"his good pleasure." "# What Christian can take this connected view of these increasing consolations in divine love and growing holiness, without finding that he that soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully?

Add to this, in the second place, the blessing and prayers of those who receive your help. These, as they are often expressed by common mendicants, are of no value. Neither can the curse causeless fall upon your head. Yet do not slight the grateful acknowledgments of an honest mind, nor despise the efficacy of prayer. "The "effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avail"eth much." If animated by pure and fervent charity, the children of God will be the first objects of your regard. You will love and serve them for the truth's sake which dwelleth in them. Your kindness to them will be amply repaid by their prayers; and them" their heavenly Father "heareth always." Job felt and enjoyed this as a rich recompence of his generosity; chap. xxix.

* All this is beautifully set forth in the short but comprehensive history of the churches in Judea, Galatia, and Samaria, Acts ix. 31. by the Apostle's prayer for the Colossians, i, 9-13. and by Peter, 2 Ep. i. 2.-12.

ver. 11-14. "When the ear heard me, then it "blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave "witness to me, because I delivered the poor "that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had "none to help him. The blessing of him that "was ready to perish came upon me, and I caus"ed the widow's heart to sing for joy." Your kind attentions may have been divinely excited in answer to their supplications, and their, devotions thus increased shall no less prevail in your favour.

In the third place, the promise in the text holds up, as a farther inducement to liberal charity, a richly varied and extensive prospect of good to the world. Christian charity first turns its kind and compassionate eye to the poor saints. These are brethren for whom Christ died. His love to them is not diminished by the permission of their poverty and afflictions; for these, as they are intended trials of their faith and patience, so are they of your charity to them, and your love to him. The stronger then, and more numerous testimonies of regard you shew to him in his poor suffering members on earth, the greater glory redounds to him through their thanksgiving,

the greater profit to your own souls by their prayers, the greater advantage to the church by their restored assistance, and the greater good to the world by their example.

scenes.

But I must beg your attention to very different Your reward is great in contributing to the victories and triumphs of faith over adversity, but greater still if you consider the various efficacy of prudent liberal charity, extended to the poverty and distresses of those who are strangers to the faith, and hopes, and comforts of the gospel-their situation is truly deplorable. To struggle with want, disappointment, and distress, proves often a hard and alarming conflict to the real Christian; and it is a glorious office to hold up their hands till they conquer, and call us to divide the spoils. But how dreadful and dangerous is the state of the poor and afflicted who are yet in their sins? They are not, however, beyond the reach of divine mercy, and ought not therefore to be excluded from our charity. Yea, we are encouraged in this exercise of it by the most inviting prospect of extensive usefulness among human beings, wretched in themselves, and pests in society. By meeting the needy with a seasonable supply, the truly bountiful man may

prevent a powerful and often ruinous temptation, or check the progress of a criminal and dangerous propensity. By furnishing the means of subsistence, and proper incitements to industry, he may save from despondency, recover from feebleness and indolence, awaken to virtuous sensibility, and restore to active and useful exertion. The blessing conferred upon one may frequently extend to many. Relief to the parent may be the preservation of the family. The children religiously educated, and trained to useful employ. ment, will contribute to the welfare of the community. These happy objects of charity rise, in their turn, to be heads of families, and the good which they have received they convey from generation to generation.

If our charity hath not only provided the means of religious knowledge, but hath been successful in really communicating that knowledge, have we not the reasonable prospect of its transmission to a distant posterity? With the Scriptures, the rich repository of all religious truth in their hands, with the love of that truth in their hearts, with glowing admiring gratitude for this inestimable mercy to themselves, what must be their deep concern and fervent zeal for the instruction

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and salvation of all with whom they are connected? How must the parent travail in birth again till Christ be formed in his children; and, if the children are first partakers of this precious benefit, how must they be fired with an holy ambition to enrich their parents with this spiritual gift? One act of charity may, in this manner, be the foundation of a magnificent building of mercy: And if it exerts itself with equal benignity upon numbers, how many splendid temples may it rear for the worship and service of God? The words of the angel to Cornelius may then be addressed to such a pious liberal Christian. Thy prayers "and thine alms are come up for a memorial "before God." Accepted of God, as "work"ers together with him," and his all powerful blessing giving the increase, "our labours shall "not be in vain in the Lord." The good seed scattered with a liberal hand over the wide field of human necessities, shall bring forth abundance of fruit. Though the beginning of good may be small, the latter end shall greatly increase. While he sows beside all waters, the prospect of advantage and usefulness grows upon him. The richness of the soil improved by the unsparing and cultivating hand of active beneficence, and