God," etc. If it were said that all the princes of the earth had fallen at some poor man's feet, and laid aside their dignities that they might relieve his necessities, such an act would not be worthy to be spoken of in comparison with that infinite condescension and unparalleled love which brought the Saviour from the skies.2. The view taken of Divine grace is calculated to beget your confidence.3. Of gift. Grace must be liberal and spontaneous, otherwise it is no more grace. (2) There are restrictions under which we are bound to act — the confining bonds of law. "For your sakes.". He assumed our nature in its lowliest and most degraded state.2. Notice promises —I. The poverty of a man is reckoned in proportion to the position of affluence from which he has come down. When some one asked why he did so, he said that, when the time came for him to go to the war, he was detained by some business, and the man who lay beneath the sod became his substitute and died in the battle. Let us suppose that Jesus had not become poor. Not during His life upon the earth. If there be first a willing mind, the rest is easy; if not, there is no need to go on.II. But let us not lose ourselves in generalities. There are four fields of knowledge opened up by our knowledge of the grace of Christ.1. It was made known to our primitive parents almost as soon as sin entered into the world. No; if you do not yield God a fair measure of your income now you would not then. His riches flow to us, and become ours, through His poverty. You know it as the ground on which all your hopes are built for futurity, the source from which you derive grace upon earth, and to which you feel yourselves to be indebted for all the honour and glory which eternity will disclose.This is an appeal to Christian consistency, for it is only the consistent Christian that can feel the confidence that he is standing upon this rock, who can look forward now in time to what eternity will disclose. The comprehensive motive for which He wrought the wondrous work. a. I understand fully the reasons for His second coming. Perfectly disinterested.3. "He became poor."III. Happy is that man who spends his time in seeking out poor wanderers, that he may bring in God's elect.5. Christ restores to us the government of nature. What would have been the result? See your Lord beneath the olives of Gethsemane. 3. She had the riches of love, of freedom from care, of a full trust in Him who feeds the fowls of the air, and clothes the grass of the field. The beneficence of its purpose. Some of us feel inclined to dispute with Saul of Tarsus for the title, "chief of sinners." (2) By affording a ground in virtue of which the Holy Spirit is dispensed, by whom we are renewed in righteousness and true holiness after the image of Him who created us. 2. Note that genuine philanthropy —I. What then must His riches be who is the wealth of God? All-embracing. But Christ regards the bodies and souls of all men. That true love for humanity is an earnest element of character. Treffry.I. "For your sakes."1. Binney. B. Paul said that they knew the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. His life was one long performance. Readiness is the acceptable thing, not this or that proof of it. The same Man; but His eyes are a flame of fire, etc. Yet what is the real value of this under any grievous trial? The view taken of Divine grace should constrain you to the diligent use of all the appointed means of grace and salvation.(W. And at His death He vouchsafed to descend into the nethermost pit of earthly degradation, to a death whereby He was "numbered among the transgressors."III. You know it in yourselves, as enriching you now. Hymned day without night by all the sacred choristers, He did not lack for praise. (C. H. He held Himself to be a ransom for our transgression, a price due, a Person doomed.II. We are often told that we should live for the good of others, and we ought to heed the call; but there is so little in our fellow-men to call forth the spirit of self-sacrifice, that if we have no higher motive, we should soon become tired of our efforts on their behalf. On the contrary. We shall reap no profit from this adopted poverty of His unless we learn of Him how to be poor in spirit before God. What slave of vice does not do that? Had our circumstances and condition, calling for His help, been the result of misfortune or ignorance, His pity were not so strange. There are four fields of knowledge opened up by our knowledge of the grace of Christ. That true love for humanity is an earnest element of character. The view taken of Divine grace should constrain you to the diligent use of all the appointed means of grace and salvation.(W. To one is given genius; to another force of character; to another social eminence; to another worldly abundance. "The kingdom of God's sake" (Luke 18:29). What love and gratitude ought to fill your heart as you think of all that Jesus bore on your behalf! "I would give if I were rich." At the most the outward condition only mirrored the inward act. What we spend in piety and charity is not tribute paid to a tyrant, but the response of gratitude to our Redeemer, and if it has not this character He does not want it. What we spend in piety and charity is not tribute paid to a tyrant, but the response of gratitude to our Redeemer, and if it has not this character He does not want it. This cannot mean that He ceased to be the owner and Lord of all things. These riches come to us through the poverty which Christ endured. IN RELATION TO RESPONSIBILITIES.1. Never be ashamed of the gospel! If a man suffers as a Christian for doing that which is right, he is suffering for Christ's sake.2. Is within the reach of all; earthly wealth is not. Statham. The good things of this world are possessed by few. These Macedonians seem to have been poor and afflicted, probably the subjects of persecution (ver. Therefore He to whom the highest height of earthly riches would have been poverty, vouchsafed to descend to the lowest depths of earthly poverty. We have worshiped by listening to special music. That true love for humanity is an earnest element of character. At this crisis the superfluity of the Corinthians is to make up what is wanting to the Jews, and at some other the situation will be exactly reversed. -------------------- But Christ came to heal us of our direful malady, to make us share His strong and beautiful life, to touch our lips with cleansing, to banish our corruptions, to send heavenly health through all our veins, to give to our whole being the vitality and bloom of righteousness. The same Man; but His eyes are a flame of fire, etc. 4. "That ye through His poverty might be rich." This cannot mean that He ceased to be the owner and Lord of all things. He whom angels worshipped was made so much lower than they as to welcome their ministrations. "Christ gave Himself."(D. 3. "Though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor.1. Knowing this fact our response should be —1. His riches flow to us, and become ours, through His poverty. Hear Him add (as one who believes that he has what he has asked), "The glory which Thou hast given to Me, I have given to them."(J. Happy is that man who spends his time in seeking out poor wanderers, that he may bring in God's elect.5. What slave of vice does not do that? The importance which it becomes us to attach to all matters which are matters of pure revelation, of which this subject is one.2. Christ became poor in order to enrich men, to bring us pardon, purity, peace, and happiness.3. M. Taylor, D. D.I. Readiness is the acceptable thing, not this or that proof of it. We were poor —(1) In having lost the glory and dignity with which we were originally invested. Grace is God's undeserved, unmerited goodness to us. It seemed that the wire passed through the country, and so some way caught the music of the far-away woods and transmitted it to the heart of the black toiling city. My would-be independence of God I must frankly abandon. There is not a particle of animated matter that He does not feed.The riches of Christ are widely different from the riches which men possess. He assumed our nature in its lowliest and most degraded state.2. All things look to, move towards, and only rest in Him. The term "grace" is of common use in the Scriptures, the meaning of which is determined by its connection. "He who was rich became poor," "was compassed with our infirmity," "touched with our feeling," "tempted in all points as we are," "that we might find grace to help in every time of need," and that He might become our "eternal salvation."5. The less of self in any effort, the nobler it is. See your Lord beneath the olives of Gethsemane. He became poor. Neither did He acquire wealth. )Poverty and richesArchdeacon Hare.It can scarcely be needful that I should bid you give your attention to these words. Imperishable, in opposition to those which wax old and perish in the using. The poverty of a man is reckoned in proportion to the position of affluence from which he has come down. What a shame it would be if, when the language were addressed to you, "You know this," you were to reply, "No, I do not know it; I have never read nor thought of it."5. See how He scatters His bounty in every direction. Many of us, also, were peculiarly sinful. Binney. "For the gospel's sake" (1 Corinthians 9:23). Absolutely valuable. LET US CONSIDER THE ORIGINAL CONDITION OF THE PERSON HERE MENTIONED. In. Christ restores us to self-government. Service is of many kinds, but there is always a "now" about it. John 19 with the Jesus whom John describes in Revelation1. CHRIST BECAME POOR.1. Thornton. Binney.I. The affection that binds to God will bind to the race. The actual necessity that there is for the doctrines of the Cross to give coherency and consistency to the whole system of revealed truth.3. Yet He who was rich in all the wealth of God became poor. M. Happy are you. The example of Christ's life, if we understand it and receive its blessings into our hearts, will deliver us from that poverty which arises from our seeking after false riches. Spiritual wealth is —1. We shall reap no profit from this adopted poverty of His unless we learn of Him how to be poor in spirit before God. If we would only claim more of that glorious grace which Christ gives, our peace should flow as a river, our hearts be as a watered garden whose waters fail not. See your Lord beneath the olives of Gethsemane. When He was with God, even from the beginning, sharing in the Divine power and wisdom and glory, and showing forth all this in creating the worlds.2. The deepest wants in man are met by the innermost "needs be" in God. THE DESIGN FOR WHICH THE GRACE OF CHRIST WAS DISPLAYED.1. IN RELATION TO THE EXAMPLE OF CHRIST (ver. THE BENEFITS WHICH FLOW THROUGH THE HUMILIATION OF CHRIST.1. Two orders of intelligent beings offended their Maker, angels and men. Begin.III. Thornton. That true love for humanity is an earnest element of character. The insignificant clients on whom all this wealth of affection was poured. "For His body's sake, which is the Church" (Colossians 1:24). Though inherently equal to the Father, He consented to occupy the position of a creature's inferiority: "My Father is greater than I." Service is of many kinds, but there is always a "now" about it. There is a story of an American gentleman who was accustomed to go frequently to a tomb and plant fresh flowers. 1. I, too, owe everything to God. No man is free to do whatever he likes. of Scripture. 2. He suffered the penalty due to our sin.III. And only on those who have suffered from the want of God could there be the display of His innermost riches. )Now, therefore, perform the doing of itPerformancesW. "For His sake." All the powers of nature were under His control. 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