thrown into the ocean. It is rather, as Solo, mon tells us (Ecclesiastes xi. 1), like the seed which the Orientals plant by scattering it on the waters when the floods are up, and which sinking to the bottom, there takes root, and springing up, is found again in the abundant harvest after many days. What is so given, is loaned to the Lord (Proverbs xix. 17); and what we have thus lent him, he will pay us again. And he will not only repay it, but will greatly increase its amount; for if we give, it is declared (Luke vi. 38), that it shall be "given to us again, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over." Indeed this is the very way to increase; for it is said (Proverbs xi. 24), "There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth, and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, and it tendeth to poverty;" and again (Isaiah xxxii. 8), "The liberal deviseth liberal things, and by liberal things shall he stand." What even unregenerate men do give in this way, God often seems to reward with great temporal blessings. His own declaration is (Proverbs xxviii. 27) that "he that giveth to the poor shall not lack," and the promise is not restricted to the saints: and our observation of

providence shows, that men's gifts to the poor are almost as surely prospered of God to themselves, as the seed which they sow in the field. It is easy for God to make up, and more than make up to us all that we thus give for the good of others. It is of this very kind of giving, that the Apostle tells the Corinthians (2 Corinthians ix. 6-8) that "he that soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully;" adding that "God loveth the cheerful giver," and that he "is able to make all grace abound toward them;" that is, to make all their gifts abound to themselves. Many persons do but little consider how much their prosperity depends on Providence. And yet, even for this world, "it is the blessing of God that that maketh rich" (Proverbs x. 22); and of him that considereth the poor, it is written (Psalm xli. 1) that "the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble." And if we give in the way and with the spirit of Christian charity, we shall thus lay up treasure in heaven, and receive at last the rewards of eternity. This is that laying up of treasures that fail not, of which Christ speaks (Luke xii. 33), and as to which he declares (Luke xiv. 13, 14, 15), that though the poor whom we benefit cannot rec

ompense us, "we shall be recompensed at the resurrection of the just." This, then, is the best way of laying up for time or for eternity. It is the best way of laying up for ourselves, and the best way of laying up for our posterity; for of the good man, who showeth favor and lendeth, it is written (Psalm cxii.) that "his horn shall be exalted with honor," and that "his seed shall be mighty upon earth, and wealth and riches shall be in his house, and his righteousness endureth forever." And when Christ shall come to judg ment, and all people shall be gathered before him, then to those who were kind and benevolent, in the true spirit of Christian love, to the suffering and the poor, he shall say (Matthew xxv. 34, 35, 36, 40), "Come ye blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me.' "Verily, I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me!"

LECTURE VI.

CHARITY INCONSISTENT WITH AN ENVIOUS SPIRIT.

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HAVING already seen the nature and tendency of Christian charity, or divine love, with respect to the evil received from others, that it suffers long," and also with respect to doing good to others, that it "is kind," we now come to the feelings and conduct to which the same charity will lead us in respect to the good possessed by others, and that possessed by ourselves. And in reference to the good possessed by others, the Apostle declares it to be the nature and tendency of charity, or true Christian love, not to envy them the possession of any good whatever which is theirs. "Charity envieth not." The teaching of these words plainly is,

THAT CHARITY OR A TRULY CHRISTIAN SPIRIT,

IS THE VERY OPPOSITE OF AN ENVIOUS SPIRIT,

In dwelling on this thought, I would show, 1, What is the nature of an envious spirit; 2, Wherein a Christian spirit is the opposite of such a spirit; 3, The reason and evidence of the doctrine. And,

I. The nature of envy.-Envy may be defined to be a spirit of dissatisfaction with and opposition to the prosperity and happiness of others as compared with our own. The thing that the envious person is opposed to and dislikes, is, the comparative superiority of the state of honor, or prosperity or happiness, that another may enjoy, over that which he possesses. And this spirit is especially called envy, when we dislike and are opposed to another's honor or prosperity, because, in general, it is greater than our own, or because, in particular, they have some honor or enjoyment that we have not. It is a disposition natural in men, that they love to be uppermost; and this disposition is directly crossed, when they see others above them. And it is from this spirit, that men dislike and are opposed to the prosperity of others, because they think it makes those who possess it, superior, in some respect, to themselves. And from this same disposition, a person may dislike an