sick, and see but little fruit of our labour. Indeed, much of the fruit which we think we see, proves only like the blossom that is soon nipped by the frost, and disappoints our expectations. Not that our labour shall be altogether in vain"^. We are per- suaded, that if we labour with assiduity and tenderness to benefit the souls of men, God will make so)ne use of us. Like Isaiah, we may have occasion to say, " Who hath believed our report?" yet, like him, we shall have in the last day some to present to the Lord, saying, " Here am I, and the children thou hast given me." " The bread that we have cast upon the waters shall, in part at least, be found after many days."]
But our labour shall surely be recompensed into our own bosom —
[So David found it: his fastings and prayers, if lost to others, were not lost to himself: " they returned into his own bosom." And thus it will be with us. The very exercise of love, like the incense which regales the offerer with its odours, is a rich recompence to itself. Moreover, every exercise of love strengthens the habit of love in our souls, and thereby trans- forms us more and more into the Divine image. And may we not say, that exercises of love vnll b/ing God himself down into the soul? We appeal to those who are in the habit of visiting the chambers of the sick, whether they have not often found God more present with them on such occasions than at any other time or place ? Have they not often, when they have gone with coldness, and even with reluctance, to visit the sick, received such tokens of God's acceptance, as have filled them with shame and self-abhorrence, for not delighting more in such offices of love?
But, if even here so rich a recompence is given, what shall we receive hereafter, when every act of love will be recorded, acknowledged, recompensed ; and not even a cup of cold water given for the sake of Christ, shall lose its reward ? Little as we think of such actions, (and little we ought to think of them as done hy ourselves) our God and Saviour regards them with infinite delight, and will accept every one of them as done unto himself: " I was sick and in prison, and ye visited me." Let all then know, if they thus invite the sick, the lame, the blind, to participate with them in their temporal and spiritual advan- tages, " they shall be recompensed at the resurrection of the just^"]
Address —
^ If this be the subject of a Sermon for a Visiting Society, or Hospital, any particular good that has been doue to the souls of men may here be distinctly specified.
e Luke xiv. 14. Heb. vi. 10.