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regret, that our house has not been large enough to convene all who have come with a desire to hear. I shall add no more, but my fervant prayer to our common Father and Friend, that you may all be kept from the evils which are in the world that the King Eternal may be your refuge, and habitation, and that underneath, and around you, may be his everlasting arms.

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LECTURE VII.

A Portion for Seven and Eight.

Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil may be upon the earth. Ecclesiastes 11: 2.

One remarkable characteristic of the eastern, and ancient nations, was their invariable habit of making a moral application of every incident, and drawing useful lessons from all their customs; and of assigning a reason for every thing they did and said.

Our text is an illustration of the correctness of this remark; and the verse preceding it, may be noticed in the same connection.

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Cast thy bread upon the waters; for thou shalt find it after many days - give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil may be upon the earth.'

Cast thy bread upon the waters,' is an expression which has reference to the manner of sowing rice. It was sown when the ground was covered with water, and after the waters had abated, and gone off, it was trodden into the earth by the oxen. As this seed took deep root, and brought forth fruit

abundantly, so those who gave alms to the poor, where there was no prospect of receiving any reward therefor, should obtain mercy in time of need.

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Give to the poor

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Some, when they have been requested to bestow charities, have thus queried in their minds What good will it do? Shall I receive any compensation for so doing? Now, to such this language is addressed. and you lend to the Lord, and he will restore to you double and it shall be given you good measure heaped up, pressed down, shaken down, and running over, shall men heap into your bosoms;' or, in the language of verse 1 'Cast thy bread upon the waters; for thou shalt find it after many days.'

give,

The language of our text, 'Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil may be upon the earth,' brings to view the conduct of the master of the house, who deals out to each of his guests, a suitable portion or quantity of the food he has prepared for their comfort.

Now we are called upon to cast our bread upon the waters or to give a portion of it to seven and also to eight; i. e. bestow it upon all objects of charity. These numbers are not used to limit our benevolence, and set the bounds of our charity. We are not to think that we must give our bread only to seven or eight hungry souls-but they are employed to teach us, that we must confine our deeds of mercy to no

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particular one

in want.

but bestow them upon all who are

The reason why we should do this, is assigned in these words 'Thou knowest not what evil may be upon the earth.' The plain meaning of this may be thus paraphraised:

but, such

You may now be surrounded by plenty, and have all that heart can wish you may not dream of coming to want nor indulge the fear that poverty will come upon you like an armed man is the uncertain nature of all earthly possessions, that your riches may leave you in a moment; then you will need the kindness and charity, which is now sought for at your hands. Prepare yourself for the evil which may await you, by dealing your bread to the hungry, and showing kindness to the poor; and when the hour of your need arrives, and the iron hand of poverty is upon you, others shall extend to you relief, and consolation. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

Such seems to be the primary application and meaning of our text. But I propose to make a somewhat different use of it on the present occasion. But though the application may differ, the principle shall be the same, and the spirit of the text shall not be lost sight of. And I am satisfied, that if Solomon himself were among my auditors, he would not complain of the use I shall make of this, his language.

The minister of Jesus, if he be faithful in his call

ing, and trusty in the work of his master, will feed the flock of God, dividing to them severally, the word of God, and the bread of life. He will give a portion of divine truth, and heavenly manna, to each of those who are attendants on his ministry.

St. Paul, among the excellent admonitions, and wise counsels which he gave his son Timothy, numbered the following and from the conspicuous place he gave it in his epistle, we should judge that he considered it very important. I give place to his words Study to show thyself approved unto God; a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.' 2 Tim. 2.

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By rightly dividing the word of truth, he would prove himself acceptable to God; and to accomplish so desirable an object, much study was needyes, the study of mankind

ful
and their wants their capacities

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their nature,

and the adap

tedness of the word of truth to their wants.

And the only way in which he could rightly divide the word of truth, was by giving a portion to each one in due season. Some would require the sincere milk of the word, and others, would need to be fed with strong meat or the more abtruse doctrines of the Gospel.

The instructions which were given young Timothy, are applicable to every one who has girded on the gospel armor, and entered the field, to engage

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