of receiving it; and we may most truly fay, if it is bard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven, it is fcarcely poffible for a covetous perfon to be admitted there. In truth, it is against the hardbearted, and ungrateful rich man, that this declaration is levelled. Again fo little is the danger of our ever being reduced to want by diftributing of our money to godly ufes, that the Holy Spirit of God, who knoweth all truth, teacheth us a very différent leffon. By Him we are informed, that there is a kind of expence that will never leffen our ftock, and likewife a kind of faving, that in the end fhall bring a man (or thofe belonging to him) to certain poverty. The words of the text afford us hope of the former, and both are confirmed in thefe words of Solomon, (Prov. x. 3, 4.) The Lord will not fuffer the foul of the merciful to famifh, but he cafteth away the fubftance of the wicked. He becometh poor who dealeth with a flack band, but the hand of the diligent maketh rich. Thus we fce the judgments of weak and finful men differeth widely from the counfels of the spirit of God. St. Paul, who had the gift of the fpirit in an eminent degree, and was honored with the moft fecret revelations of heaven, teacheth us, in 2 Cor. ix. 6, 7, &c. That he that Joweth fparingly, shall reap alfo fparingly; that God loveth a chearful giver; that the righteousness of him who hath difperfed abroad, who bath given to the poor, remaineth for ever; and that he who miniftereth feed to the fower, will multiply your feed fown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness, that is, if you ask his grace, and employ it fincerely, he will give you yet more, and confequently, the fruits of it will abound to your great joy. The apoftle, you fee, does not ftop at fhewing them they fhould not want, but he goes on to specify in what manner God will bless them; even the being enriched in every thing to all bountifulnefs. Now to illuftrate the former comparison in a worldly fenfe. In the fame manner as God pro

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vided more feed for the fower, by multiplying it, fo will he increase the growth of the merciful, that they fhall poffefs abundance. And to confirm the truth of thefe fayings, attend to the example afforded us in the firft book of Kings, wherein a moft beautiful and convincing inftance is related of the good effects of a compaffionate, and liberal fpirit. We there read of a poor widow of Zarephath, who received the banished prophet of God, Elijah; and though the had but an handful of meal in a veffel, and a little oil in a crufe, whereof she intended to make a cake for her fon and herself, before the refigned herself to the death the famine threatened, yet becaufe fhe grudged not to give part of it to Elijah, even checking her own preffing want of hunger, from a merciful difpofition to a fellow creature in like calamity, the experienced fuch an aftonishing bleffing, through the prophet's prayer, that neither the meal, nor the oil, wafted during all the time the famine continued, but fupplied both the prophet, herself, and fon, with fufficient nourishment. Every covetous, and unfeeling perfon, would do well often to recollect this hiftory, and raise their dependance on God's promifes, to convince them that his power is never diminifled, to help and foften their nature, and to remind them that there

It may be profitable to obferve in this place, that this act of extraordinary benevolence did not proceed merely from the impulfe of a humane difpofition in this woman's nature; it was qualified by religious obedience; for we are told, that she received the command of God to exercise this act of merciful preference towards the Prophet; and it is this principle, which in the former difcourfes we have uniformly recommended, as what will render all our good deeds acceptable in the fight of God. It must be love and duty to Him, that must excite our mercy and liberality towards our neighbor, according to the precept of our Savior, that as he hath loved us, fo fhould we love one another. This both proves the neceffity, and ftamps the value of our good works, and renders us doubly refponfible for the choice affections God has pleased to implant in our nature, fhewing it incumbent on us likewife to improve them, where they are of lefs ready growth.

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is an univerfal command in force, that binds us to this duty; from an humble and grateful acknowledgment of our dependance upon God for all our well-doing.

It will be useful, likewise, to reflect still further on the wide difference of this poor woman's cafe, and that of many, who lack bowels of compaffion for the neceflities of others; for it was not from a fufficiency, much lefs out of plenty, that the fpared to the mifery of the needy; but from the fcanty meafure of her own fole fupport, and that of him most dear to her; and for this reafon, her praise and reward (like that beftowed on the widow's mite), is justly magnified. Whereas the obdurate, felfifh, and clofe-handed, are loth to part even from a trifle of their fuperfluity, to relieve their, miferable and fuffering brother. Another valuable obfervation may be collected from this example, which is alfo confirmed by gofpel precept; we fee, that perfect charity is not confined to place or perfon; as we are not excufed from difcharging this duty, even though our means are small, fo we must ftrive to copy the pattern of the Supreme benefactor, whofe fun fhines on the juft and unjust; if our enemy bunger, we are to feed him, if he thirst, to give him drink. And if the parable of the Good Samaritan plainly fhews us who is our neighbour, even the afflicted ftranger, no less than thofe who dwell among us; much stronger must be the obligation to provide for thofe whofe wretched fituation affords continual, and immediate trial of our merciful exertions; and ftronger fill the needy calls of decayed friends or dependent kindred. But this story of the merciful and obedient widow-woman, is fo ftrikingly affecting and improving, that it will bear another review of its peculiar merit.

We behold this forlorn and forrowing widow, in a time of extreme and univerfal famine, with only the smallest portion of food remaining, to fupport

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fupport the life of herfelf and only son, who was ready to perish before her face with hunger. Could there be a greater trial in nature? Self-prefervation, preffed by want, is apt to abforb all other feelings whatsoever; but it is where animal nature craves for worldly food, not by a foul that has a relish for the bread of life, which is pious refignation to the fovereign will. The fpirit of mercy had refined her felfish feelings: the fuffering cravings of the very dearest object of her heart, only helps to paint ftill ftronger, the neceffities of the famifhing Prophet; and rather than forbear a work of genuine chriftian love, or the obedience due to HIM, who hitherto had bleffed and comforted her, fhe was content to shorten that life, for which, in general, we will part with every thing. Here is a cutting leffon to them who abound in meat and drink, and clothing; fome of which, perhaps, is oftener left to spoil, than 'readily bestowed on them, whofe miferies might be refreshed from their unprofitable boards, and wicked wastings. Here is a leffon to them, who lay by riches, and cannot tell who shall gather them. Nay, it is a leffon to them who have the leaft of this world's goods; for they who have a competency, cannot be likened to the diftrefsful ftate of this poor widow. Thank heaven, there is no famine in the land, yourfelves and families in general, are well clothed and fed, and in no danger of dying for want. But, alas! the hearts of many are fo hard, they positively require to feel the mifery of poverty, of thofe fainting through hunger, to make them fenfible how urgent is the cries of indigence. Till then, it is to be feared, too many will multiply excufes, in order to fave themfelves from fuccouring the aged, the hungry, and the naked; who are fuitors, in the name of Chrift, not only for temporal relief, but as inftruments to procure their benefactors the richest treasures, treafures in heaven,

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where neither moth can corrupt, nor thieves break through and steal.

Let us take pattern then, from the believing widow, whofe faith in the Prophet's words, inclined her to afford us fuch a memorable inftance of compaffionate attention; fhe doubted not in her heart, (though tempted by excefs of wretchednefs), but inftantly obeyed the dictates of pure charity, while many among us (worse than unbelievers) have been often found, not only to doubt God's facred promife, but to entertain a thousand fears whether our obedience would anfwer any valuable purpofe; whether we may not want ourselves what charity requires of us; or whether what we might fpare, may not be employed to fome more favourite purpofe. It is as hard to wrench a nail out of an oak poft (as the proverb has it) as to draw a farthing out of fome mens pockets. Many prove they have neither the love or fear of God before their eyes, when the test of their faith is liberalty of foul. They will prefer the retention of the fmalleft fum, to the praife of a benevolent character; nay, to the punishment waiting upon the unmerciful. Let the miferable minded tremble, for the want of fuch a temper; for as fure as God preserved the woman of Sarepta, and increafed her little ftore, fo that fhe fuffered not in the general calamity; fo furely will God vifit the hard-hearted with fome plague or other, though they may for a while live in the midst of plenty; but it often happens, that he punishes, by the fame affliction, the neglect which hath merited the chastisement; for many live to want what they once denied to others in like condition with that, to which God's juft appointment hath at length reduced them, as to behold abundance all around them, while they fuffer the pangs of exigence. Their glory and riches come to nought; and that, when they had it, they might have fecured, by the bleffing of God upon their religious

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