contriving means for benefiting the poor ? Surely every person ought to bear testimony to the worth and excellence of such designs ; and to give them, the best tribute of applause, their active concurrence, and their most liberal support.
J^astly, f 07' the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ himself , I would urge upon you the support of this beneficent institution : for he counted not little children beneath his notice ; but took them up in his arms, and put his hands upon them and blessed them, and declared that every attention that was paid to such infants would be regarded by him as paid to himself p. If, then, you have any love to the Saviour, who himself assumed a state of infancy for you — yea, and died upon the cross for you — shew it by your liberality on this occasion. Let all endeavour to cultivate the ground. Let him that hath an ox, " send forth his ox;" and let him that hath an ass, " send forth his ass." Let every one, according to his ability, contribute to help forward this good work, without intermission and without despon- dency. To every one amongst you I would say, " In the morning sow thy seed ; in the evening withhold not thine hand : for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good^."]
P Matt, xviii. 2, 5. <J ver. 6.
Eccl. xi. 9. Rejoice, 0 young man, in thy youth ; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ivays of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes : but knoiv thou, that for all these things, God will bring thee into judgment.
EARTHLY pleasure is doubtless gratifying to flesh and blood : hence it is more or less an object of desire to all : but there are two considerations which may well abate our ardour in the pursuit, namely, that its gratifications will soon come to an end ; and that there is an approaching judgment, at which we must give an account of all that we have ever done in the body, and receive from God's mouth a sentence corresponding with the tenour of our past life. In the verses preceding our text, the former consideration is urged ; and we are told, that, how- ever protracted our pleasures may be, they are but like a winter's sun, which will soon set in darkness, and be followed by a long and dreary night. Such