Every one should be thankful for needful supplies, and be concerned to provide things honest in the sight of all. The poor should be concerned, by diligence and frugality, to avoid robbing those who are poorer than themselves, of that which their wealthier neighbours have to spare. And many who are far from being called rich might share in the pleasure of doing good. But, at this time, I am especially called to remind those, who are conscious they have a larger measure of property than many, that God himself directs that they should be charged "to do good, to be rich in good works, willing to communicate." 1 Tim. vi. 18. If your riches are a blessing, and not a curse, they are given you that you may be a blessing, that you may find enjoyment in doing good. The right use of riches, consists in lessening the miseries and promoting the happiness of your fellow-men; and in thus glorifying God. They who thus use them, have the best enjoyment of them. It is said, that Heliogabalus wished for a neck as long as a crane's, that he might taste his food all the way it descended into his stomach. The benevolent man has a superior enjoyment, who tastes food with a hundred mouths, and enjoys that which causes the widow's heart to sing, more than what he is obliged to eat himself. O my brethren, is not this the noblest use of riches? Is not he the happiest, who does the most good, and takes the most delight in it? Especially, he who aims most earnestly at uniting these two ends in one-the good of his fellow-creatures, and the glory of God?

How much may be done in this way by individuals, if their hearts are duly set upon it! How much, by the united efforts of societies! Christianity, even in its lowest state, is favorable to benevolence. No hospitals or infirmaries were known in the pagan world. But how much more does genuine, heartfelt Christianity tend to excite compassion, and put us on doing good to the souls, as well as bodies of men. The number of charitable institutions at Bristol, is a great honor to the city. Their almshouses, infirmary, charity schools, benevolent schools; the institution for orphans, for the instruction of the blind; the religious instructions granted to the objects of many charities; the society for the suppression

of vice; the penitentiary for poor thoughtless females plunged by one false step into such a gulph of ruin, from which it would be impossible almost to extricate themselves. What tales of woe have some of us heard, and what hopeful impressions have we seen under the word. Our religious tract society. The assistance granted to the erection of places of worship; and shall we that love the gospel, complain they are so many? From hence, also, considerable assistance has been afforded to several missionary societies; and what is more important, than to spread the knowledge of Christ among benighted heathens? Can you hear of their idols, their superstitions, burning of widows, sacrificing of children to Gonga, running spits through their tongues, being crushed to death under the wheels of the Raut of Jaggernaut, and not pity them? I know many of you have felt for them; for your bounty has passed through my hands, freely and without solicitation. Go on then, ye liberal souls, to devise liberal things, for by liberal things ye shall stand. Is. xxxii. 8. Ah, if all the rich men in Bristol, or in Britain, were as rich in grace as they are in gold, how much good might they do! How much more might be done to promote the temporal and spiritual welfare of our neighbours and countrymen, by diffusing religious knowledge among the poor! Might not

professors excite the attention of their acquaintance to religious truths, by presenting some edifying publication, instead of other gifts. (Wilberforce on Real Christianity, Scott's Essays, Newton's Messiah.) How much more might be done abroad, to revive religion in the Greek church; to reform Popish countries; to introduce the gospel among Mahometan and Pagan nations. But it is time I

proceed,

FOURTHLY, To add some motives to excite those, whom God has entrusted with money, to make the best use of it.

Consider, my friends, that if money be not used, it can do no good to yourselves, any more than to others. Who would think it any great honor, for a man to be employed as a watchman, centinel, or guard at the door of a room, in which were deposited ten thousand bags of gold and silver, if none of it was at his own disposal, but belonged to some other

you

Has

person? And what odds does it make, if call it your own, but have no heart to use it, and so have no more power over it than if it were another's? It is not properly yours; it is Mammon's, or Plutus's, and you are the poor centinel to guard it. Remember, all you have is the gift of Divine Providence. God puts it into the power of your hands to get wealth; and he says, "The silver is mine, and the gold mine." And you ought to acknowledge, when you honor him with your substance, "Of thine own have we given unto thee." You are his stewards, and have these things committed to you but for a season; you are responsible to him, and must give account of your stewardship. not God been kind to you, on purpose that you, imitating his liberality, might be kind to others? And if you are made partakers of spiritual as well as of temporal blessings, are you not doubly bound to gratitude? Oh! show that you know "the grace of our Lord Jesus, who, though he was rich, yet for your sakes became poor." Remember, the Judge of the world will say at the last day, "Ye did it to ME," or "Ye did it not to ME.". Reflect on the possibility of great losses before death, and the certainty of parting with all at death. Which will then be the most painful or pleasing reflection— "I withheld more than was meet, and now all is taken from me, or I must loose all:'? Or, Blessed be God! while I had it in my power, I loved to use all for his glory: surely I took more delight in what I spent to promote his cause, than in all I laid out on myself.'?

But, some may be ready to object, that to urge them to so large a distribution of their property, is making religion a very expensive thing. Answer: Is not wickedness and irreligion more expensive? How do men lavish gold out of the bag for idols! and has the true God no credit? Are places of worship so expensive; and are places of amusement erected and kept open without any cost? Do people lose nothing by attending balls and routes, plays and races? Or are these entertainments more worthy of rational and immortal creatures than the means of preparation for eternity? How little does religion cost some professors, compared with what they save by not being irreligious?

Does not a man save much for his family, by being converted to God, and taught to shun idleness, tippling, gaming, and vicious companions?

When we recommend beneficence to all professors, we do not exhort any one to give what is not truly his own. Nor do we deny the lawfulness and propriety of providing for your family. But we urge the propriety of setting your family a good example. We say it is better to leave your children a small fortune with a blessing, than a large one with a curse. Indeed, it seems, as if persons were often most in danger of becoming fond of money, and unwilling to part with it, who have the smallest families, or no near relations. People with large families are forced to let money come and go, and thus get a habit of parting with it. But the less a man has to do with his money, while he yet gets a good deal, the more he is in danger of sitting by the side of his chest, and looking at it, till it fascinates him, so that he cannot get his eye off it, nor his heart loose from it.

Now I bless God that his grace can break the charm, and has done so for many of the more wealthy professors in this city but really, scripture and observation lead me to suspect, that there is always a sort of witchcraft in a large heap of gold. The larger the heap, the more grace it requires to keep a man from being bewitched by it. The more a man has, the more he is in danger of losing the power of disposing of it to the best advantage. Hence, our Lord speaks of it as so hard a thing for those that have riches, to enter into his kingdom. However, with God there is nothing

impossible.

But let all who love their souls take heed, and beware of covetousness. There is no sin the Bible condemns more severely. It may affect those who are not rich, and is often the means of keeping men from being rich. It makes them show their eagerness to get money, so as to defeat their own end. Let those who have but little, be thankful with that little, and not say, We can do nothing for God, and can show no kindness to others. Let those to whom providence has been most liberal, delight in being liberal. Beware of the snares of affluence, and remember, that the best and only

way of keeping money from doing yourselves harm, is to be perpetually doing good with it.

The rust of brass is a

strong poison, but gold will not rust. However, when it is long hoarded, there is a sort of spiritual rust, that is more poisonous to the soul than verdigris can be to the body.

I trust, I can and do pray with sincerity, and I hope many of you can join me, that God will never entrust us with more money than will really forward us in the way to heaven; that he would make us willing to say, 'We are not our own, and all we have Lord, is thine own. Teach us so to use it, as that it may answer the best purposes to which it can be applied. Let us act as thy stewards, and aim in all things at thy glory.'

XXXVIII.

THE YOUNG ADMONISHED.

ECCLES. xi. 9, 10.

Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth; and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.

MINISTERS have reason to keep in mind Solomon's charge, in the 6th verse; and therefore, though we have often been ready to exclaim, Who hath believed our report? yet, we should still repeat our warnings, especially to the rising generation.

The former part of this paragraph would be attended to with much pleasure, by many young people, if what follows did not explain the wise man's meaning, and show that he gives an apparent license, only to make the following admonition sink the deeper. We may, therefore, make a threefold distribution of the subject. For we have here, FIRST, An ironical permission. Rejoice, O young

man, &c.

We allow, it is not to be understood as censuring all youthful cheerfulness, and moderate enjoyments. Youth is