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we Christians indeed, acting up to our professions, should we not have been doing while we have been talking, and even now, preparations, at least, be making for the reception of the poor and the needy, and those that are out of the way, into the house of their heavenly Father?" Could we but, as a congregation, resolve, for one year only, to give our tenths unto the Lord, to promote his glory, all, nay, more than all, we have wished would be accomplished. The rich, as Christians, are bound to dedicate their riches to make spiritual provision for their poorer brethren; and the poorest should be unwilling that the opportunity should be lost of promoting the glory of God, and consequently gaining the reward that he has promised; and they should be the more ready to do this, since the provision that is to be made is principally on their own account. Whatever the apparent difficulties may be, we perceive, my brethren, that we have only to act up to our Christian duties, and provision for this, as well as other matters

which have a claim upon our consideration will be easily made.

The advantage of putting aside a proportion of our increase is great: it induces us to economize our resources to meet that which we regard as our duty, and gives us the opportunity, without interfering with our other engagements, of often enjoying a luxury to which no other can compare-the luxury of doing good; and it has this other advantage likewise, that each gives according to his ability and thus, the shilling of the servant, and the penny of the child, is not lost, whilst the large sum of the rich man is given according to his means;the widow's mite is received and blessed as well as the store of the wealthy.

It may at the first moment appear singular, that the servant or the child should be referred to at all. It may be said that the one cannot be expected to give out of her hard-earned gains; and that the child is too young to know the purpose for which it is given, or to feel any pleasure in

giving. What the Apostle Paul thought with regard to the labourer, may be gathered from the 4th chapter of the epistle to the Ephesians, the 28th verse, when writing of those who must have been even in a lower condition than the honest labourer. "Let him that stole, steal no more, but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth."

And why, it may be asked, should the servant be deprived of the privilege, for privilege it is, of promoting the honour and glory of God? And with regard to our children, those know little of them, who think they are not, even from the earliest age, capable of being impressed with that which is good and praiseworthy. I remember an instance of this in my own case, which, for the sake of your children, I will repeat, and doubtless, your own experience will supply you with instances of the same kind. One of the earliest impressions, when a mere child, on my mind,

was the circumstance of my aged grandfather, on an occasion of some charitable purpose being presented to him, saying, "I shall give two-pence per week for this child; for although he cannot fully understand the purpose for which it is given, neither does he know the value of money, yet it will teach him to be generous." Through my life, my friends, the impression has not been lost; and although I have never yet had it in my power to be generous, in the common acceptation of the word, yet from that time the scene has been before me; during my boyhood, until this day, this remark has not been forgotten; and those few words have been the means of promoting my own individual happiness, more than had he left me thousands of gold and silver.

Whilst, therefore, we call upon every individual to devote a portion of his means, in imitation of Abraham and of Jacob, to the promotion of the glory of God, we believe, upon the authority of the word of God, as well as our own ex

perience, that we are asking you to do that which will best secure your own happiness and prosperity. We ask it not for your clergy, or our motives might be suspected. Thanks to the piety of our ancestors, one has been provided for without any charge upon your funds; and the blessing of God upon the labour of the hands of the other enables him to say, with the apostle Paul, "I will not be burdensome to any I seek not yours, but you." It is the glory of God, and your happiness, temporal and eternal, that above all things we desire.

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In the observations made upon the conduct of Abraham, it has been my endeavour concisely to state the practice adopted in the Jewish Church, and indeed in the Church of God through all ages. The more diligently you search the word of God, the more will you be convinced of the duty which I have endeavoured to impress upon you. It is for yourselves to decide whether you will imitate the example of those who, in this respect, ob

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