subscribers to the Missionary Association for 58. per annum. A few others of this respectable and intelligent class might be named, who are subscribers to the Missionary Asso

ciation; but they

with the names of those below, or those above are very few indeed compared them in life. And it must be a cause of on farms, who, at times, scarcely know whether regret and surprise, that whilst the labourers they shall have a meal on the morrow for their families, generally give their pence readily, both in church and out of church, that the Word of God may be sent to the heathen, their masters so often withhold their hand, when they every day and every hour look on their green meadows, or waving corn fields, and must know and feel that not a single blade of that grass could spring forth, and not one seed from the hand of the sower be care of a kind Providence, who not only quickened into life and maturity, without the expects a return for His manifold mercies, but tells us plainly in His Holy Word, He has "stayed the fruits of the earth, and the heaven over us from dew," when men keep back what they owe to His honour and glory.*

the Lord with their substance, and acknowHow readily the patriarchs of old honoured ledged the hand who gave it. "The Lord," said Abraham's faithful servant, "hath blessed my master greatly; and he hath given him flocks and herds." And in the 14th chapter

• Haggai i.

of Genesis we read, "the king of Sodom went out to meet Abram," after a battle, and said, "Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself." But he answered, "I have lift up mine hand to the Lord, the most high God, that I will not take from a thread even to a shoe-latchet, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich." Job, who was called "the greatest of all the men of the East," and who had sheep, and oxen, and camels, "rose up early in the morning," and of his substance "offered burnt offerings according to the number of all his sons and daughters;" and it is written, "thus did Job continually." "I am not worthy," said Jacob, " of the least of all the mercies thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan, and now I am become two bands." And we find him afterwards earnestly entreating his brother Esau to accept a present from him, of a great number of goats, and camels, and kine, because God had dealt graciously with him."*

66

In the New Testament we are taught in a most instructive, yet awful parable, that when our "ground brings forth plentifully," we should not pull down our barns and build greater, because we may have no room where to bestow our abundance, but should take this opportunity to lay up treasure in heaven, that when our souls are required of us, we may be found"rich towards God."+

Christian reader, we need not now walk farther to prove the truth which is told us in God's Word, and written in the book of nature, that "every good tree bringeth forth good fruit;" that those who have a living faith will not content themselves with saying to a destitute brother or sister, "Depart in peace; be ye warmed and filled;' or to the heathen, "Be ye converted, be ye Christians;" but will be doing all that in them lies to assist in the great work which our Saviour has Himself taught us to pray for, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven."

We have seen that there are those among our poorer brethren (and many more might have been named) who, blessed be God, "gladly give of their little" to extend the Gospel of their Redeemer. Let us who may be rich in this world's goods, and are now in our "lifetime receiving our good things," consider if our gifts are proportionate to theirs, as regards the giving in a spirit of self-denial for the kingdom of God's sake.

The usual weekly expenditure of a sober and industrious labouring poor man alone, shows us he must generally "cast in of his want," when God puts it into his heart to lay up for his treasury in heaven.

The following is a correct account of the weekly expenses of the industrious labourer, mentioned in page 10, when he was earning 9s. per week:

• James ii, 16.

This labouring man was sober and honest, and his wife's occasional work in the fields, out of which she paid 2d. per week to a clothing club, and his own extra wages during harvest-time, helped to pay the rent, 47. 10s. per annum, and till this year, 5s. per annum to a medical club; but we cannot say there is any thing mentioned here he could "very well do without."

How many give only of their abundance, or, to use a common expression, " without being the worse for it." It was a princely answer, and well worthy the lips of him who was called "the man after God's own heart,”* "Neither will I offer burnt-offerings unto the Lord my God, of that which doth cost me nothing." May we all remember, that "to every one is given talents to be accounted for; but the servant who had five, gained for his master five talents more, than he that had but one. If we would but "first give our ownselves to the Lord," with "all our heart, and soul, and mind, and strength," how readily

"

1 Sam. xiii, 14. Acts xiii, 22. + 2 Sam. xxiv, 24.

would every gift be doubled for Him, and consecrated to His service, that the day of reckoning should find us faithful servants. It is said in the prophet Hosea, "Israel is an empty vine; he bringeth forth fruit unto himself;" and it is added, "Their heart is divided."

And let not the poor murmur at their lot, "For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required." The talents were allotted "to every man according to his several ability." God says to each of us He has called into his vineyard, "Whatsoever is right, I will give you;" and He who permitted His chosen people to offer a pair of turtle-doves, when a lamb was beyond their means,* "if there be first a willing mind," still graciously "accepts according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not."+ And after all we can do or have done, we must ever bear in mind, that the best of us, whether rich or poor, are but unprofitable servants, and are "faithful in a very little." Will you lament on your death-bed, that you had not possessed more to give an account of? Think you at that awful hour you will ever regret that the way was not made harder, and the strait gate narrower, whereby you must enter into the kingdom of heaven ?||

A few concluding observations. We read in God's holy Word, "there is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that with

• Lev. v, 7.

↑ Luke xix, 17.

+ 2 Cor. viii.

Matt. xix, 23.