say that the stranger may glean. In some places the poor will not permit this. Are they right? It may indeed be proper in this privileged land* to keep to the fields of your own parish, as doubtless the Jews did to the ground of their own tribes; but if a stranger or a destitute person should attempt to glean among you, what right have you to prevent such? Why may you glean? Does not the same verse which permits you allow them? Moreover, perhaps your children, or remoter descendants, may be cast where they are not known, and have no settlement; and often God retributes in this life; as we have done to others, he allows or disposes others to deal with us. "And they found Adoni"bezek in Bezek: and they fought against him, "and they slew the Canaanites and the Perizzites, "But Adoni-bezek fled: and they pursued after "him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and "his great toes. And Adoni-bezek said, three

* Among the many temporal privileges the poor enjoy in this land, may be enumerated, the right which the laws give them to parochial relief. The pious poor (others will not either understand the allusion, or be grateful at the information,) will view this as fulfilling that clause in the well-known covenant, that "bread shall be " given, and water made sure:" and they will with thankfulness and pleasure learn, that England is the only place in the world where there are poor laws; and that in this country no less than three millions of pounds are anuually raised for their use and benefit. Happy is the people which is in such a case:-Happier is the people whose God is the Lord!"

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"score and ten kings, having their thumbs and "their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under "my table: as I have done, so God hath requited And they brought him to Jerusalem, and "there he died." *

" me.

From the whole of this subject, primarily let us learn our obligation to God for his invaluable word, a standard of unerring rectitude, and wherein is contained every thing necessary for life and godliness.

The interests of all classes of society are well considered, and their duties exactly defined. Directions are even afforded on what might at first sight appear trivial. Is this book consulted by you? Is it the "man of your counsel?" In the happy times which pass over us, none can complain justly, that they want a Bible. Is it a false charge that many who have the Scriptures, neglect them? That curse which was pronounced by our blessed Lord on Chorazin and Bethsaida applies with peculiar and awful propriety to such. Suffer not the dust on its cover to testify against you. He who knows, or might know his masters will, and does it not, deserves to be beaten with many stripes. A most intolerable doom awaits all the hearers of the gospel, and the owners of a Bible who resist the counsel of God

*Judges, i, 5-7,

against themselves. The mild genius, and the be nevolent spirit of the Holy Scriptures, which are nothing more than a revelation of God's love and pity to a ruined world, will prove your guilt to be inexcusable. Read it attentively and with prayer to him who alone can enable you to understand. Begin to day. If you are brought to prize that inestimable treasure, you will daily read it, and the sacred contents will make you wise to salvation.

2. We may infer, that if God has condescended to regulate smaller concerns, he will not overlook greater matters. Has he thus cared for your bodies and temporal interests, and will he be less provident about your immortal spirits? Certainly not:-his benevolence and mercies are designed to lead you to him if haply seeking, you may find him; and I pray you let this be the result of your present meditation. Ask yourselves what know you concerning that Being who has so graciously provided that the poor may glean for their pleasure and advantage? Do you wish no further acquaintance with him? Do you consider that these are the only, the best proofs of his love? No, these and all temporal favors are but as the few golden ears of corn you, or your children may pick up in the harvest, as confpared with the most abundant crops. "God so "loved the world, that he gave his only begotten "Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not

"perish, but have everlasting life."* God is love. He wishes to draw you to himself, his language is mercy, he longs and waits to be gracious, every where and on every occasion he speaks to you say, ing, "Why will you die?" If you enter a field to glean, he there calls to you with kindness. Sinner comply with his merciful invitations, he has sworn by himself, that he wills you to live and have life abundantly,

Be not then satisfied with the mere gleanings of worldly good, but seek treasures of corn and wine and oil; spend not your strength for those things which will never satisfy; buy without money and without price; eat that which is good, and delight yourselves in the abundance so freely offered.

Lastly. Let us all remember that the evening of our life draweth on, when, as she who gleaned in the fields of Boaz, returned to her enquiring parent, and reported her success, we shall return to the dust from whence we sprang, and must say to corruption, thou art my mother: it shall be asked of us, Where have ye gleaned to day? Where wroughtest thou? What reply shall we make? If we have acted wisely and kept in those rich and plenteous fields to which we were early guided by parental piety,

John, iii. 16.

our golden grains shall attest our success, and increase our best satisfactions. On those hallowed lands, the fields which God has blessed; he whose right is to redeem, has met us; through his mercy we obtained abundant measures of good; during the time of our toil he cheered us; he forbad any to hurt us; finding grace in his eyes, he purposely let fall some richer ears for our solace, so that his gift seemed the fruit of our exertion. Unexpected mercy, to reward his own work. "I heard a voice "from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are "the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth:

Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their "labours; and their works do follow them."*

* Revelation, xiv. 13.