sense his own. Divine providence has put them inte his hands; and he is no more than a steward of the Supreme Disposer, to hold and to manage the blessings entrusted to him, according to the sovereign pleasure of his Lord. With these views, when great and important objects are presented, he is ever ready to consider them. He has no question to settle in respect to them, but that of duty. He is prepared at once to patronize them, and with this view to bestow his substance, just so far as he thinks his duty, and the pleasure of his Divine Lord, require. And in endeavouring to learn the pleasure of his Lord, he does not confer with flesh and blood, or consult the maxims of mere worldly prudence, but goes at once to the record of his revealed will. He compares faithfully the circumstances of the case presented to him with the light and precepts of Divine revelation, and like a just steward, wishes to feel and to act precisely as his Master would, were he actually present. With these impressions, whatever he gives, he gives cheerfully.

He gives it in compliance with what he considers a rightful demand upon him from his sovereign Lord-a demand too, not issued with the design to depress and injure him, but flowing from his infinite kindness and love. And he gives it, not with the selfish intent of obtaining a recompense, but with the benevolent purpose and hope of benefiting his fellowmen, and advancing the cause and kingdom of that Redeemer whom he desires in all respects to serve and please. At the same time, he follows his bounty with his earnest prayers, that God would graciously accept his offering, and make it an instrument of good.

It is to persons such as this, that the promise in the text appears to me applicable. Such "liberal

souls shall be made fat, and those that water" after this manner, 66 I shall be watered themselves." In other words, to be thus truly and consistently liberal is the way to become rich.

1. This, I think, is a just inference from what has been already said. In the acquisition of wealth, as in the accomplishment of every important object, appropriate means are to be employed. Wherever these are faithfully employed, the end may be expected to follow. Indeed, without an interruption of the common course of things, it must inevitably follow. But we have seen that the truly liberal man is sensible of the value of property, and diligently uses the various means of procuring and retaining it. He is industrious, is frugal, is temperate, and in the general virtuous. He manages his concerns with wisdom and prudence, and is an example of those several traits, which are necessary to the successful pursuit of wealth. Why then should he not acquire it? Will the single circumstance, that he seeks it, not as the sordid worldling does, but as an instrument of increased usefulness-for the noble purpose of doing good— will this be likely to blast his endeavours, and prevent his success? Or will not the God of heaven, whose blessing maketh rich, be the more likely on this account to render him successful? Will he not more than make up to him what he calls him in Providence from time to time to bestow, and from the opening "windows of heaven, pour him out" an abundant blessing?

2. That he may be expected to do this, is certain from numerous and express promises of his word. We have most satisfactory promises of this nature, in the text and context. "There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth

more than is meet, and it tendeth to poverty. The liberal soul shall be made fat, and he that watereth, shall be watered also himself."-Promises of similar import are found in every part of the inspired volume. "If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee; that shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand, from thy poor brother. Thou shalt surely give him, and thy heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him; because that for this thing the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hands unto."--"Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase; so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine."-" Give, and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom."-The Apostle Paul, in urging the duty of giving alms, compares that which is given to seed sown upon the earth, and with this view asserts; "He which soweth sparingly, shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully."-The sense of these, and of similar passages cannot be mistaken. They are plain promises, not so directly of spiritual, as of temporal good, to those who are willing to hold their temporal substance as stewards of the Lord, and bestow it as he in his providence shall call-or in other words, to those who are truly and consistently liberal.

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It will be recollected that the Author of these promises is infinitely able to fulfil them. "The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein." He holds the lives and

healths, the powers, faculties, and various circumstances of his creatures-holds the winds, and waves, and seasons, and all the sources of temporal as well as spiritual good, most completely in his hands, and at his control. He has innumerable ways, in which to bless those whom he is pleased to bless, and curse those whom he is pleased to curse. Is not his promise then of all securities the greatest, that "the liberal soul shall" indeed "be made fat, and he that watereth shall be watered also himelf?"

3. The leading sentiment of this discourse is conformable to the views of the best and wisest men, in all periods of the Christian Church. Clemens of Alexandria, one of the early Christian fathers, uses the following language relative to this subject; "Not he who possesseth wealth, and keepeth it by him, but he that distributeth it, is rich. We lose all earthly things by keeping them; but keep them by giving them away.”—Basil, another of the primitive fathers, asserts," It is the best way of thriving, to give to them that are in want. The field of the poor is very fruitful, and quickly yieldeth an increase to the charitable. God twice pays what is lent to him; once in this world, by multiplying the wealth of alms givers; and then in heaven, he pays it over and over."-Austin, an eminent Christian and Bishop of the primitive Church, also says, "That which thou givest out of thine estate to charitable uses will be no loss to thy children, but rather an advantage."

To these testimonies from the ancients, we might add almost indefinitely from more modern Divines. -In one of the published Discourses of the celebrated Dr. Hammond, the following is laid down as the leading proposition; "Alms giving, or mercifulness, was never the wasting or lessening af any man's és

tate to himself, or his posterity, but rather the increasing of it."-Dr. Jeremy Taylor, in his "Rules of Holy Living," has the following assertion; "That portion of our estate which goes forth to the poor, or in some offering to God for religion, returns with a great blessing upon all the rest. It is like the widow's barrel of meal; which consumed not as long as she fed the prophet."-Dr. Thomas Jacomb, in a Sermon from Mat. v. 7. says, "The best way for a man to increase his estate, is charity. Money here is like the widow's oil, the more it is poured out, the more it doth increase."-Mr. Thomas Gouge, a most excellent Christian and Minister of the last century, wrote and published a Treatise in order to prove, that "To be truly Charitable, is the surest and safest way of Thriving." In this work, we find the following strong expressions; "I dare challenge," says he, "all the world to give one instance, or at least a considerable number of instances, of any truly merciful men, whose charity hath undone them. But as living wells, the more they are drawn, the more freely they spring and flow; so the substance of the charitable doth ordinarily multiply in the very distribution."-I shall here introduce but another quotation, and this is from the commentary of Dr. Scott. "Liberality, exercised from right motives, is sowing seed; and God gives the increase generally even in temporal things. If he see it best, large increase, flourishing trade, kind friends, and various other supplies and savings, will soon reimburse the expences of genuine charity.”

4. We may safely rest the point under consideration on an appeal to facts. Numerous instances may be produced, in which persons have found the promises of God to the charitable abundantly verified in