Sacrifices by Clarke

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 20, 1859

Sacrifices.

By Clarke

THE rich were to bring the most costly, the poor that of least price. Even in this requisition of justice how much mercy was mingled. If a man could not bring a bullock or a heifer, a goat or a sheep, let him bring a calf, a kid, or a lamb. If he could not bring any of these because of his poverty, let him bring a turtle dove or a young pigeon; and it appears that in cases of extreme poverty, even a little meal or fine flour was accepted by the bountiful Lord as a sufficient oblation. This brought down the benefits of sacrificial service within the reach of the poorest of the poor; as we may take for granted that every person, however low in his circumstances, might be able to provide a tenth part of an ephah (about three quarts) of meal to make an offering for his soul unto the Lord. But every man must bring something. The law stooped to the poorest of the people; but every man must sacrifice; for every man had sinned.

Reader, what sort of sacrifice dost thou bring to God? To him thou owest thy whole body, soul and substance; are all these consecrated to his service? or has he the refuse of thy time, the offal of thy estate? He requires thee to sacrifice as his providence has blessed thee. If thou hast much, thou shouldst give liberally to God and the poor; if thou hast but little, do thy diligence to give of that little. God's justice requires a measure of that which his mercy has bestowed. But remember that thou hast sinned, and thou needest a Saviour. Jesus is that Lamb without spot which has been offered to God for the sin of the world, and which thou must offer to him for thy sin; and it is only through him that thou canst be accepted, even when thou dedicatest thy whole body, soul and substance to thy Maker. Even when we bring ourselves a living sacrifice to God, we are accepted for his sake who carried our sins and bore our sorrows. Thanks be to God, the rich and the poor have equal access unto him through the Son of his love, an equal right to claim the benefits of the great Sacrifice.—Clarke.