distance of several hundred miles." But they listened not to any such suggestions : it was sufficient for them that an opportunity had occurred for the exercise of love, and for the honouring of their Lord ; and therefore they improved it instantly to the utmost of their power. Thus also should we; « Whatsoever our hand findeth to do, we should do it with our might :" and especially in administering relief to the Lord's people, we should not estimate our liberality by the mere amount of our donations, so much as by our ability to give; since in God's sight the widow, with her two mites, gave more than all the rich, who, out of their abundance, had cast large sums into the treasury.
We admire too their prudence. They could not themselves go to Jerusalem to inspect the state of the Church, and admi- nister relief with their own hands ; they therefore sent their money to the elders of that Church, who, by their local knowledge, were qualified, and by their exalted piety were disposed, to dispense the alms in the most equitable and effectual manner. In this also they have left us a very in- structive lesson, to attend with the utmost care to the manner in which we dispose of our alms: for, as the withholding of alms is sinful parsimony, so indiscreet charity is criminal l^rofuseness.]
Without stopping to multiply lessons of instruction from their benevolence, we will now,
N. Propose it for your imitation —
We have at this time,
1. A similar occasion for benevolence —
r * * * a"l
2. Similar means of exercising it
[They committed to the elders of the Church at Jerusalem the task of selecting the objects, and apportioning the alms: and thankfully availed themselves of the labours of others to carry into effect their benevolent designs. Now amongst us there are many united into a society, for the express purpose of finding out the wants of the poor, and of administering also to their spiritual necessities11: whatever, therefore, your liberality shall contribute, will be disposed of by them to much
* * * a Here state the particular occasion ; suppose for a Bene- volent Society ; viz. the pressure of the times, the want especially in time of sickness, and, above all, the need of spiritual instruction and consolation which are of infinitely greater value than any temporal benefits whatever. ^
b Here state how they conduct their affairs.