Thefe happy objects of charity rife, 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 fuccefsful in really communicating that knowledge, have we not the reasonable prospect of its tranfmiffion to a diftant pofterity? 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 inftruction and falvation 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 muft they be fired with an holy ambition to encrich their parents with this fpiritual gift? One act of charity may, in this manner, be the foundation of a magnificent building of mercy: And if it exerts itfelf with equal benignity upon numbers, how many fplendid temples may it rear, for the worship and fervice of God? The words of the angel to

Cornelius may then be addreffed to fuch a pious Thy prayers and thine

liberal Chriftian.

"alms are come up for a memorial before God." Accepted of God, as "workers together with "him," and his all-powerful bleffing giving the increase, "our labours fhall not be in vain in "the Lord." The good feed scattered with a liberal hand over the wide field of human neceffities, fhall bring forth abundance of fruit. Though the beginning of good may be fmall, the latter end fhall greatly increase. While he fows befide all waters, the profpect of advantage and usefulness grows upon him. The richness of the foil improved by the unfparing and cultivating hand of active beneficence, and rendered fruitful by the blefling of heaven, attracts even the careless eye, and invites others to fimilar generous exertions. Thus Chriftian bounty, through the thanksgiving of many, redounds to the glory of God, and the ample fatisfactory reward of the liberal Chriftian.-But, however much the scene may now fwell before his eye, in various beauty, and pleafing grandeur, the profpect is not confined to this world. The higheft hope is laid up for him in heaven.--Obferve, therefore,

In the fourth and loft place, that he who foweth bountifully fhall reap alfo bountifully

in a future and eternal state.

receive a full reward indeed.

There he shall

"He that giv

"eth to the poor lendeth to the Lord;" and the loan fhall be repaid with highest interest. "The Lord is not unrighteous to forget his "work of faith, and labour of love, and pa"tience of hope." By liberal charity "we are "faithful in the unrighteous mammon, and con

fequently receive the true riches." By being ready to communicate to the neceffities of others, we do not throw away our money, "but lay up "for ourselves treafures in heaven." Inftead of fuffering any loss or diminution of fortune, we acquire immenfe gain, not of perifhing filver, but of" durable riches and righteoufnefs;" a precious heavenly treafure," which moth cannot

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corrupt, nor thieves break through and steal." The liberal Chriftian" honoureth the Lord with "his fubftance." To fuch he fays, "them that "honour me, I will honour."-" And what, my "brethren, fhall be done to the man, whom the "Lord delighteth to honour?" Shall he have praife of men? To this he is well entitled; and from the wife and the worthy he fhall receive it;

yea, who fhall harm him, if he be a follower of "that which is good?" But believers, "whofe "faith worketh by love, feek not honour one of "another." They feek for honour from God only, and they fhall not be difappointed. Even though their good fhould be cvil fpoken of, they have reafon to rejoice, for great is their reward in heaven. The riches of their beneficence are but partially known to the world; indeed, they give not their alms to be feen of men: But their father in heaven feeth in fecret, and will reward them openly; and, when he rewards, it is with a munificence like himself. He would be afhamed to be called their God, were he only to bestow upon them the moft fplendid honours, and the richest eftates of this world. But he displays the true glory of his connexion with, and peculiar favour for them, in preparing for them a city which hath foundations, eternal in the heavens. Though now concealed by their own modefty, or difregarded and defpifed by the world, ungrateful and unworthy of them," their "witness is in heaven, and their record on high." "The Lord fhall bring forth their righteoufnefs "in all the glory of the light, and their judg "ment with all the brightness of the noon-day."

E

Yea, this fhall be done in a manner the moft majeftic and divine. "The Lord fhall all to

1

"the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people: Gather my faints "together to me; and the heavens fhall declare "his righteoufnefs; for God is judge himself." What can equal the folemn grandeur of that day, and the glory with which the faints fhall then be crowned, as these are reprefented by our Lord himself. Angels, Angels, good and bad, with the whole human race, affembled before the awful tribunal of the great Lawgiver and Judge of the Univerfe. In fuch an affembly, what must be the tranfports of joy to the faints to be called forth and diftinguished by his highest approbation expreffed in the moft honourable terms, marked with every grand folemnity of a public and final decifion, and followed with immediate effects, yea with all the inconceivable glory and bleffedness of heaven and of eternity? This honour have all the people of God. Every one of them, without exception, " having been juftified

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'

freely by the grace of God, through the re

demption that is in Chrift Jefus," and fo "made heirs according to the hope of eternal

* Matth. xxv. ver. 31.-41