do good, that tiiey be rich in godd works, ready to distribute, willing towmmimicate; laying up in store for themselves a good Watjon against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal Me. — ^^Se^^e^to me, my Lord, to be some of thte chief le^ns taught OS in ihis precept of our blessed Mastet ; and he who cordially follows these, glorifying God, and benefitting man with . liberal first-fruits of all hi increLe,-on him, for my part, riches and plenty may, freely ^ come. In his progress all good men will rejoice ; the poor will blesj hifl riches. If, like Abraham, he has $.n old servant, he will say, with sndles. '^The Lord hath blessed my master greatly ; and he is become Meat- and He hath given him flocks, and herds, and silvw, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses. ^Genesis ^^WedonameanihatChria^m are bmnd to draw a Uni, and mj/^ Be yond ikU limit, nomatter what the-bounUea of Providence maybe. m7io8»Lims shJl never go." Oh, what a ble^ing it had been^ tho^nds had they adopted such a resolution,! Many who prospered up toa point which they would have once thought affluence, not then content, pressed foVwa4, and by a few errors dispersed the gatherings of a lifetima Many for ye^rs employed their growing wealth to do oood; but at length they hud outgrown their religious strength, and, like a yduth failing under his own stature,. their virtues di^d of decline. ' Happy would it be for many, did they set a limit to their aims, and add nothing beyofad ! Whenever this is done in the spint of humblo ^ho^ «V "me, and of wit toi nol { /Go we of ^ lin eai up fpi is ch b^ la Canadian Inatituta for Hiatorictl Miororaproduciiona / Inatitut can4«lian da microraproductiona hiatpriquaa '_ 4 how did he live among hie neighhouts, while thus honounng;hi8 God I ^ « When the ear heard me, then it blessed me ; and when the eye saw . xne it gave witness to me : because I deliverea the Poor that criedi Zd the fatherless, and him that had none to help him. Tbe b^s^^f of him that was ready to perish came upon me^ and Loused the. ^dow's heart to sing for joy. 1 was eyes to^thQ blind, a^d teet was I to the lame. I vas a father to.the poor ; and the cause which I knew not I searched out."~r(Jobxxix. 11, &c.) ii ff.^ „«t^ Go thou and do likewise. Thus continually and liberally offer unto God • thus bountifully and actively distribute to man ; and so long as wfs^e you so doing, "may your garners be full, afford. ng all manner of store '" I, at least, will cheerfully leave it to Providence to fix the limit of.' your increase. But one word : as you proceed upwards, one earnest word: Walk warily on those heights ! Heads are often turned up there ; and fearful gulfs yawn under you if you tall ! While, however, we do not contend that to let nch( riches increase " is ^ ' forbidden, or even that to permit that increase to an indefinite amount is contrary to clear Scripture, we do contend :— ^ ■ - That not to give away any part of our mcomo is unlawful : That to leave What we shall give to be determined by impulse or chance, without any principle to guide us, is unlawful : ^ ThTi to fix a principle for our guidance by our own disposition, or ' ,^.ln'i^cs,J?ith>utseekLg light God,isun. . lawful : ■ ' -n .-^ D ColowrMi inh (• • olMf (ban Mm* or Mwhl/ Encra d« coulaur ii.a. autra qua b BShowthrough/ Trantpafartc* Q Quality of prmt variat/ Quality inAgala da I'lmprattion a ConiinuoM pagirtation/ Pagination coniinua Includaf indaxla*)/ Comprand un (dat) iiwtax Titia on haadar takan from: / la titra da I'an t*ta proviant: □ TitIa paga of mua/ Paga da titra da la livraiion D n Caption of ittua/ Titra da depart da la livraiion Matthaad/ Giniriqua (piriodiquat) da la livraiion Q Additional commanti;/ There are soine Commantairai lupplimantairai: creases In the middle of pages. This itatn it filmad at tha raduction ratio chackad balow/ Ca documant a»t filmA au taux da rMuction indiqu^ ci-daiiout 10X 14X 18X 22X . '■■ . ■ -■ 26X »)« ■ >/ 12X IIX 20X 24X 28X 32 X tion 01 a notion wnicn noaia m unaenneci inougnt, ana is oicen ex* pi-essed in vague language by many excellent people,— a notion about Christianity leaving the amount of liberality to the private will and disposition of each individual. J . , If this view be correct, then it follows that in Christian morals we have one virtue which Jias no minimum limit, no expiring point ; which continues to be a virtue down to within a hairbreadth of nothing, no iluatter how largely mixed with the opposite vice. Shall we apply this principle to the other virtues ? for instance, truth ? Are we not apt to think that, however much truth may be in a statement, if mixed with a little deception, the virtue of it is gone 1 And as to honesty, Do we liot feel that whatever adibunt of honesty may be in a transaction, ii piixed with any cheating, the virtue is destroyed ? And are we to hold that any miserable gift, somewhat short ot nothing, which a covetous man may give, is yet an act of liberality, though in a low degree ? Is liberality the one virtue "which Christianity has aban- doned, in this cold world, to every man's whim, and never pronounces violated, so long as it is not totally renounced and abjured? Surely there is some point far short of nothing, at which gifts cease to be "liberal," and begin to be "vile:" at which a giver ceases to be " bountifuy and deserves to be called a "churl !" One thing is certain, that if Christianity has set no minimum limit to generosity, it has set a maximum limit. If we are at liberty to press down our generosity to the lowest discernible point, we are not at liberty to push it up without check. Christianity commands plainly, " ^ .jj. ji- '•* ' T ' •' wMchtvf r appliM. Maps; platM. charfi, •tc. may b« filmed at • diffarant raduction ratios Thoi^a too larga to ba antiraty includad in ona axpoaura ara filmad baginning in tha uppar laft hand cornar. laft to right and top to bottom, at many framat at raquirad. Tha following diagrams illustrate tha mathod: m. •ymboltV tignifla "FIN ". ■ ■■% ' Laa 'cartas, planchas. lablaauitriHc.. pauvant *tra , filmAs A das taux da raduction diffArants. Lorsqua la document ast trop grand pour Atra raprodult an un saul clichA, il ast film* A partir da I'angla sup^riaur gaucha, da-gMiucha i droita, ^ at da haut an.bas, an pranantja nombra d'lmagas nAcassalra. Las dia'gramma«*sulvants Uluatrant la mithoda. 1 2 3 1 3 ■ ■:4 ,'.; ,- 5-' : 6 mt of gifts ; but having decided !!!hristianity is not even then con- be given with a cheerful heart, ' ar God loveth a cheerful giver." [lent is, that this passage'is some^ ho claim liberty to give away a» im to the passage (2 Cor. ix. 5-7,) bo them or to any man to decide il or a sparing scale. That it is fill jg a^»f1ofl • anA fVinn n nhf^M: of a small one ; and th e vain man and grudges the price he pays for Christianity. A bounty that reat charity that rejoices in such saci Gospel, it is ordained hy Christianity, i shall he ifipw}portion to our meam let every one of you lay by him i Here the scale which regulates ^' of inmiilHfl. fashion, or neisonal d ^mm 1.25 IM IB U « VMM 136 .- t 'a ^^PLIED IIVMGE Inc — !^'. I8%3 Call Main Strcat •JS RochMtar, Nan Yofk 14609 USA (;i») ♦« - 0300 - Pbona (7t«) 2N>N|t.rw or personal comforts, is not onljf inadmi^ible, but atrppiouSi Whatever . 0f heavetiliness and lai'ge heart was in the religion of Propliets, receives j| ] an expansion and not a chill, arid selfish man is placed at last in his | highest school of unselfiishness. \^ '. . ; , J' Whether, then, we take the Old Testament or the New, the lowest ■ J proportion of giving for which We can Und any pretext oi* foothold : , whatever, in command or in precedent, is one t6ntb. He who fixes on ; . ' this; deliberately fixes on faflbss than was required of a Jew. He who. ;'. fixes on less than this, delibera^tely excludes all Scripture instruction, and chooses a standard for which no part of God's Word oflWs a j justification. ■■. ■" ''"■.■■ '■-''.•''■ •..;'• ' ' ■; ' ■■,'{'-^" taken against our conclusion : aonio of the But seveml objections are which we ought to notice. '^ In urging upon us togiveawuya tfflith, you are reviving Levitlcal law, and tliat is abolished " Those who hold that this particular provision of the Levitical law >is abolished, I would refer to the arguments of my venerable friend, t)r." Morgan, which they\ may find \ * For full particulars and various discussion of these charges, the\ reader is 'referred to the vohime, "Gold and the tiosiHjl,",e3i)ecially the Essays of the Rov ^ BT WILLUM ARTIIUR. A- 1. J )ate w^ \ TORONTa: ©t^lBYAN HOOK BOOlil, "^ m \ ,*•. "^^ ^?^'^rihomI iisobjectio» we We only on« thing to »?: : ^ uJisW^ll y^n^eep the lawl Then ,.11 we contend fof, and wore 1^» all ^cnS imong laws, none is ne.r «o^exa*'xng as Aove It^as nevJt felt, never done, never given enongh. It is n«W enctog, Sffegimiiug." togreat thing , of y^ten l a^. «r« little tl»ngs to^a|^»ndi1 great, things _.f tins ex. ^& matter iQxp«" h „r,,j^ j^ ^^^.that is right is full of love. : -?r?SlL1SC:inf JZs the'^ightsof Uod and'in^^^ thJheTrt tW is right is a law to itself, and needs no other rule. Bat ^° !■?'!! ?rt." ia « s..re to fnliil the law without special mles. / / MT IjOmi, f.AIHWI A3lf» (*««Tl,r.>l»:N. Tni l««k wlikh (kivolvm on um thin mrmiing b to •uhirtU • f»w olNMtrvfttioiiH mi lA« nlon of itmr in' com«. Thin mibj*!!!! hiui uin^ly tMn'ii ImikIUkI, ami ttini. with iuui;li fore* of logic wmI •triptunU •lnuioiwlrMlcii, witli iniMth fmjliiig Atul nraciiml kiiowliiilg», in th« tiouk mo weJI known uiwluf (ho liM« of ••Gold and Ui« Oo«p«l ;" » liook with thin ulngulur g«'iu«hi(y, that It U Iho offn|»riiig of Hv« IkwU »ind otio hmrl, Thu g«iiUimM)ii U) wlumi ilio public aru mtl«bUHl for tho origin of tlifti voUuno, m tUwi for iU ciruuk- tion on t«rinii iuipn>c«dont«d, tliough thuy giu«t lie milinrtwil Umi th«y hftTO done much, y«i, lik« all who Uvo UhUhI th« pltHmuru of doing good, aw roiolvoil on doin« nion». Not «onUmt with hnving not up » fmnnW for l»«tfu»vol«nM>,"tluiy tint d«>t«rnnnod to riiiwi ami tr.*iu an arniy by whom that Ininner tihall li« followwl, wftertvir it in unfurUxI. Ag»in»t their yolumo juat one thing can »w •aid,—it ia » volume, and tk largo one ; and that in no inoonHidorahhi drawhaik, in an a«« tlnit is itiMilf ft nowHiMiiHir, Th«7 now wUmii, hy tho lightcA inHtruuicn« tiility of iwpular a«l.ln»MH«»s to imw tho Muhjt«;t homy ujK)n\mdtitu«loH whom octavo* never dinturh. Bv their olioi<», the lot of ooimi^ocing thin npw form of procowling han flili^n uiwn m« ; iumI tliough, my lAm\, in nuhlio »ihlr«HHOH, 1 geufnilly f««d it to \m wron« to H|K*nro»ortKmt>^be^consecmte^i^ GodV l^m : it iB ordained thai a BisLp shall be the husband^ ,^ but on6 wife, which is an ^arithmetical law, _ . . J>^ But if our specious friends who object to narrcw anthmetlcal laws viU observe their own givings, it will prove ^that^omeliowa^hmetio. follows them wherever they go. FmMf you do not give a. tent^^^^^ ninetieth, even that i? ah arithmetlcai propor^ob j^and if, .instead, of giving a tenth all the year through, you only givri a tenth of one day s income for the whole year, still that is an arithihetical proportion,- though it might be hard to ascertain it : and, irij fact, izo down ho- ever low you iiiay, if you give anything whatev*^^ fact, go down how- at arty t|me what-; :; ,i;^rS'^^;^^ propoiUun athc ^hd e . Did we name a tenth Mthe highest^standard of Christija(beuevo ence andj^^^^ fine ourselves to it, we might be taunted With Wthinetic ;- but^when we name it only as the lowest point at which anf footing cartb^ found, andleaveall;a3t>ove free, that arrow fliBstelowp^^^^ ^ .;.■ ^^ ,^ ^^ But if ytm teach mm to give a tenth, thoy willgtve tJuttand (^ :4mdei4,iiiouyh ihey'bught ta be glvingmuahm^^^^^^ *.ord i^ aiiobiectian oT real gravity. Doubtless, did wk succeed in producing generally in the Churches the state of feeltnff, that all were bound to ^- ■ / . 1..1, „..;;... w.v„T.i fK;nlrf>.Amsfttvft.s generous in giving ■t nqrrowi with all 3 law of this ex-. of love, herefore le. feut d rules." .V::ir -■li in- ucli ittid I of it in thu ulo' ,h*y Aug ip » riiiy IihI. and it ia iduN cing rord, m IX le of t or itiun id to boy: ^ / tmrw) «ii*i gtvo iioiiw of tl i«> l»«»ui*vul"iif«i I 'I'bii in ii tUir*'ivM««' ul Uicttliii . J^^Ain, two |NUi * UkhiimikI tb^t bo ii not mlf iMnphntl, but milly po*>r, with bi4 ibouMind aymr. Tbw i» n »iirtVi«n»o *»f Hi r«Hpiiit} nil who huvu WpuU inconiy w\\\a\ huiiih, wojild Im? autlbnr jUAt nor (jf«ni«r«»uj». J'^'or do UM tMtm that nil fmnton* ura <# (fiim nuntf/ thif mtiie pmfHyrtum t^f MrtV incufMt homvier U» ijnMU anumnt may mry. Two bi-oiht*rK liv« iu the naiiio town, and httv«» tbo winio fmnily. In thin chim) nttition, loctiUty, and family aro oqual. The obl«r h juMt able to proviilo \m .'bildriMi with a Huiall hotiM««, fnigul fan*, honuijy clothing, and a piuMtablu ihIiuW tion. Ho iM «red. Hin children sleep in «pA(3i«)UM roonm, iind play among Lhoir own flowor-lHKlii ; their clothing is rich, thojr Inwrd gtuicrouH^ and their education coHtly. For eachof tUoiu ho is able to lay up in store, and knows that, if tliey do ■| » niiabt b.^ cl4m^ uia lis hih bb'ssiui B e i>efA ' ;t . or augment ■ ifa i ;T . Ur H . U"HI'- l n-n t un ^l I ^ . ^^^^^^.ff l^ ^ ^ ■— ^ -^ Ho./ uf^ot^hf^ vol to.i>rahof(^^^rdh,:s fif'K oranyofherproporUar> au,- ^.ty '.^ rkriMmnH u po i^ice^a^^ Tlmv :. t.ov rorrect) . Our mity i< iioi t.. -ivt^aw.fy all ; but lo emi»)oy all accordwigltivthe wd. ... God, ...Mt A. ,.^'^.. 1,;^ orea^iiig in His sight. Tt^- our [positive auty iioi u. t^iVe axva^ ^U : out K^ «peud suitable proportions of Wf meome lu sup- lilvin- out ..WN vant>.,a.id those of ,>utiauiili.«,:.*.. \ > >f .^oursi.. ^.h..t I nVeaut^ was,. :^^fffl^ o^r reamrtr Me'wmrts'ire ^n,^lld.y We uughi- to give absolutely all the surplus, i the wrtiik o( hm hHn«uuii«' U»«' Uid " hrtth lituMjtl |w«tttyHv« y«iiiii 9^\ yidiUl him * ntiwItMil ItirtHW, ii»>w UHiigH » Iwtmyfold'rtJKirn. Whwi rn»vKI»»ii*"« hmi ihiiii miillii»li«.tl Uh' pn^ior. tioiiAtit prtKliictlvrnniw i»f hb UjU, iii Imi U> «3«nilliifl lib »i?kntiwU«li{- tiiuiitfi U) iho nwiiiw pn.|««»rti«m which ht» r»»iuh»rwl whitn hb rflTortii wore ftkr lvldt»iM*« grfnily liicffwim'* th« itHrtrii of hiUnir, or Ihniirn ahun lu'kmurhnlgt' Muh m«ny - nuwy whlol* iliHlin«tti«hm iw nUwe th« mUiiiiirir hitdf lueu—not by thiuik-ofri«rin(pi atljuNUHl U) tho unih! of thoti^ whiM«IIWng in Um thnn our% hut hy aiMiiutf to k«w'p iMOfj with th« |M«.uUai: U>unly which, whllo Nunmfliiti V ami oU»«ni »trug«h», glvtw um "iUI thing* richly lo «t\joy." Oiu) umu'ii i«nlh U Hiorn than anotluT nuin'n llilrtl. I know oiio votinmhio inAii — ono of the Mwi whom my iir>ul lovoth who, nl tho outiiol of Ufa, |Mlo|>t. the ^ul for Ire in heaven. Our o«ru morsel will bo Hweeter a,u more M-hoiesom. to.>. wheu the due acknowleclgmeut has been ^f^^^^^ a oouutiful v,aml and a thankf.d heart, on th. alUtr of tae Suvio.v. - Ye shall .ut neither bread, n-u- p.rchod corn, nof green, ea^, ^u^.f the selfHame day that ye hav hrmyht an offermg «nt« ^^ ^- (Lev jixliL 14.) This was the spirit of the fitsi-truits,— a spirit of nohl- oerferenee fof the honour of God over selfish 6are. Au-Uher a^lvantake of deciding that a r^onsecrated proportion slwill take uif ,n-*.ceden.>e of di otlier o«M«y, iuKiead ot ^'untn.g on giv.ng^ whar Av.' havH u> spam m this : II ^u.ar.nally atl.Ct. A>--" personal ^'xpenditure. Our ideas of whav is uo-ess»ry are n..ed bj ou» r;2ledge of what we )..ve .o .pend, A geuMeuuu. ^t;h V'^'^^^ vveftr *1io (ueauj t.> -ive a^vay ^hal luv , an si«ire. unless n^ \^v a man. o/exu-uordina., ^.en,.ty «nd J^^-it'^ '^^^f^ <^ '•''•'' r^^rjnlve the rule) lx,nu> hi. - h,.l^ >cheu,e ..f.^xu.^n.u.ure ou the basis ol hve huudrj -year, ...r; Hud. Iv h^rd, uo^ :..ud th.u, lo spa,-e . ,KMnu j t..uVuoltba. h. i. uusvilling. buV nil h.s ..^^>u..^ '"'^T::!'^ Ilia) In Im (i|«hlif liuiiian ndaiioiK hv iIim HuiM«r i>f aI TImI «iHniitiuUUon <»f ctipiUl wliuth rtwuiu fn>>ni tfiti hl«iiAiii^ <>f |>rv>vl- (J«tic« oil Uwftil iiKliMlrv, m Ur fr«>m coiitmvimiiig llt*^ iHiqKMMM of Im»* ll0volifiic«), ilireotljr mm( niiMt oini-it^ntly mrvm ihom. Two lMn)th«ni «nU»r lhl» town, tnw'h wi\h a mpiul of ^AO.tMlOt Tli« oiw ntwlm out Afty tUotiMAnd fKior familUNi in t|g|^Hrn mtil titwiiitry, «ti4 giviw nwAy ■II hill mpitAl miuHiK ilttitn, • |>V|I t«> (Mttli. Tim otiiitr uivmitii liM llty iliottmntl in « fitctory. Ilifiiim in tWtt-yonnH miuI iiiArlc tiin i»fT«t<»i of iHii two tuiiM u|Miii tlin |NHi|di). Of thrt Antt flfly tlioiiMnml, Ui« only iriii*o you mn find in h»rti a d(n*Ay«U b«>niutt« tlu«m a wnm-ont cloak, And in iKUnn huuihlu lioiuiw a viirv gmU^fut nHfi)||iH'tion ; luit no imrinA* ni*ni puhlio lMin(?At« no noniiihlo tinprovnnituti in ih« ooiuUiion of ^ inliouring ikmit. An to t|iA ollmr Afly tlioumnil, it ftnl AntI olothwl niiiny faniilit«M fnun th<( tln«t day ; l«>^lay ii in f trauting othnr OAniUil to a liko iiiv«Niin«nt, miaa fiirtliitr to ininravo tlia pri)N|KwtH of all tho lalKUiring |H>pulatiun of tlio iiuigliUuirlwKMl. It iN |K)NNibln, and morn than |K)«iiblo, that in tliiN (uum tlio ono who gavo away liiN all, tlid it from tho noblo iriotivti i'>f iwdf-tltuiial ; Aiiil moNl A-miriHlly li« will hAVU hi* rt'wanl. It In aIno |KiNNiblt( that th« Otliirr miUnl fi'om thn vtiiniiionitMt NidfiiihiuwN, lutd nan l who aot4H| from a noblu motlvd dl«l nt) porumnotit gootl to tho |MK»r. whih* ho who ucttid frcmi a low onu did much, foinw u« to in(|nirt), 1) violato, and tho other uuoonNciuuly fqlluw, d not tho ono nncoiiNciouily law of providonct) 1 I)«m« He is your friend, fnd your children's fnend, who toacnes you w leaa alone on the good t^i^idence of God, and on your own right hand. On the very sainlferounds that it is a serious injury to a man to pauperise him, it is a great service to teach him to save something, give it away. The one induces feebleness, the g|jer power : the inclines him *o be listless in earning, and thriftleS in spondi other to be alert in earning, and careful in spending. The mom man begins to save something and gives it away, he rises m the socwl scale, and takes-hisjlteiii' the family circle of benefactors. As to the godly poor, I will t^ft^/wh.Qle question of proportionate giving by (hiii li. I . ii n I ^Lj IKM m f' j if J " T ntihrr r1im ^"* — »f fhnan who would bid us ttl^mypHo gife, learn what they do, and, perhaps, they will loo||Si'i^'*^»«»'iia».fP«*P^,^^^^^ one sees how the poor «l|Mselves b^lste, by hurtful luximes. by ill-spent time, how often thefr spare money, not pro-engaged for good ends, is the cause of their ruin, one feels indignant at those self-consti- tuted friends of theii-s who would protect them from the calls of gen^ rosity,— the very calls which would raise ami make men of them ; and we say, Stand out of the way of the i>oor 1 , ,, -i. Thfirft WHS One who was no amateur iu poverty, but had known it •#' I •ntl «iK^li iwiinMit'la «•, *' lV>viil» itilttp h»mmi ii. ili« latflii of mU williiiH tit teMU haM 4 r^hl lo !»•*« |».iwi»M#iiHi», «i.^H »nil; ill »»i«h • 'Ut^frm M will rfMM« Him l« «*rtiliiiiiti 4liv«. .S.» tt«Hiiii*4tia 9vmr wminitli^^ •ii«>lh«'r <<»HiimAii(l ; Aii'l nii «im»ii%»ul !• nvm %n«m%i %*» •ini«ni*»li» * »li»»l« cUm of fifiMniMN*. Willi llii«.f i*o frtiiM'i|ilitii ill %itw, wr Uko lliin •'Mtn- iimimI, " \jkf mil ii|i f«*r y«wiMrlv«* HMnMturm n|»M. unrlii,'* M%*\ \^»m It iMwicIf unoilKir whkh l* Uk*« miiI.» Ii '■ " Tnki* ii.> lliMialii tf i.>-ni«»miw.*'- Am I l« lj* lol'l iM i l»ri*ik Utin Uli»r ptiinMiAiiil, if I Uk« iIkiukIiI t*r d»tii«M anU rtwi|i.iiwibiliiu«t wl.l.h •!•> ii«>l |»r»^ i.».Uy, Uwi will l»» iiir>rw» f Wiilioiii liiiiin ♦>, I •♦ttiinoi fulfti my •!•*¥ i.> (J'»l l»> i«.v »i«»igli»i»>r. .M in niy«'lf. TU« iii|(lMiit ul>liK>iiiuiiN whUi »nr Ui«l n|i»Mi Ml* mmirf ilimigln> intl. •.•tun nw. f«i ih«' m«>m»w Tliii* rmw ihrvtiigh nil til* wiiy» •»f l»rtiviil«ii€w Mtmi «f tlit* dutli* f»>r wIlKh ll« tioliU uii MWiMiiiHOilii. mil an u, wt»rk for iH« iiidlfviw For u»-iii»rn>«r thi» |>Unigh««r {iluuKltii. foi (u» iimmiw tlic «.»w».r 4rtw%, Un ii>-iiiorr«*w iIim roii|i««r nm\m, f.ir U>-iin»rrww ihw iulll«r uriiuk rr»»w. w.. ^Iioutd »%l 'Mmi* r»>. duw Hh« •ct4vll.'> of ill*' uiiiiiih tw«- iM » iW .»f llif iii.nH (iumiIhI mvii- putioiin. Th** 'Wll u» uiki- iM» ih.Hi^hi '".m t<>-iiK>iraw, in .wrtniiily not ♦ *»ll l*» ii(>gl(Ml duticjH. iiiul wvimIi* r«mpiniilbilitii'* Im? w »*II u» miii m PMyiilniitiv wli'tit iSi li^iM* •»»d.* t«» iru** has 'omim. Whwi I In**'!* d«n«» fwv lo-im>rruw ult ilml i* Ui«l «• i»iv •Itj'ii", %\m, U-i m** uot HiUTfUMh ll|MMI th.' ;»Hivll|M«* of KiiM ^%'li.> diUM- t»i» 'ul»' UiM futmi* *u«» ^1^ '*»»•• iliif li» II -iwn^» u$ m^, " t^ •«»' rwmSm m 11)1 ymr »Mmk U .»!# wuill. thirty tlMmMtitJ iir « IkMrttilrwi ilwtMAiul ivHintk'' All* -rti'li rr»»lMU«»ii m 4 It wnm #»M ««"»* •rw» linn ••»»'/ *» r4.'l. Uii mt" UmuHiOHh. ^ikI # Mmt% *iid mmjt iiiNi* ^' Tun »il») li «!*. -i»y^ ,. ^ *iIm a Iu|{I» ptiir .if wnnlili •»•. mil f«»ll«»^ •(»«▼ rUlM* ««iP»rty, or lonf to «•♦ f..»n^ir -m^ir-'lwl wiU' hIimimIwikw. Mr iImiI iii*k»th htUt to Iw rH. -Ur M#< 'ir .i»;iinn./. Mr lUi hii%t«iiril. ii. I* rich bmh *m mrii 0^, 4IHI .tMi.iilrii'tfc imH l»«*t |i»»v«ft) -ImU ^wmiiP il|iiiii hiiii ** {VlVf, \x vlii /h mtfi 4>liu4 **i/»kH00» '*» rt i»MWi« l« MNw/lA. Oiir imtiinil rrawwi MiMi il0. .iiriiS MiiiMl |ini#ii|.l im III '•y, * If I •«»» »«• »»• Hch. •!! Umii I «wi r iniiM k*«'f». H«»liHii« iMimliiK. gwnr'lHtK •*•' lUi c«rtii«» mu. my |i4imU Ii iimiM i;r«»ii U. I» ..f wmim' iM'tiMml -il Irtut,** Hui'h n «hmI« «^ UMliuhtiiiii .• -.iiftoiHwt l.% ih«. i»Urvi» Ui*' inHljjr .blvmitiyt*^ a »MH.nliin: ii rtrU-n. "'nnfiM i-* ihni «i»li«'iwih immI vnt iii- ermv'ih iImiv i» thi.i withlioM ih iiM»t«lh.iH ^ nieti »»iid lUmiUiU. to iHivoi^y.** Tikr ihi* jinivirli u, yinir liwirt, Tlii»«i i* S^ •xA glorjr ill il. Ii Miiki> y«hii h.»|if of iMttuHml «»iiiifurt wlib Um« Fi»thw of «11 UMiiivi.i<*iiti«. i^ys If ti»«w »•• •«"i**' »«» **• K*^****' *'y w*^*' **^ {^**'^: tug, ».v diMitliiK iiM liwrt iiKiiliiiit K«»iliiii« iif jumffwiiy, mid my h*iia utfiiin>>l «*lf^»nrK«'tlu.g mt^ ol giK>.lin»»»», t.|ii«i« winli wwUtli W to •!♦«•?% «•>({ itn frultii \m tir fiinn my children I" H«y, " Wmlth «. K»|ttoii !• nu wtAlth J U libiit * inoUl ooftln for the niTwtioni. If w«»IUi ooro« ?* >-s^ ^ spectable. This suspicion is one of the most sei-ioufi obstacles to their own conversion. There are in Belfjist hundreds who woiitd be brought riearer to salvaiion, did they only fee' in their crd hath bhMWwl my master gnwtly ; and ho w bocomo oroat; and He hath given him flockH, and herdis and Hilviir, and gold, and moniwrvant*!, and muid«ervant«, and camels, and aiweii. — (Genewa W6 do not mtan that ChrudiatiM art boimd to draw a lini, and taij, « Beumul thi» limit, no miUer what tfuf bonntie» of J rovidtm^ vuvj b«, myLsMeMnmiMl never go." Oh, what a blcKHUig it bid been to thouH«n^ouDwng nere, lor lue sivKe oi the pressing co- d-Ay, they risk the infinite but unfelt to-morrow. Satan avvy l)os^.st^4, nJ* lie did to our Master, that both the good and the glory of this A«»rUI are in his power, and that to whomsoever he will he gives theui. 'lo deny this claim, to maintain the opposite, to lead men U» turn up\var«l a reverent eye, and say loyally to the Lord of all, •'Both ri* ht-.s ami honor come of Thee," nothing is so Jeffectual as that all God's .servaiitrt Ishall sacredly honor Him with the first-fruits of their increase. Ooint this, it will soon be seen that they who acknowledge Providenct:; l»loo»n in its sunshine, and that seldom indeed i3 one of their number struck with a blight. Bands,— not here and there an individual, as mud: an exception in the Church as in the world, but — large bands of o))eri- handed men, whose works prosper and whose homes rejoice, will .sfciad before the world living' witnesses th;j,t we are nipit given over to the keeping of a demon who pampers wrong and famishes goodness, I plead for man's sake,— ^Aaf wew wiay learn titat commerce ia bene' volent. It is riot more!hurtful than wondeif ul how generally even good men look on commerce merely as an engine for fovtune-making and a field of battle for all the selfish passions. Even gravediyines may be found C9,lling commerce " the god of this world, with j\ist the same propriety and truth as they, professing to quote Scrij>ture, call money " the root of all evil." " Well, but is not commerce a hatefully selfish widl w^ heiirt U, ting for joy. 1 wan «ym U, th« bli.ul, "";>.«7\^" J to tho Uiii«. I wiiH a fatfior to the |KK.r ; and the cuumj which 1 knew not I W'arcluMlout."^(J«bxxix. U, Ac.) Go thou and do lik«wiiMi. Thun continuHlly and IilK^mlly offer unto God • thu. Umutifully and actively diHtributc t.» man ; and m long uii we ii^ you no d<,ing, •' may your v^rmr^ »h, full arturdnig all manner nf «tore 1" I at h.aHi, will clu-«irfully leave it to Provid.'nw^ to fix tho limit of vmir incn^aHO. But one wortl : an you prm^t^Ml upwards, one earnoHt word : Walk w«rily on tho«e heightH ! Htrndn an, often turned i.n there • and fearful gulfn yawn under you if you full 1 While ' however, we do not ConUmd that to let - rich.« mcreane ia f«rbid.len, or even that to |M^rmit that increaHCJ to an indefinite amount is contrary to clear Scripture, we do contemi :— , , . ThRt not to ttive away any part of our incom« is unlawfuf : That to leave what we hImU give to be determined by impulw or chance without any principle to guitle ub, ib unlawful : Thai U> fix a principle foV our guidance by our own d,«iK>«i ion, or • by pn.v.aent usigcs, with )ut seeking light in the Word of God, « un- lawful : A wrought out, by the l*uler above, ana you »ee cvcijr umi* ixx „ v«j ^.^ vided by the hands of others with all things which earth can offer to bia convenience, in such proportion as his means wUl command. Rise up, then, ye Christian men, ye who know a God, and bless a Providence, rise tip, and testify that this commerce, which busies your masses, is not a lawlesi scramble, but a beneficient appointment whereby everyone may become a co-worker with Heaven in plenishing and provisioning the homes of men ! Let all see that, when well-won gains come into your hand, you have a joy in scattering them abroad, to gpread tem- poral and eternal happiness among tliat race for whom all winds blow and all markets are opened. ^ » • » I plead for man's sake, that practicdH bemvolenee may be increased. Of all sources of happiness in a community, none acts so gently and pervasively as a spirit of true benevolence. ;NothiAg would so much assuage private griefs, or so greatly smooth the relations of class with class as the general spread of that sacred brother-love, that true fellow- feeliig, which breathes so sweetly in our Christian Scriptures. That widows may not weep unconsoled ; that orphans may not roam friend- less; that wayward men may not pass a lifetime within sound of • • .:.»■ church-bells, without ever hearing inside theii- own door a word of loving exhortation ; that the poor may not be set against the rich by envy ; that the nch may not be estranged from the poor by contempt y ^. ■"^■ ■dBftr» -•-» — K ** » ^ I have one virtue whirh htm »o ininiiitum limif, no nxpiptjg |M)iiit ; which continum to Itoa virtiiu down to within a hairhivudth of nothing, no matter how hirg«>ly mixed with tho op|K)iiito vico. Hliall wo Apply thiH principle to the othur virtuim? for infttiinee, truth 1 An? we not apt to think that, however much truth may Ix) in a Htutement, if mixed with a little doc«ption, the virtue of it iH gonol And ah to hononty, Do wo not fwil that whiittjver aiftunt of honoHty may Iw in a traniuu;tion, it piixed with any cheating, tho virtue is doMtroyod 1 And are Wo to hold that any miHonible gift, somewhat short of nothing, which a covetous man mny give, is yet an act of liliemlity, though in a low degree? in lilM^rality the one virtue which Chrintianity hun aban- doned, in this cold world, to every man's whim, an HV» — «*« — •« ■r- TT bound'' to • tenth. If that U> your uieiinmg, thtm thy heart in as my heart No principle of the Gc)m|k1, no pn?copt of th«^ law, «vt5r glanctw iu the direction of binding uh to a tenth. Buti^ it* powiible tl«it,you mean noniothing which you do not my 1 U'^% fMr' •ible that when yon H|)Cttk of not lj«»ing bound to a tenth, you mean we »r« at lilmrty to make up our niiudu not to give a tenth, but to give Bomothing UihuI Well, ho lot it bo. 8up|)0«e that a Chrintian, with- out off«'nding aguinHt hia religion, may si^nd on Milf-intereaU more than nine-U^ntha of hia income ; then it followH that // in Utwfulfnr a Cnrintian to be nurre ge/Jinh than was la%rfid ftrr a ./«/?. Thia conclu- sion may not Ik) agrtiCable, but it is cU;ar, Kverv Jew waa bleaaed with u religion which cliecke*!' his downward, ettrthward tendency, at the very leant to thia extent,— that, of Iiia all, one tenth went to sacred tilings, and thus connected, with them liia aflectiona and hia hopes. Lobs than that he could not consecrate to the service of hia God, with- out a trespaHH against bis religion. If, then, a Christian n»hy give less, his religion elevates him in a lower degree, leaves him to be more earthly without guilt, and lesa noble without reproach. One other conHe«iuence follows. If a ChriHtiau may, according to hw religion, lawfully tlevoto loss tlmu a tenth of his income to hply * 9 ' ' ''i I- x;' mmtm mmttm -^ « 1 :/■ ' ■ "', flood the earth with Christian agencies be increased to the astoniahment of ii^ankind ; while our Societies, though in a lower degree, would put . on anew, and hitherto uiUieard-of, might. ' We' are drawing near to the hour when we shall take flight from this shore for uiother. At whatisoever moment we depart, many other souls, from all lands, will be departing too. Who would wish that, in the flight of souls of which he will be one, the majority ^'ould be of those who had never heard of Jesus ? If this is not to be our case, if*' that name is to sound on all ears, and to be i^voked in all tongues, up and be earnest ! Spare not your goods^ that the poor in soul may be rich at last. , ' ' • I plead — -reverently it must be said — ^for the Lord's sake. It is true that all idea of giving a benefit to Him is forever exduded. /^ Is it any gsdn to Him that thou makest t^y ways perfect 1" The sun He hasBe^in our firmament, has rejoiced our world from Adam until now. On him all its beauty and its life depend. Now that he is hidden, the rose.has no blush, the lily no whiteness, the meadow no green ; a cheer^' loss -gloom reduces them all to samenesa To-morvow when he re* appears, all the beauties, of the landscape will come forth anew. ; Sup- pose that then ^e were all seized with an impulse of admiration, and desired to shew how .much we valued his services to man, not all the powers of our rac9 coiild send him iip a ray to^ make him grander* i I nn all. ThiH giving do4ttt ii«a n nt ut Ihu {unut ot U.uui y, l>ui ymmm on to that of inconceivable nacriAco. Kvnry man on who«« Npirit th« trun liflht of redeni|»tion V>reakM, fimlH himself h«ir to a lioritiig«« of j^ivinnH, which began on the ov« of tiui«, «u«l will kiwp imm"*) With th« «)ui-wi of eternity. To giving ho owon hin all ; in giving he won tho most nutK ■tantial evidence ho ctin offur, that ho in a gnttoful debtor; and the ■elf-sacrifice of Him in whom he trunts nayH, far more pathetically than words could say, " It is morn hloKHod to givn than t<) receive.'* It M anlaineti by Chritlianity that tjiviwj iha/l Im (tolh bount^nl and cheerful. It does not satisfy the demands of our religion that we give-; ire must give much. " He that sowcth sparingly shall reap also gparingly." This rofore to the amount of gifts ; but haying dccidotl that the amount must be unsjmring. Christianity is not even then con- tent ; that unsfMiring amourtt musr l>o gii^en with a cheerful hcArt, •'not grudgingly or of necessity j for Ooaring, and is to be Iwnntiful, is settled ; and then a cheer- creature, wnose complex nai/ure \iu«ieH wie luwcao w> wio uigiroov wvwivio, bringing matter, animal and spirit, into one being,— a being who, on one extr-eme, is equal with the clod, and, on the other, by the commun- ing of the Spirit, reaches to the throne of the Highest. In him, and in him'alone, the image of the holy God may be so reflected, that men here shall leam to "glorify their Father who is in heaven." But how d0e8 he reflect this image who, professing to be' a child of God, is yet known to delight in holding and in storing, but to feel a ^^ pain in giving! Nothing can be more strictly opposite to the Divine- nature than this* The unceasing action of that nature is to pour out' unrequited bounties. Return or gain it knows not; and so does it delight in bounty, that no man gives to another in the Lord's name, but He counts the deed as done to Himself. Blessed is ttat human being in whose goodness some mind first discfanjs glijnpsefl of the good- jiessof God! ■ ; ^ _ / I pleia,d for theLord'fl sake, «A»« Hie etamn ma/y he 'dndioatedi I , liave already said, that many who are willing to look upon Him as God of the world to come, feel as if "this world's proi^erty was not so directly His and under His hand. For th e Cr e ator's glory and the creature's rest, it is needful that all be taught that the gold and silver, the harvest's yield, flocks, herds, and fisheries, are all His property ; that whatsoever man has in his hand, is there only in trast and stewardship, not ei-eated nor yet retained by his power ; that a Hand unseen can at any moment ■\ yOH ! itU (lie III iiii'iuii |i4-iitl(, can alone muvt tho call of tho GOHIN)], It u amiained by Chrislianiti/, that our bounii/ul and cheerful giving ihall ha in pn»jmrtimi to our infant. *• tJ[nm tUi) firnt tlay of tho week let every one of you lay by him in Ntbii), an (Jod hath proftjwred him" Here tho scale which reguliittm giving in do<:iHiv(«,.huro .,f Forvia j..y and love ; ioHcitml by » fwl- W whW ira "Olory to hU In th« high.^ »"'»"" lUiri ^l^ rii win to men ;" and th« d««l« «r« i.v«ry K-hhI work. diMtri- Ji^r .1 If vV'mU«n l.y l."n«-^ rglnj'ref" «. t.,at ,.'..k u,.y th„,,«..tof . t-nth i. ..,.t of ..«h^ ,»,il,«i« 1 .1.. k.i<.w Kinioof tlmiHwr wl... wouia-l.ut wlml, no one of lhn"r.f'rt,a.lo .!.«««, in o„r.Ly, woul.l think of following If fllXl t. onw N. w 'i'.»tiiinnnt nrocopl iin.l .i»an.|,lo wo go to th« •()hl w Tim whXtho I- ml countJ «cc.'p-h'.1« i» «n"i™' V'""^- "?. Infuhl 0™a> hc^ml of ,1 f..n.ily an.ong tho Jow« w,.» ImnnJ hy -Uroct enlmonJl gl™ u trtion of givjng f»ir whl«U wo mn find uiiy prwtaxt or f«>«»tholil whttUivor, ill cdiumiind or in i>r«wf»'r to tho argumentM of my vomirublo friond, br. Morgan, which th»»y nuiy Hud • For fnll purMcidiini nnd vnrimi* dbcttMion of thcw chftroM, tli6\ ro»«kri« TofurrtHl to tho volutiut, " (told ami thu (IomiwI," uii[ii!cially titu rkuayi o| thu Uav Mr. Cuiiatttl)Ui and I)r. Morgan. V ' . /' " r itance of the saints in light He said : " Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not ^Id" (isi not this what you would covet 1 "bags iohich wax not old!"), '^ 8i treasure in the heavens, wherfe no thief appro^eth, nor moth ccMTupteth." Now, xhark the philosophy of this : "J^L where your treasure is, there will your heart he also." So that, bPPaduAlly laying up ywir treasure in heaven, ' your heart will gradually follow it there ; and' thus money, which some treat as capable only of being a bond and W burden, may becoTie to you a connecting wire with the Throne of retributions, and a Btimalant to hope fot the " resurrection of the just." A farmer who loves to see a full bam, and also to receive in. market tfte price of his crops, yet foregoes the* market, and reduce^ the store in his bam, casts away his precious' grain out of his hand, out of Ms sight, and leaves it buried, lost as to immediate return, trusting it wholly to the bosom of earth, and the eye of Heaven. What effect does this pokion of his treasure produce upon Jiim? It turns his thoughts away from the bam, from the market, from the pride of the one and the gold of the I ■•■/ ■■•/ ■7 other. It leads his eye often iip to the heavens, an4 his thoughts for- ward to the coming harvest-day. 60, tl^en, and sk)w, not spaiingly, but bountiMly. Foregoing the proud store, foregoing the present recompense, cast your treasure out ofypur graspj^ out of jour sightj cai|t.it with a broad hand, and a glad \^h:;;;« bin. li ^^^iHl^^^ -» r^^i^zJ'iX^:^^ kirn ii y uiiniw*i'#««»ry ; fcml h« |.l«*Mk " 7/w ia»B %§ imm, ''•^ •" wt^ri^. m • •i'"l>»« J**^*"** •«»*»'*^ «**•»"« mmMuii a«tl..ii«, cry, " To !^ i'h!nr,;.' tlib ob^loit we h*v« only «n« tiling to my : If lbj» U JuCv* w II vTh. kUp U,« Uw 1 Than .Ul w« ««.t.ma foir, ^^d mom ulJ JlT.^^^^^^ A."o«g Uw, l.o«« I. u..r •. .x^.|l»K .-U>v- It hail ii«veKf«m ii«v«r do.».% n«v«r givmi mu>..«h. »^ » "•J^f^ LhZ -Till iH^inniin?.- It.* K"'»»t thing* of y,*U.r.Uy, .ir.» l»>^« "'^ J Hay ; .Hi it^r. J thi,.KH UMUy, will W «}^'" ,^;"'«;, t^r^i ?h^ hrrS^^4 "'«•'»-- «* ^'^^^'' ^"•^ y«" "^^"'" '"*' '"^ "^ ^' AH^^am^^ItJIXTSnul g«UUn-. the d.fl«it« m^aniag of tlUj ex- Lve fulttU all l«w, an.1 •Mnmnm the rtghtn of (i.n and n an. » >»««^«^'"; tChmrt t* al in ri^ht iH a law t., itH..lf, and nmnlH .,« otlu^r rule. But U;; l;;;;;rt 'I |ht. «»d t- .«re to ru im the law without ni^id n.k^ ' ■ *' — • ••Jfe' M give what n the Now, I, will re in oney, may / and who 5f his casts res it )m of >f his u the )f the i for- g tfito e out X glad il / ■ ( (►„> thing together. I know I must leave it. It is for my children I have saved." Well, perhaps it would have been a blessing to your children had they befen left just with the means of honourably starting in life, the rest depending, under God, on their own conduct. Perhaps the stores you have painfully gathered will breed contentions over ybur grave, and then hurry your children to folly aaxd to sin,— ay, perhaps to poverty. „ . , . ' You have saved for your children ! We are ready to admit that, m this, if moderately done, you are a pu\)lic benefactor ; for he who finds a family competing with the poor in the labour market, and leaves it in a condition to employ them instead of competing with them, does a general service. But while you have been saving for your children, what have you saved for yourself ? In a week your will may be read jj , and is it posfflble that all the savings of your life are invested wherd/ they will then be in the hands of others, and nothing invested where ifi will come to accoimt for youl As with our life, so with our money74 he that sa v eth his money shall lose it ; and h e who, for the Lord' s sak e and the Gospel's sake, loses his wealth riiall find it. The only mon^y we save for ourselves is what we give to the liord.* From the momdat • Since this was delivered,; I have found the same sentiment quaintly 'ex- pressed on aa 014 inoiuuxieiit in the paurish church o^ f mn i rtu- O^y jiZn: II ill «nUin«a ihul a liiiop a»«U| U U.« M^^f But If diiV «iMH lo.w fri«tMU wh.. otiimi U» Mamfw arilUfn«tk«l law, will ol-Mjrva th«Ir own RiWi.gm U will im.va that i-Hnihow •riMMttHto r lIowrThmn wh«r«v.r iLy g«. Fur l/yQ»» .b mil giv« ^^^| ^ »,ul J nln«tl«tli. uviiii Ihal if ah ariUimntU-a! pr..|K»rt4.ili . ami if hi«t«.ul «|f Kivinir a t«i.th all iho yoar ll.r.»u«h. you only kiv.> a Unitli »f un« day « rn«tMii« for tli« wholii ymr, hIiU tluit ia aii aril iifM'tuiil |.rt,p.,rtida,- thuugh It might \m hail io am..«rtiai» H : and, li^ fiu.% gu down how- •vw low vou may. if you giv« any thing wliaUivf , at any i4»«^« '<'J*'*«- IZ It .UU Ci an aritL.tu uf ..r,.* >rtion u} tl.« wliok. Did w name a Umtha«th« higlujut HUuidanl .,f Cl.riiilla.i UM.«voUnicejaiid wm- ST«ur*«lve« to i^ wu might im Uunt^l wilK krithin«.lic ; At when we name it only a- the loweal iK,lnt at which an^ footing can U fmind. M)i. -miow, my fcorU. Is robjitHniif r.,al gravity, l)ouhtlo«^ d d wUu....hI u, prcnluo^ng OenJiUy in tlm (Jhuruhtm the Mtute of ft,.>li M,f. that all w.rn, U.wi.d U> Sveat loaiit a timth, mnny would think tliem'R. veH g.m«nMia in giving Siat, when |)erhui« a UiirU or a half would Uj uii>y thfcii ^ust ph^i^rUou. tuit for cm all n hnart up hia le, cry, Iflbe id more MM. love. " naver f ihinga nttrruw. with alt 3 law of thin «x- of Ipve. lierefow te. But ,1 niUs." N ... / ./ i wiKvt 1 left, that I loat." Tua* t tl — wrm I ;tl- — i5i — t >-^iit<-'-«», -«" J:,., r.^ III. .^ '* Ii i* n 1 l.n»Ubl; ihi^U f^\^f^'l "^r^^ Otti l.*im.iiitU».Ha4i.%l !.» fr-l Ui- l»« i» «•»«»»««• ^w'^"' "If "•^'T **. •itf fni.ii..i, of i*n|-^i». bMi^ii»«trly »u.w*.«) ; •»»» »»»f »' *» •^'T MRiUiitf -|»*n i* • iimili-ml k«r,Hii|C of iM rr«r^»» t " Tlum .h*U avi •nUlh,'* Ana wI,o.'%«m Hm» l-giii- lif« I7 k«*p"«g m U^ 'ff |»">- «, rial I- tfivr »w,.) ^1 . Will .u .mipl-y all h. .^.r.lii.K\ l.» •!.« w«l. ... O-l. .,„f .. ,. u. .»• hUmmk »" "»- *ni»'^' *»-*• our i^i-ili^ ant* !►*». u. Mviiii: •»♦•. 'Wh viiiilm 4imI iIm.^.^ of mu. r....ulK «. al* -tn r«ini ii.g .4.j^.rri.i»ii.-. •>'f im.^. »fM» I »»-'"'• ^.'••^. «•«-» '^7'^ .•3/»»«).li «»t rf.v.^;.t/. W« uugl.1 U» ^ivi. .»l^.lufly rtl. U..» HOi|.hnH iu iW III- ..fMH.HS-^iwI r cmiW umn« Ui« vwy miin,-; Urn* .n^M.« noUo And icwwml UbcruUty ; *>ul iik Uio IIjmi of i»io«t, Ifc wouW jUHt "■ — '— Jigpt«^— 14 J**-. lU, wUirh tun^im- lilt i*»l -U.a whUH k ii ; r-r mU. «f fl«U,. .»r •ifU. ^ lime, hai f..r lb- Uh^I f-r fm..t...U. for l»»« »'-"»"*f .'^li? * ommiifMl Will 4.1.1 • lU..kf».l li.*ri. an U.i« Mmr of «>•" «-*^:^«:- (Uv iJiili. l» ) Tbm W4i» ibM •|Hrii ♦»r Ibn RfW frtillii,-^ »|»*m tfl ^ I..U, wbi.b ib« rir-. lilib of ill. l..«umj» ijm* lb« ^.ici ^^tlr jld plAiift of oxiwmUtaitJ i.rocwU -t,!. U.o Inum. of four hundrod • ywir , wia 1% 1 «MUill III*! MMII r***' '*»""•* •*»'» t««M ».«• y.m U. i*»Mi .•« '*i*^r |«n.,|,i«, j- %Um» tm Umi ipi.»»l li^ Ml«tt** ti# 0*1.1, ttii4 «» f»«ir ««^ Hg^* *»*»^ Utt Om v«ry «m^V^>«iii*U OmI tl b • iisiitNM U^my lo a itMnIo Mii|Wfi«i Mia, it b A «riMl mtvki^ Ut Umih him l*> mv» intuathtng. •iv« it AW^y. Tlia iHifi ln.|»«** fimMMiirm. th« j^itr |».»w«r the !iicllii«« liiin tu l» lintlwi- l« ««niiiig. wul ikrifllW in jiiwi.litig oOmit li» M lUeH Ml «krtiiii|» ana flurwCul in 9|>»tuliitg. TIhi m«w ttmii li^niiMi til mvm i^wiri^iuig w»«i «i»^«« i* •'►•f. »»" '♦•^ »»* "•• "^ ■cttK «it.l uk»« liU iiiijiii" ilifl fftMiily «^i^ l« **( l»'«t'f*' u»ni. An t.i tii« •wlty |iiii.r, I will uVmii wlu.l.. n»iwiii*m •»! pn«»rli«»i«lii giving by who wwiui wa iM ''WMtM^^ <^'^«s '•«"' •'*•** "*"y '7' •"•'• iii.fiiiiiiimh«y wilt it««»tStaw!P^t»««'^Sitti i»«^»i"'»^*»'*'»'^ «n« mm» how llm |««»r |SMRl!(r<*»lvr« l,jf*iUt^, l.y hurtful lu«uri«m by ill niwiH tiiiMs )m.w oftflu th«ir ■iiiftr« iii*m«y, not |Mri>^«tigiigwl for g»ma •itd% la thn «iun« tiT th«lr ruin, oii« f«*l» iiuUg««»i»e At th«i«« iiilfitMiiitl. tut*«l friwitia of Uwlm who wimiM |ir.»t«. t th.un fnuii thi c^lUi of gfiiiv liMity, lh« v«iy mlN which w»»ul«l niiiw' «««! «i*k« men of ihwMi , mm W0 a^y, HiAiul out i>f ili« w^y of the |iiwr I . . . i. u Thtw wM On« who wn» no i»mttt«ur In iw>v«rtv, hut hAil «n««»n »» iWwi Uifl inwniwr. In Kin own lot mul tlmt c»f 1 1 In frl.ti.U IM«I h« ililnk it (I pity tlmt th« wUh>w MhiHthI givn iiwny h«r two miUrn^l or dUI litt tall Mury Uuit iho 0A«i««Uitigly €««.tly U»i of oliitmout WM too •I'l ■Ik r' eir nil flit Iw til th AX n« •o o« { ■ "^ ijaMJfc* n w I f««i«x^Uliiy. mC iI»«» ^»**tt«» *•> k«>«w»»*' y^' family, t**! nwim^m •inUinitKKM, iiwn» «»3rm| lAill iifw ihm cUlmi «! gWl4lii«K |4»iy, mMHimm, Pm wi» il tv<* |iwv«i l»i*l *!»«• y«Mi |».li»fiilly •|Mr« ^Mtr^ rf«|p«it»UUIy ft>r Ui* Mif\wMm ^^ lioiwHiriiiii ymr i».»l, wMl ^Ul to Mug »M«h II* |i»w*f4 ••IVm ilwi li..ii«ttr Wto, I •ill lH*tunir. TlwMS my Imth •«» Ite* tllW «»l.>^^««« » «wir •rgamottl i iii»4 Uving UttM iM»lie«a tfcw«»» I WW iinH'twtl to . Ily •' |)m«i(UMtl «tp»lMi| U» " it, I «U» iMii iw**!!, wy Ii «"***• ""** '"'***"* *!*, * much morn U»i«nil llm»» wc h*v6 )ir^4» ; lJ»«M gi> wny wmI wy »it lUb ft fttw iiiiMMM\An«l «iiiif»>rU>ily <'om« rflutid, In Uw «»»«r»« of • wiwk or Iwo, lo ouMolil htkHf. By " f»molUail •tUmllon to ** ll| I mnwi wm*- Uiing tlirr«r4iil frum nlllKb -••mufthiug do*;iaiHi,»Mn itowunlis •UoiiW now, Uoiv, miU irn»voa»l»Iy wtolvo f ' ■'•# ; f ■» !* .,^ii.*.,. « I , *\ / 118 i:' iii | II , I * ; i>wjHWpWPMiWHBjj|| Qjr TUJE DUTY OF GIVINQ AWAT. that, hf the help of Divine grace, henceforth to the day when ihoney ceases to bo treasure, ** Of all that Thou shalt give me, I will SURELY GIVE THE TEKTH TO TheK." * . This resolve once come to, it only, remains that, at stated timojK the OJnsecrated portion of what the Lord gives you be set apai'|; for Hin Bfrvice ; and thiit it be cheerfully given away. Those bta ted times may be >ither' weekly, quarterly, half-yearly, or yearly, aocording ha you can afeocrtain your income.* These are fM)ints of detail of tlie utmost importance, which anyone who is really resolved will noon adjust for himself, But my point is to obtain the firm resolution of steady and habitual libei-ality for all that remains of life. I Ao not want a tempolt^ry surface glow, but a permanent quickening of (he tjir- culation, by gioater , strength . at the he^rt. Life ia ebbing, time is flying, opportunities of doing good arc daily growing fewer, h,nd the moment is come for sometbiug practical. I plead, then, most im- portunately plead, for practical attention to this duty now. I plead for man's sake, for the Gospet's sake, for the' Lord's sake, .\u your own sake. I tlead for man's SAKKy that wen may lea iih that Chnstianft ire sincere. Thousands dwell in tho midst of us who never thought Mf formally disbelieving the Word i-CGod ; yet they have h habirtiHl sus- picion, more than a suspiuon, that the prictieal religion of vc- ligiotis men is only a seemly gnrb which -is beautiful on Sunday, serves to go to church in, and is at all times re- spectable. • This suspicion is one of the most serious obstacles to their own conversion. There are in Belfjist hundreds who would be brought Tiearer to salvation, did they only fee' in th^iir con- science that the faith, hope, ami love of Christian m«m arn not a oro- fessi6n, but a matter of the heart. Ko\V all worjdly meit have one deep instinct: they believe that amanlssim^erein wimt he uolll pay Jor. If they, then, see religious men cheerfully and largely pHvinj: for their religion, the habit of doubting tlveir sincerity will gi-itdiiallv be worn away. And surely those principles are worth little whin} • are not worth paying for. A religion that did not che'iTc" ovir selfishness could not come from a God of love. He who U not willing to pay for his religion has no right to have a religion. Creatures there are. * Peraons wha have fixed incom^es may easily atl«»})t^the direct methtxl of weekly " laying by them in store." For those whose income is derivfed from business, this is not so easy ; but a gentleman m DuSlin, jrfter hearing the Lecture, told me a plan he had formed which would be easUy applied in thou- sands of cases. In substance it was this : "By years of experience I know, after making allowance for bad debts and so on, what per-centMffe oi ray gro^ returns comes to me^ on the average, as clear profit. Every week I know what my sales have been. If , therefore, I take that per-centage on the week's sales, it represents my • increase ' for the week ; and hereafter each Monday morning, I wul draw • a tenth ' of that, and put it to a benevolent fund." May thousands go and do likewise ! ON THE DUTY or aiVINO AW AT. 119 and oroAtures, tcto, ctvlUng thomselviDs Cniriutians above uti nameft, who would fain take the bouefilH of. Jchuh' reHgion of love, withotit it coHt- ing thom anything ! Oh, oould wo lift one such soul abruptly uwjiy from the midat of this asHeinbly, uj^ and up into yonder celestial light, and there set it U|)on the Sea of Glass :— us it saw its own imago re- fle<;ted in tliat Sea, with ho mucrh of greed, of e^arthliness, of self, of meanness, shewn in the blaze of that day, would it not shriek out in terror^ that heaven was the most horribly oxj)oaing place whcrointo a poor wretch was ever driven? I plead for man's stike, tJuU inen nmii lefvm thU Providence ishene- i)ohnt. One most ruinous induonce at work in society, is the general distrust in the vigilance of a Power which befriends the right. Most men believe they can ]>ro8per more quickly and more surely by keej>- ing an easy conscience than a pure one, by practising clever evasions of right than by boldly shunning all known wrOng. To confrom this unbelief, to demonstrate before all men tliat the Power alx>ve us tlo^-vi smile upon uprightness and geipirosity, is the high calling of every godly man. You .are not only; to obtain your neighbotirH' mhoissioii that the Lord is King of the world to come, — ^ they are ready ^fuougii to grant that: aixother point needful for their salvation is c»> brinjr them to feel thaij^'^i-] o i^ I^rd a^d King of the world that now is. 'Ihey easily believe that He is XXii riispotjer of cirowna and harpt* ;ier«jaft«^r ; but they do not so easily believe that He is the' disjwser of pounds, and shillings, and pence! Doubting here, for the sake o4* the piessing to- d^ay, they risk the infinite but unfelt to-niorrow. Batan evti lx)ji.st.s, aH he did to our Master, that both the good and the glory of this *«»rUI are in his power, and that to whomsoever he will he gives theui. 'lo deny this claim, to maintain the opposite, to lead men V» turn upwanl a reverent eye, and say loyally to the Lord of all, 'vBoth >•»( hts :uui honor come of Thee," nothing is so Jeffectual as that all God's jservantrt lahall sacredly honor Him with the nrst-fruits of their increivse, Ooinjt; this, it will soon be seen that they who acknowledge Providenc« MourM in its. sunshine, and that seldom indeed i5 one of their number struck with a blight/ Bands,— not here and there an individual, as muul; an exception in the Church as in the world, but — large bands of u))en- handed men, whose works prosper and whose homes lejoice, will Htand before the world living' witnesses thy,t we are not given over to the keeping of a demon who pampers wrong and famishes goodness, I plead for man's mke,-—tJiat men vnay learn tliat commerce is benC' volent. It is not more]hurtful than wondeiful how genei*ally even good men look on commerce merely as an engine for fovtune-making and a field of battle for all the selfish passions. Even gravediyines may be found calling commerce " the god of this world," with just the same propriety and truth as they, professing to quote Scripture, call money " the roo4 of all evil." " Well, but is not commerce a hatefully selfish 120 ON THE DUTY OP GIVING AW AT. ■i thinff 1 Is not wetttlier a selfish thing ? Both are appointed by Tro- vidonce for the 8an|-* end ; both perverted by man to the same abuse. For the threefold purpose of provisioning, clothing, and adorning this world and its inhabitonts, the Lord has made a great unconscious machinery of sky and sea, soil and air, and apik)inted intelligent work^ ers t The Gospel will Jbe adorned only by men who, not in word and in tongue, but in deed and in truth,'Iove their neighbour, body and soul ; —by men in whom the character of Christ, to some extent, re-appears,' that character of love and self-sacrifice to which the glory of God and' * the salvation of man were the sole objects; wealth, or ease, or pride, nothing. Aim, then, aim at such a standard of beneficence as shali attj'acb to the religion you profess the admiring eye of many who before had seen in it no loveliness ! ., ' plead for the Gospel's sake, thit it mag be diffused. The Lord's coi|m:*sion is, that w"go into «W the wor/ of Heber,— . ; / !n^«>*^ 125^ W TOB DUTY 0» GIVING AWAT. ^ "Wait, waft^ ye winfls, the story, And you, ye waters, roll, Till, like a sea of glory, • ', It spreads from pole to pole." V ■*■■■■■..■ ■ ■-" ' / ' ■ ., ' • - But listen ! tibe winds sre swiping, and have been sweeping from the beginning, over the peaks of the Himalaya, and on the shores of liaise Tsad. Jifow it ifi the inistle of the breeze, now the shock of the tempest ; but listen ! Does either sound on the ear of the heathenthd name " JssuB 1" The waves are rolling, and from the beginning liiave been rolling, on the shores of Fiji and of Japan ; but does either the gentle ripple, or the booip of the mighty wave, sound the' word "Mercyr-' ■• /:'■,/'' ■: ^ .' , No J if the story is to be tcdd/ it must be 'told by the voice of living men. And whence are the means to come, .to send forth messengers to tell the tidings of grace '"to every creature?^"* Dr. Morgan,, in^ his Essay, has said that some such change as was effected in science by the discovei^ of gravitation, or in mechanics by that of iHeam, would be effected in the powers of the Church for good, by the general adoption of the obsjBrvance for which we plead. And^ my Loi;:d, whether we look at your wealthy Establishments, or at our poorer Societies, it is certain that were all their members but brought up even to'the the majority should be of those who had never heard of Jesus? If this is not to be our case, if-* that name is to sound on all ears, and to be invoked in all tongues, up and be earnest ! Sjjpare not your goods^ that the poor vdl soul may be richatlast. , ' * .. ' * I plead— reverently it must be said — fob the Lord's sake. It is true that all idea of giving a benefit to Him is forever excluded. " Is it any gwn to Him that thou makest tl^y ways perfect 1" The sun He has set ii^ our firmament, has rejoiced our world from Adam until now. On hun all its beauty and its life depend. Now that he is hidden, the rosaihas no blush, tiie lily no whiteness, the meadow no green ; a cheer-' less -gloom reduces them all to samenes& To-monrow when he le- appears, all the beauties, of the landscape will come forth anew. ; Sup- pose that then yre were aU seized with an impulse of admiration, and desired to shew how .much we valued his services to man, not aU the powers of our race could send him up a ray iicy make him grander. %i !!1^'^'' ■ T:y-f-['- ■■ "%^. [g from ores of of the lenthd ig iiave ber the )' word r living igers to in^ his by the oiild be ioption iher we BS, it is Dractice ents to shment old put . [it from y other that, in id be of case, if"* ;ue8, up may be It is L "Is sun He ;il now. ten, the et cheer-' he »e- . ; Sup. on, and I aU the er. V Oir THE DUTY OF OIVINO AWAT. m He is the erniblem of his Maker; In one eternal outflood benefits stream from Him upon His creatures. Life^ joy, redemptiota,— all come from Him. After ages of daily debt, were all our race this moment . seized with a passion of gratitude,-r-did every human heart ask, " What «hall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits?" then, though every bosom throbbed, and every hand were 8trained,we could not add one ray to His glory^ one step to the elevation of His throne, one hairbreadth to the extent of His dominions, or one moment to the duration of His . reign. Inhabiting eternity, He sits " in the high and holy place," as far above our power to benefit as to injure Him, efa carnal mind. It is possible for a man so to drown his spiritual powjcra in sordid pas- Edbji, thatihe soul" wittiih him ceases to have any action but for concerns .. y ^ ^ ^- ^. "^t- ■■! Vjr'V'i W-' 'ffift*-^ 126 ON TH« DUTY or dlVWO AWAT. of the market Of iti high faeulties he cannot rob it : it is, and it will be, a soul, with the inherent lights and forces of a soiiL But all these he presses into the ignoble service of pelf*gathering. 'It still has its judgment, capable of deep knd holy themes ; but this is kept ever por- ing upon problems lying. within the three columns, — pounds, shillings, and pence. It has its imagination ; but this, instead of taking flights to a better country, only dwells on more gold, more houses, more land, more state. It has its fear ; but this, forgetting all things really fear- ful, shudders at nothing except losses. And even its hope, though un- quenchable, aspiring only after property, does not wihg . the soul for heaven, but birth's it deeper in pelf. Thus the poor soul is totally shut out from its native air, and the whole man sinks into & machine, — a most wonderful and elaborate machine, worked by spirit-power, for the single use of scraping, scraping, scraping gold ! ' / What, you applaud this ! It is far too true to be applauded. There are hundreds of souls in Belfast just like that ; and if you would not /have your souls degraded into mere spirit-power for working a gold- rake, spring up, and, appealing for help to the Spirit who is over all, go and teach your hands to do worksjj|lg!§jiero8ity, instead of teaching your soul to do works of. pelf. I plead for your own sake, tholt you may increasei in jnvrity cmd heavenlinesis of mind. It was our Redeemer who first shewed the way to make money a means of inclining our affections t<^ward the inher-_ itance of the saints in light He said : " Sell that yO have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not 'old" (is not this what you would covet 1 "bags which wax not old !"), *^ si treasure in the heavens, wherfe no thief appro^ieth, nor moth corrupteth." Now, mark the philosophy of this : "^k where your treasure is^ th&re will your heart be also " So that, b^^adually laying up ydUr treasure in heaven, ' your heart will gradually follow it there ; and- thus money, which some treat as capable only of being a bond and W burd^i, may becoTie to you a connecting wire with the Throne of retributions, and a stiilaulant to hope for the " resurrection of the just." A farmer who loves to see a full bam, and also to receive in. market the price of his crops, yet foregoes the^ market, and reduce^ the store in "is bam, casts away his precious' grain out of his hand, out of his sight, and leaves it buried, lost as to immediate return, tmsting it wholly to the bosom of earth, and the eyo of Heaven. What effect does this portion of his treasure jaroduce upon Jiim ? It turns his thoughts away from the bam, from the market, from the pride of the one and the gold of the other. It leads his eye often up to the heavens, anjd his thoughts for- ward to the coming harvest-day. > - Go, then, and sow, not sparingly, but bountifully. Foregoing tho proud store, foregoing the present recompense, cast your treasure out ofypur graspj^ out of jpur sightj caj|t it with a broad hand and a glad 1^ v-' OV TBM DUTY 09 OIVUTO AWAT. m oart : leave it there unaeen, in the ^oil of eternity^ and nnder the suns of heaven. Even here tlie fruit will be/that, by tkigrees, your mind will set itaelf more atrongly on the joys that never wane : and when the harvest-day sets in, how many ^ill be fain that they hi^d sowed as you I^ "■'""■". '■ ■ I plead for your own sake, that you may have some good o/ythir m&iysy even to eternity i In the passage just referred to, our Redeemer shews how we may, by a heavenly use of earthly goods, lay up treasu*"- *J heaVen. An apostle tells us of another treasure which, b^' ; * money, we may " heap together for the last days." Bu* '"** " * '"measure of " miseries that shall come upon you." He ^^' to amass wealth, keeps back the labourer's hire, or falls ir* ^f^l "J™^' r" . ^ '^''5 excepting the fraud which dopri^' .- cue Lord of the beneficent use of His own gifte,-i8, in heM^^-lf "P ^^^Y ^^l *»»" world,^ ^^IJP^^, "P " treasure for the l"-* ^^y^ While the gold and silver distnbuted for the Lord's *.»!>•«> to benefit the souls and bodies of men, will all be found turned into incorruptible treaisure " at the resurrection of the just ;" this gold and silver, which no thank-ofierings hallowed, and no poor roan blessed, on which the eye of the needy looked wistfully, and for which the works of God's Church appealed in vain,— this, too, will re-appear^; its ^^rmt sfiall be a witneaa agrnnat you, and sJuill eat yonrjleah aa U ioerejire" This, O money-lover ! is the way in which you have heaped treasure <* together for the last days." ' " Oh, I have not been selfish ! It ifl not for myself I have got some- thing together. I know I must leave it. It is for my children I have saved." Well, perhaps it would have been a blessing to your children had they been left just with the means of honourably starting in life, the rest depending, under God, on their own conduct. Perhaps the stores you have painfully gathered will breed contentions over yOur grave, and then hurry your children to folly aaxd to sin,— ay, perhaps to poverty. . . You have saved for your children ! We are ready to admit that, m this, if moderately done, you are a pu\)lic benefactor ; for he who finds a family competing with the poor in the labour market, and leaves it in a condition to employ them instead of competing with them, does a| general service. But while you have been saving for your children, what have you saved for yourself? In a week your will may be read ;; and is it posdble that all the savings of your life are invested whei^[ they will then be in the hands of others, and nothing invested where it will come to account for youl As with our life, so with our moneWl he that savoth his money shall lose it ; and he who, for the Lord's salie and the Gospel's sake, loses his wealth shall find it. The only monfy we save for ourselves is what we give to the liord.* From the mom^it * Since this was delivered,. I have found the same sentiment quaintly ex^ pressed on an ol4 inommient in the pariah church of Iieek,St»& \ ■■^1 X' / r-,? ;(.:y. m Ul yoti over handlod will rmnain to you, except that if^hioh you freely garo away. When uU the rent in in the hands of others, thii will abide for you, and at the grout day will he ap|K)rtiofled to you, in^ hew fonns, and with wondrous increase, before all^yes that ever count^ gold, or ever melted with benevolence. Then, if you #ould aave any- ^v^ for yourself, if you would have any enjoyment from your po». own clIS^""^ ^'"* uncertttih' life, go and " put on Christ;" let your acting giv^VlHeo*!^?r*'' 1.".'^®*' "^^ ' I'^^'J '*'*'" modes of Judging and Church and *tho goofc.^^,7« yourself first to Him, and then to the " lay up in store againnt thVl? ^^^ " ' "^ ^""^ "Ah, but I should not like to til?"'®' ,» xr . 11 * r • For tnv r...i^ T w«..i I • i. " ". . , i"v>r ! Not like to die poor *oi my part I would wi»h to die nch. Vv i . ^^^ „,„„* He who. whether ho leaves much, or little, 6Y nothihg Mm!? Mm L t^uS laid up in heaven //. di^ rich. Who diks poor 1 T^.rhoTha^ ever he leaves behind him, has nothing laid up before liim>^.^^ -tt- " As I was, 80 Im) yo ; As I am, ye dinll be ; That I gave, that I have ; What I spent, that I had. Thus I end all my cost : What Heft, that Host " v PBItrrffl) AT TOS WHJMTAN CONrtRBNCS OWICT, KLIO STREBr ¥4»T, TOROKTa ■J *"U A^i,^ , ■ :j;!v;, ' n '»;■' ' ^ * rft"'* ■ ' .,..- ■„ ■'-=. •"'',•• i ♦ * ' " . ■' ■ - '• . ■ i^^„ • , • ■ • ; * ' '- ■ 1 . ^ ' f • . \ t • * ■ ■ ■ W.M ^ * ,. * ■ * « % • ■ '■ . V ■. ■ V ■- . » ■" ■ ■ * '-« _ .• . r ____L.^ _■ •. . L. :-^ ; . — /-- .■■•"", - ■■ -■ - _^ .._■'_. : . » 1' . ■ ■ ■ , ■ ■ ' ■ ' ■'.'',' 1 ■1 1 1 1 r^ . ' ^^ .JT, . ■■-■■■■■ ■■• " '^. -,_,.^»,. ^^^_ ■■' '*. ■ ■ / ' ''^^^1 ^^ . ; :■: ' \;''' ' ' ' ' j^^^H F f» /' . ^^^^.. ^^^^^^^^^H r 1 . ■ i ■• f ^^^^^ L ' ■ \''s .' " ' .■ '•• • ^H L ■ - ''^^^f'^-' . < .:■:-.:■#-'';: « : /:-i' ;';^ 1 1 1.' ^M '■;/';, . ;. '° ,... ■■• .. .- 1 [ 1 j^^^^^^^l P^::^"*i'V-'. :••■■■.•; ■ . -■-" ■ ■' • ■ ■- ■1 > .■>-■'■ -.1 ., '" -^ ■ " V, ■ ■ ■ ■ k . '■ ■-■ ..■ _ ;■ ■ ": . -■; ■'.-'■ " ' ' • ■■'-'■ '■'*"■. ■> ■ .■ • ' ■ " y ' ' ■ ' . ■* . ' ' : . ■ ■■ : '■■./: .■ ' ' \ / ■ ■ ' ■/ - ' ■■'■ ■' : ,. . "'- . ■ / ■•■ .:■ '•■; .■ r ;' ■ ■■ " ■: . ■ ■ '-'S. ; .'■ '^ - -: ••■■■■:.;'.. " • ' ..;.. .- ' :. ■■»"■, i ./ ■:--.-■;_ ''■'■■'■*■ ''■■■;•■■■ ■■■/'■' \'\' '■' : ■'.■ ■ ;.. ^ . ■> '■'■:. -.'Jif--- .. f-. (§J