beginning, and for his sake bestow it upon such works of charity or piety as will be most pleasing in his sight, and bewail your misfortune, that you should have deferred restitution to the right owner, until now you are incapable of making it.

Finally, to the improvident, Holy Scripture addresses beautiful lessons from the instinct of animals, and bids him go to the very insects and reptiles to learn his duty. "Go to the ant, thou sluggard! consider her ways, and be wise: which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest." In the season of plenty, the little insect lays up her store, and provides for a winter of scarcity and distress. And consider to what want, and wretchedness, consider to what temptations and inducements to crime, he commits himself and all that depend on him, who does not strive to hoard up something for the day of necessity. When industry is of no avail, for there are none to employ it; when means are exhausted,

and there is no prospect of a fresh supply; when children cry for bread, and there is none to give them; then it is, that other considerations lose their weight, for existence itself seems to be at stake; then it is, that character is in danger to be forfeited, and guilt incurred, to obtain sustenance by unworthy expedients; then it is, that a rash step is taken, which proves irretrievable throughout an after life; or a plunge is made headlong into offence, which involves all the happiness of this world in its penalties, and endangers the soul in the day of final judg

ment.

But yet once more, in vain does the good man labour to provide present sustenance, and to lay by for old age-in vain does he rise early to his toil, and let the shades of night close in upon his work-in vain does he renounce the riot, the revel, and wasteful indulgence-in vain does he collect his little savings, and curtail comforts, and eat the bread of carefulness, if the baser members of

society may defraud him of his stores, and the idle or improvident are allowed to consume the produce of his industry.

to come.

Nevertheless" have compassion one of another," and "never turn thy face from a poor man. ." "Render to all their dues." 1 While working for the things of this life, work out your salvation also in the life Make to yourselves friends of the Mammon of unrighteousness, that when ye die, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. So use the wealth of this world, that it shall make you rich in the world to come. How many a one lays up treasure for himself on earth alone, and saith to his soul, "Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry!" Happy in the enjoyments of time, he is careless of eternity. Pleased with the display of a few baubles, he is heedless of immortal glory in the heaven of heavens. A child playing with the trifles of his

1 Rom. xiii. 7.

He

nursery, he thinks not of attaining perfect manhood, the "measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." He builds his fragile house, and the first passing breath destroys the glittering structure, and scatters the cards upon the ground. feeds the grosser appetites of the material frame at the cost of those exalted blessings, to which he never elevates his thoughts, or directs his affections. "Thou fool, this night shall thy soul be required of thee; and then whose shall those things be?"

Let us, my brethren, so seek "the bread which perisheth," that the bread which came down from heaven, may nourish us unto life eternal. The worldly man is perhaps frank to confess, that the highwayman who strips the traveller, is no worse, than the sharper who strips his friend. "He that is stronger than another may rob him by violence; he that is more subtle may do it by cunning; but, if the injury in both cases is the same, must not the guilt be so too?" Let him carry

this a little farther. If ingratitude and neglect render not to God his due, is not this a species of robbery also? Is it not to rob his Maker of the service that he owes? Is it not to rob his Redeemer who has bought him at a price? Is it not to rob God of his honour, who hath made all things, and given us all things plenteously to enjoy? Is it not to rob the testator after his death, and his heirs of the goodly heritage bequeathed in his testament? We all are the executors of Christ, to guard for the children that shall come after us, his truth, his righteousness, the services of his holy religion, and the sacraments of his church. The Lord's Supper was the legacy specially bequeathed with his dying breath. And if we neglect our charge of it, we are indeed the guardians who betray the confidence reposed in us, and deprive future heirs of the inheritance of their heavenly Father.