with joyful lips P." Do we ofFer our mite for the relief of his indigent and distressed people ? hear how he speaks of it : " If thou deal thy bread to the hungry, and bring the poor that are cast out to thy house ; if, when thou seest the naked, thou cover him, and hide not thyself from thine own flesh; then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily ; and thy righteousness shall go before thee ; and the glory of the Lord shall be thy rere- ward." And again ; " If thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul ; then shall thy light rise in ob- scurity, and thy darkness be as the noon-day : and the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy hones : and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not^." I appeal with confidence to all: When did you ever present any offering, whether of gratitude to God or love to man, upon this altar, and not feed richly on it yourselves ? When did not fire descend from heaven into your soul, to testify of God's acceptance of your offering ? or when did you not, after such an offering, depart, " filled and satisfied with the fatness of his house"^?" At no period did he ever dismiss you, without " satiating your weary soul, and replenishing your sorrowful soup." Abound then in these sacrifices, and it shall be well with you ; for you shall eat of them richly both in time and eternity*.]
Address —
1. To the poor votaries of this world — [What a wretched and worthless altar have you ! and what costly offerings are you daily presenting upon it ! Your time, your talents, your very souls, are you sacrificing upon that altar ! You would weep over the devotees who cast themselves imder the wheels of the car of Juggernaut : why do ye not weep over yourselves, when, with all your light and knowledge, you are acting a part not less infatuated than they? Compare your state with that of the true Christian. He lives only to serve, and honour, and exalt his God : but you live only to please the world, and to gratify yourselves. He accounts nothing too great to sacrifice unto Jehovah : you will not sacrifice one lust, or interest, for him. To the world, and to self, do you devote your every hour, your every thought. And whilst you have eaten of your altar, which of course you have done, what have you done but " fed upon ashes, whilst a deceived heart hath turned you aside, so that you could not
P Ps. Ixiii. 5. 1 Isai. Iviii. 7 — 11.
^ Ps. xxxvi. 8. * Jer. xxxi. 25.
t Isai. iii. 10. 1 Tim. vi. 17—19.